89

A massive dungeon-crawling campaign game with tactical card-driven combat. Control unique mercenaries in a branching story where your choices have lasting consequences.

89

The Verdict

based on 25 reviews

Positive 0%
Negative 0%
Deep and strategic card-based combat that minimizes luck and rewards planning.
A massive amount of content with 95 scenarios, ensuring dozens of hours of gameplay.
Engaging legacy mechanics and character progression that create a persistent, evolving world.
Highly replayable with branching narratives, unlockable classes, and random scenario generators.
Fosters strong cooperative gameplay and teamwork.
Extremely long setup and teardown time due to the vast number of components.
The game's rules are complex and can present a steep learning curve for new players.
The sheer physical size and weight of the game box make storage a significant issue.
The overarching story is considered a weaker element, sometimes feeling disjointed or secondary to the combat.
95
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Gideon's Gaming, Gaming GideonArticle

Gloomhaven Second Edition is a massive, highly successful overhaul of the original game, incorporating Frosthaven's mechanical refinements, reworked characters, balanced missions, and a compelling new faction reputation system.

95
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Ars Technica, Aaron ZimmermanArticle

Gloomhaven is a massive, highly engaging cooperative dungeon crawler that replaces traditional dice rolling and stats with an innovative card-driven system for movement, combat, and initiative.

95
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Age of MiniaturesArticle

The reviewer declares Gloomhaven their favorite campaign board game, praising its unique card-driven combat, persistent evolving world, and deep narrative. They highlight its compelling character progression and high replayability despite acknowledging its complex setup.

95
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Board to Death TV, Board to Death TVVideo

The Board to Death TV review highly praises Gloomhaven as a masterpiece and the best dungeon crawl board game. It emphasizes the game's balanced mechanics, strategic card management, and diverse character classes, recognizing its complexity and extensive campaign gameplay.

95
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Wargamer Fritz, Wargamer FritzVideo

Wargamer Fritz offers an in-depth review of Gloomhaven, praising its amazing gameplay, constant character evolution, and overall engaging experience despite initial rulebook complexities. He concludes the game is very neat and interesting while exploring if it is indeed the best board game ever.

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Shelfside, Ashton and Daniel (Shelfside)Video

The reviewers highly praise Gloomhaven's combat system, calling it the best dungeon crawler gameplay available, and commend its vast content. However, they note that the game's immense size leads to considerable setup and organization challenges, and some late-game repetitiveness and balance issues.

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
No Pun Included, Elaine and EfkaVideo

This video provides a detailed overview of the physical board game Gloomhaven, discussing its extensive campaign, legacy mechanics, and the significant time commitment required to play through its numerous scenarios. The reviewers explicitly mention their bias but proceed to discuss various aspects of the game.

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
slickerdrips, Tom HeathArticleTop List

The reviewer expressed immense satisfaction with Gloomhaven, stating it was a fantastic experience that exceeded all expectations and his most anticipated game, despite a couple of minor nitpicks.

See list
90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Man vs Meeple, Jeremy Salinas and David WaybrightArticleTop List

This Man Vs Meeple video features Gloomhaven as one of their top ten board games released in 2017. The hosts discuss their opinions on the game within the context of their annual ranking.

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90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
Getting Games, Jonathan CoxVideo

Gloomhaven is highly praised for its innovative card-driven combat, diverse 17 characters, and engaging narrative events. The reviewer especially enjoys its balanced difficulty and unique combat modifier deck, a refreshing alternative to dice.

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
The Board Games Chronicle, The Boardgames ChronicleArticle

Gloomhaven is a deeply rewarding tactical cooperative campaign game featuring excellent character retirement mechanics and card-driven combat, though the overarching story loses steam late in the game.

90
InferredThis reviewer didn't give a numbered score. We read the review and inferred a 0–100 score from what they said. Did we get it wrong? Please report it, we'll fix it.
The Cardboard Herald, JackVideo

The Cardboard Herald provides a first impressions review of the physical board game Gloomhaven 2nd Edition. The video explores the updated core game, discussing its new content, revised mechanics, and overall presentation.

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