Gloomhaven: A Dungeon Crawler to Rule Them All
Introduction
Gloomhaven is a cooperative campaign dungeon crawler with roughly 95 scenarios in the base box, and its reputation does not rest on that number. It rests on the fact that there are no attack dice.
Each turn you commit two cards from your hand, and attacks resolve against a personal modifier deck that you reshape as the campaign runs. The variance in any fight therefore comes from a deck you built rather than a roll you cannot influence, and almost every other decision in the game hangs off that one.
Buy it if a hundred-hour campaign with genuine tactical depth is something your group will actually finish. Skip it if you want a dungeon crawler you can teach in ten minutes and pack away the same evening.
The Basics
What is Gloomhaven?
Gloomhaven is a cooperative, campaign-driven dungeon crawler board game. You and your friends take on the roles of mercenaries working together to clear out dangerous dungeons and complete quests. With nearly 95 scenarios in the base game alone, this isn’t just a one-night affair. Prepare for an epic journey that you may need several weekends (or years) to complete.
Components
The game comes with 17 playable characters, each with unique abilities, and hundreds of monsters to battle. You get a gazillion cards, tokens, and tiles. Don’t forget the rule book — it’s thick enough to be used as a weapon against small intruders.
The Gameplay
Setting Up
Setting up Gloomhaven is like setting up for a medieval reenactment. It takes time, patience, and maybe a few sacrificial offerings (like your sanity). But once you’ve laid out all the pieces, the real fun begins.
Turns and Actions
Each turn, players choose two cards from their hand. These cards dictate the actions they can perform that round. These could range from moving and attacking to healing allies or summoning creatures. The top half of one card and the bottom half of another are used, giving players flexibility and strategy.
Combat
Combat in Gloomhaven is a mix of strategic planning and luck. Each attack can be modified by drawing a card from your personal attack modifier deck. Drawing a null modifier on a turn you spent two cards setting up is the game’s signature disappointment, and it is also the argument for reshaping the deck: the modifiers you remove matter as much as the abilities you add.
The Story
Campaign Mode
The storyline progresses as you complete scenarios. It’s like reading a fantasy novel, except you’re one of the characters, and you can blame your friends if things go south. Spoiler: They will.
Side Missions & Characters
There are numerous side missions and character-specific quests that add depth and replayability. Characters level up and evolve, which can lead to new abilities and items. Just be careful not to get too attached — characters can retire and leave the game.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Immersive Gameplay: You’ll feel like you’re in the dungeon, fighting off monsters and looking for treasure.
- Replayability: With nearly 95 scenarios and multiple side quests, no two playthroughs are the same.
- Strategic Depth: Every decision matters. You can’t just hack and slash your way through Gloomhaven (even though it’s tempting).
Cons
- Complex Setup: Be prepared to spend a good amount of time setting up each scenario.
- Lengthy Campaign: Not for the faint-hearted or the commitment-phobic.
- Rule Overload: The rule book is hefty. You might need a PhD in rule interpretation.
Player Count and Session Length
Gloomhaven supports 1 to 4 players, with the sweet spot at 3 to 4 for balanced combat encounters and manageable downtime between turns. Solo play is viable using two characters controlled by one player, though it removes the collaborative discussion that makes group play engaging. Each scenario takes approximately 90 to 120 minutes including setup and teardown, with the setup time decreasing significantly after the first few sessions as players learn the component organization. The full campaign spans over 100 hours of play, making it one of the longest board game experiences available. For groups that cannot commit to weekly sessions, the game tracks progress through a campaign journal, allowing months between sessions without losing context.
Comparison with Other Dungeon Crawlers
Compared to lighter dungeon crawlers like Descent or Zombicide, Gloomhaven offers substantially more tactical depth and campaign persistence but demands a larger time investment per session and across the campaign. The card-based action system eliminates dice randomness from attack calculations, replacing it with the modifier deck that players can customize over time. This gives Gloomhaven a stronger sense of character progression and player agency than dice-heavy alternatives. For groups wanting the Gloomhaven experience in a shorter format, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion provides a streamlined tutorial campaign with fewer scenarios while maintaining the core mechanical identity.
Final Thoughts
Gloomhaven is not just a board game; it’s an experience. If you’re ready to commit to a lengthy and challenging campaign, this game will provide countless hours of entertainment. Just remember to bring your patience, a sense of humor, and maybe a backup plan for when things go horribly wrong.
The honest caveat is scheduling rather than difficulty. A hundred hours split into two-hour scenarios is fifty sessions, and the campaign journal exists precisely because most groups will not manage them weekly. Buy it knowing that, and the box is extraordinary value. Buy it expecting to finish inside a couple of months and it will sit half-played on a shelf, which is where a great many copies have ended up.
If that sounds like your group, Jaws of the Lion is the better first purchase: the same mechanical identity, a tutorial campaign, and a fraction of the commitment.
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