Ratings History

Information

Gloomhaven is a game of Euro-inspired tactical combat in a persistent world of shifting motives. Players will take on the role of a wandering adventurer with their own special set of skills and their own reasons for travelling to this dark corner of the world. Players must work together out of necessity to clear out menacing dungeons and forgotten ruins. In the process they will enhance their abilities with experience and loot, discover new locations to explore and plunder, and expand an ever-branching story fueled by the decisions they make.

This is a game with a persistent and changing world that is ideally played over many game sessions. After a scenario, players will make decisions on what to do, which will determine how the story continues, kind of like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. Playing through a scenario is a cooperative affair where players will fight against automated monsters using an innovative card system to determine the order of play and what a player does on their turn.

Each turn a player chooses two cards to play out of their hand. The number on the top card determines their initiative for the round. Each card also has a top and bottom power, and when it is a player’s turn in the initiative order, they determine whether to use the top power of one card and the bottom power of the other, or vice-versa. Players must be careful, though, because over time they will permanently lose cards from their hands. If they take too long to clear a dungeon, they may end up exhausted and be forced to retreat.

Genres

Action Queue   Action Retrieval   Campaign / Battle Card Driven   Card Play Conflict Resolution   Communication Limits   Cooperative Game   Critical Hits and Failures   Deck Construction   Grid Movement   Hand Management   Hexagon Grid   Legacy Game   Line of Sight   Modular Board   Multi-Use Cards   Narrative Choice / Paragraph   Once-Per-Game Abilities   Role Playing   Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game   Simultaneous Action Selection   Solo / Solitaire Game   Storytelling   Tags   Variable Player Powers  

Info

Release Date	2017
Players	1-4
Playing time	120 minutes
Age	14+
Alternate names	Gloomhaven Gloomhaven, aventures à Havrenuit Gloomhaven: Мрачная Гавань Homályrév グルームヘイヴン 幽港迷城 글룸헤이븐
Honors and prizes	2017 Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game Nominee 2017 Board Game Quest Awards Best Coop Game Nominee 2017 Board Game Quest Awards Best Thematic Game Nominee 2017 Cardboard Republic Striker Laurel Nominee 2017 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork & Presentation Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Cooperative Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Cooperative Game Winner 2017 Golden Geek Best Solo Board Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Solo Board Game Winner 2017 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Winner 2017 Golden Geek Best Thematic Board Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Thematic Board Game Winner 2017 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Winner 2017 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Winner 2017 International Gamers Award - General Strategy: Multi-player Nominee 2017 Meeples Choice Award Nominee 2018 Origins Awards Best Board Game Nominee 2018 Origins Awards Best Board Game Winner 2018 Origins Awards Game of the Year Winner 2018 Scelto dai Goblin Winner 2018 SXSW Tabletop Game of the Year Winner 2020 As d'Or - Jeu de l'Année Expert Nominee 2020 Gra Roku Advanced Game of the Year Nominee 2020 Gra Roku Best Thematic Game Nominee 2020 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Nominee 2020 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Nominee
Publishers	Cephalofair Games Albi Albi Polska Arclight Games Feuerland Spiele Galápagos Jogos Games Warehouse Gém Klub Kft. Hobby World Korea Boardgames MYBG Co., Ltd.