Gloomhaven by Flaming Fowl Studios and Asmodee Digital brings the acclaimed tabletop behemoth to the digital realm. This turn-based tactical RPG faithfully adapts the core gameplay of its physical counterpart, offering a deep and strategic campaign alongside challenging dungeon crawls. But how well does the digital format translate the Gloomhaven experience, and is it worth the time investment for veterans and newcomers alike?
A Legacy of Cardboard Translated to Pixels
For the unfamiliar, Gloomhaven’s world is one of mercenary peril. Players take on the roles of hardened adventurers, each with their own unique abilities and playstyles. Drawn by the promise of wealth and renown, they form a party and venture into the titular Gloomhaven, a sprawling city that serves as a hub for quests and exploration. Here, they accept contracts, delve into perilous dungeons, and face off against a bestiary of deadly enemies.
Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Controls: 6
Story: 8
Engaging: 8
Overall: 7.4
The core gameplay loop revolves around these missions. Players select scenarios from a branching campaign, each offering a unique objective and tactical challenge. Scenarios themselves are tile-based affairs, with players and enemies taking turns maneuvering within a confined environment. Movement and ability usage are governed by a hand-management system fueled by ability cards. Each card dictates a character’s movement, attack options, and special skills, forcing players to carefully plan their actions and optimize their hand for maximum efficiency.
This system translates beautifully to the digital format. The turn-based structure ensures a deliberate pace, allowing players to consider their actions and exploit enemy weaknesses carefully. The card system injects strategic depth, as players weigh the immediate benefits of a card against its long-term impact on their hand. Optimizing hand usage and mastering character synergies become paramount for success, especially on higher-difficulty settings.
A Feast for Min-Maxers, a Marathon for Completionists
Gloomhaven’s true strength lies in its sheer depth. Each character boasts a complex skill tree, allowing players to specialize their heroes in various combat roles. Upgrading these skills requires completing scenarios and acquiring experience, fostering a constant sense of progression and character customization.
The branching campaign offers a wealth of content, with each scenario potentially leading to new locations, side quests, and narrative twists. The game rewards exploration and strategic decision-making, as choices made in one scenario can have consequences that ripple throughout the campaign.
However, depth comes at a cost. Gloomhaven is an undeniably long and challenging experience. A single campaign playthrough can easily clock in at over 100 hours, and success hinges on meticulous planning and tactical prowess. This isn’t a game to be taken lightly; it demands a significant time investment and a willingness to learn the intricacies of its systems.
Beyond the Core: Guildmaster Mode and DLC
Beyond the campaign, Gloomhaven offers the Guildmaster mode, a standalone scenario generator that allows players to create custom challenges and experiment with different character combinations. This mode provides excellent replayability for those seeking additional content after conquering the main story.
The game has also seen the release of several DLC packs, including “Jaws of the Lion,” which introduces a new mini-campaign and streamlined character progression system, perfect for newcomers seeking a more manageable Gloomhaven experience. The “Solo Scenarios: Mercenary Challenges” DLC caters to players who prefer a single-player experience, offering unique challenges tailored to each character.
Faithful Adaptation, but Not Without Technical Hiccups
While the core gameplay translates exceptionally well, the digital format isn’t without its shortcomings. The most glaring issue lies in the user interface (UI). While functional, the UI can feel cluttered and cumbersome, especially when managing multiple characters and their ability cards. Inventory management could also be streamlined, as navigating through a vast pool of acquired items can be a time-consuming chore.
The visuals, while adhering to the tabletop game’s art style, lack the polish and flair one might expect from a modern video game. Environments can feel repetitive, and animations are functional but not particularly flashy. These are minor quibbles in the grand scheme of things, but they do highlight the focus on replicating the tabletop experience over creating a visually stunning digital spectacle.
A Digital Gloomhaven: A Worthy Successor, But Not for Everyone
Gloomhaven on PC is a faithful and engaging adaptation of the beloved tabletop experience. It captures the game’s strategic depth, character customization, and challenging campaign, offering hundreds of hours of tactical RPG goodness for those willing to invest the time. However, the game’s complexity, demanding learning curve, and lengthy playtime make it a niche proposition. Newcomers should be prepared for a steep learning curve, while veterans might find the UI and visuals lacking compared to modern titles.