Gloomhaven

A hundred hours of tactical dungeon-crawling that lives on your table for a year.

4.1/5

Players1-4

Play time90-120 min

WeightHeavy

Ages14+

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The verdict

If your group can actually commit, this is one of the best campaign experiences in the hobby. If they can't, it becomes a very expensive shelf monument.

Best for: A locked-in group that wants one big tactical campaign for months

The full review

What it is

Gloomhaven is a cooperative dungeon-crawler you play as one long campaign, and the heart of it is the combat. Each turn you pick two cards from your hand, and you only get the top of one and the bottom of the other. No dice. That tiny constraint is everything. You're always short on the exact thing you want, so every move, attack, and heal is a real choice. That's why people fall for it.

The catch

Now the honest part. The box is a logistics headache, the rulebook is dense, and the first scenario humbles almost everyone. Plenty of players say they replayed mission one a few times before it clicked. There's also the quarterbacking trap: once one person sees the optimal line, they can start running everybody's turn. And it asks for a real commitment, dozens of scenarios with the same crew, which a lot of groups just can't keep going.

Who it's for

So who's it for? A locked-in group, or a solo player, who wants one enormous tactical project for months. If that's you, the payoff is huge and the value per hour is hard to beat. If your table likes variety and a new game every week, this will sit half-finished and judge you. Try the lighter prequel, Jaws of the Lion, first. It's the gentlest way to find out if you love the engine.

What other players say

This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:

Gloomhaven

What it is

The catch

Who it's for

What other players say

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