Gloomhaven

2017 · Fighting

Gloomhaven

Players take on roles of wandering adventurers in a persistent, branching campaign world. The game centers on cooperative, Euro-style tactical combat where players clear scenarios, gain experience and loot, and make story decisions that change future play. Each round players select two ability cards: card initiative sets turn order and each card’s top and bottom powers determine available actions. Card choices and the permanent loss of cards over time create resource-pressure and long-term consequences, while automated monsters follow simple rules. Sessions link into an ongoing campaign where locations, rewards, and narrative outcomes evolve based on player decisions.

Players
1–4 best 3
Playing time
60–120 min
Age
14+
Complexity
3.9 / 5
8.3 on Ludoyafrom $199.99FantasyMiniaturesCampaign / Battle Card DrivenCooperative GameVariable Player Powers

On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
4,953
Plays logged
705
Players
1h 55m
Average play
462
In collections
52
On wishlists
1
Pre-ordered

8.3/10

from 186 Ludoya reviews

  • zim zhang5.0

    The combat system impressed me at first, but the rest of the game is a disaster. The story feels completely disconnected from the combat—like two disparate parts crudely glued together. Since I care about narrative, I just can't stand it.

    No plays logged

  • Mestremuten9.0

    Rating: 5/5 Production value: 3/4 Is the game in my collection/Love to have?: 1/1

    Played it 27 times

  • Jordi Agulló10.0

    DMless RPG in a box!

    No plays logged

Read the reviews and rate it

Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

What makes my character become exhausted (and removed from the scenario)?

A character becomes exhausted if their hit points ever drop below 1 or if, at the start of a round, they cannot play two cards (they have one or zero cards in hand) and also cannot rest (they have one or zero cards in their discard). When exhausted all ability cards are placed in the lost pile and the figure is removed from the map (page 28).

How are initiative ties resolved, and does the leading card force which action I must take first?

The leading card only sets initiative — ties between players are broken by comparing each player's non-leading card, and if still tied the players decide; a tie between a player and a monster favors the player (page 18). After initiative is determined you may perform the top action of either card and the bottom of the other in whichever order you choose; the leading-card designation no longer forces order (page 18).

Can I move through allies, enemies, or special terrain? What do Jump and Flying do?

Figures can move through allies but cannot move through enemies or obstacles and cannot end on an occupied hex; traps and terrain are resolved when entered (page 19). Jump ignores figures and terrain during movement but must obey normal rules for the final hex, while Flying ignores figures and terrain for the entire move (including the final hex) but must still end in an empty hex (page 19).

How do monsters choose which character to target and where to move?

Each monster focuses on the enemy it can perform its current attack against using the least movement (shortest path to get in range and line-of-sight); ties are broken by proximity in hexes and then by initiative order (summons are chosen before their summoner) (pages 29–30). Monsters then move the minimum needed to best attack that focus (or move toward it if they have no attack) following the rules on page 30 (pages 29–30).

When do summoned figures act and how are they controlled?

A summon acts on its own turn immediately before the character who summoned it (and never the round it is summoned); summons are automated and follow the monster automation rules (they use the summoner’s attack modifier deck and obey the printed summon stats) (page 26).

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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.