Gloomhaven (First Edition) reviews

I purchased Gloomhaven after seeing so much fuss being made about it online. It's a steep learning curve but there are a tonne of resources available to assist new gamers to learn the rules.

The box is enormous weighing in at around 10kg, the number of scenarios and variations means there are 100+ hours of content (with expansions in development currently).

Game wise it relies on attack modifier cards instead of dice which makes things more interesting and a scaled difficulty level depending on numbers of players and experience.

A final note this is a ‘legacy’ game which means if you play the campaign you make permanent changes to the game (non-removable stickers, scrapping cards etc) so it can only be played through once.

I’m in love with this game! The most complex game I have ever played is monopoly (which is ok until I start to loose). I’m a RPG video gamer and when I saw I could get a RPG type game in table top format which was co-op, I had to give it a go. Played our first game on Sunday, it took lots of organising, 5 hours to set up and play. Second scenario a couple of nights later (another 3 hours) and a failed attempt, we are having so much fun, this is going to keep us occupied (and the housework undone) for a very long time.

Based on 4 people playing (Brute, tinker, spell and mind), 3 maps in. If you ever played D&D you can tell where this game gets it roots from, for my group we're enjoying this more than the 1 player is the bad guy games, as you know who the monsters are generally going to go for. The other thing we've notes is we all feel important in the party and useful, not just there to heal or soak damage. (yes legacy game but you can buy reusable stickers and just put the used cards in a bag, this will allow another replay.)

Great solo game, puzzle type nature, scalable difficulty with a good challenge (especially with the solo bump), character progression, evolving campaign etc. Loving it.

Huge game! Can't wait to get stuck into it.

Takes a while to set up and pack down. No storage management included. But by far the best board game I've ever played! So much content and character progression 5/5

Everyone who has played this has been keen to come back for another round.

Years of challenging fun

Played 4 times now, each time upset that we had to pack it up and hankering to play again

From someone who only plays video games this board game gloomhaven felt so fun and challenging having 90+ levels this game felt intimidating at first with the amount of peices in this box . Me and my partner really enjoyed this game we spent 8 hours on just one scenario haha . The rules can also feel intimidating but you will get use to it . In general we loved this game.

I'm a seasoned board gamer and pleasantly surprised by Gloomhaven. I've read the reviews, and was a little skeptical, but happy to say this does deserve a high ranking. Saying that, we did have a couple of false starts as we played the rules incorrectly – many rules are intuitive, but I'd recommend having an internet search nearby to clarify the rules when unsure. And watch the video, it does help! Be ready to spend A LOT of time playing this, and make sure you have friends willing to do the same :)

This game is fantastic, the game looks intimidating when you glance at the rules (I am dyslexic so it could be a me issue) but it flows together rather perfect in game. After playing the first few missions with my friends I have no regrets spending roughly $400 on base game all expansions and removable stickers can't wait to keep playing!!

A purely incredible blend of math and story. An absolute joy to play. Each scenario feels new and fresh and somehow has you on the edge of your seat form start to finish. There is a reason this is the number one rated game on Board Game Geek. The only drawback is that the game itself is massive and takes maybe 15–20 minutes to set up. If you have somewhere you can leave it out that would be ideal. It can also be a struggle to get everything back into the box nicely, without damaging components.

Find a good group of people to play with and you will have a great time!

Can't get enough of this game. Play it solo or with mates. It leaves you wanting to do the next scenario, and the next scenario, and the next… Well worth the money!

Pre ordered and was definitely worth it. Great service from Mighty Ape again. No wonder I keep coming back.