Unlike card games that pit players against each other in a winner-takes-all campaign, Gloomhaven forces you to work together in order to survive. This card game is set in a mysterious and changing world, casting you as the wandering adventurer with a private mission. Players will work together to clear enemy-filled dungeons and forgotten ruins in an effort to boost their abilities and plunder more loot.
Choose Your Power
In the card game Gloomhaven, players have to work together to clear dungeons of the vicious monsters lurking inside and collect their loot. Each player begins with a hand of cards that represent their character’s stamina and abilities. All of the cards have initiative values on them, which determine the order of play.
The dungeon begins with each player revealing their cards at the same time and flipping over the monster cards. Then, players will go in order of initiative. Every card has two abilities on it: a top ability and a bottom ability. When it’s your turn, you must choose two cards to play, using the top ability from one card and the bottom ability from another.
Clear the Dungeon and Meet Your Goal
The goal of each round is to clear the dungeon of monsters so that you can win the loot. Characters don’t get killed off in Gloomhaven, but instead exhaust and get booted out of the game for that round. The more players get eliminated each round, the harder it becomes for the other players to complete the scenario and vanquish the monsters.
You won’t play as the same character throughout the entire card game. Every character in Gloomhaven has his or her own unique goal that they’re trying to achieve. Once they meet that goal, that character retires. This then allows you to unlock new characters with interesting new abilities that make the gameplay even more varied.
Gloomhaven also has many events that happen outside of your main dungeon-clearing adventures. The City Event Deck and Road Event Deck offer interesting scenarios that either reward or punish you based on your decisions.
One of the most unique elements of Gloomhaven is the cute little game components that come with the cards. This card game includes 17 playable character miniatures that you can play with as well as 34 monster types and 13 Boss monsters. You’ll also get over 1500 cards in the box, making Gloomhaven a card game with limitless potential.
Gloomhaven Sequels
Gloomhaven has two sequel card games that use many of the same mechanisms but take place in new worlds. Frosthaven is set in a small outpost far to the north, suffering from harsh weather and invasions of deadly forces. Players will get even more characters, enemies, and a new 100-scenario campaign to explore. Players can also explore more scenarios outside of combat, including solving mysteries and surviving the deadly seasons.
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is another standalone sequel game that’s actually a prequel. This game includes four new characters that can be integrated into the original card game. It also includes 16 new monster types and a new 25-scenario campaign. Unlike Gloomhaven, which can be incredibly complex, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is simplified enough for non-gamers and new players to ease into the experience.
Gloomhaven: Leave Your Legacy
Gloomhaven is playable by 1-4 players. Whether you’re looking for a game to play solo or with a small group of gamer friends, this is the card game for you. It’s also suitable for ages 14 and up, so teenagers and adults alike can enjoy hosting Gloomhaven gatherings. Playing time lasts around 1-2 hours, so it’s definitely the kind of game that requires more of a time commitment.
Gloomhaven stands apart from other card games in that it provides you with endless possibilities to choose your own adventures. After each scenario, players will have to decide what to do next, sending the story shooting off into an endless number of directions. Each decision will have an impact on where the story takes you, allowing you to play Gloomhaven countless times without playing the same game twice.
Fulfill the divine quest set aside for you and buy Gloomhaven today!