Gloomhaven Reviews
Gloomhaven as a video game is a faithful recreation of the board game into the digital world. This is both commendable and detrimental. It is a good game, but there is also a reason no one sits around a table and plays by themselves and this is pretty much it.
The core gameplay is fun, but the digital version brings all the problems from the board game with no solutions. The single-player mode misses out on the social aspect that makes the board game worth playing, without making up for it in mechanics or story.
It’s a generally appealing game with decent graphics. Gloomhaven appears to be a fun turn-based adventure but requires a significantly higher amount of strategy than expected. Assigning unique quests to heroes, and having an ever-changing party when they finish their tasks, those are the ideas that make Gloomhaven stand out in a fun and engaging way. The actual mechanical experience feels like being asked to solve a Rubik’s cube every five minutes rather than immerse yourself in a fantasy world. For some, this might be exactly the tactical experience you want. For most, it’s more of an exercise in exasperation than imagination.
By all accounts Gloomhaven does a solid job of translating what's apparently a very deep and complex TTRPG to video game format.
Honestly, I would only recommend it for die-hard fans who are often on the go and have no other way to enjoy Gloomhaven. Does that mean it’s a bad game? Absolutely not, but the Switch version hides a fantastic game under layers of problems unique to Nintendo. It’s a genuine shame that Gloomhaven is plagued by so many technical challenges. The Switch release could have been a great opportunity to expose a wider audience to to an otherwise remarkable game. Now it’s likely to land in the eShop bargain bin.
Speaking of which: The dungeons themselves are splendid. Their visuals aren't particularly striking, but they do create an oppressive atmosphere. This mood pairs wonderfully with an enhanced focus on exploration. New rooms and enemies are slowly revealed as you encounter them, unlike the board game, which requires you to uncomfortably ignore unexplored areas on the dungeon setup map. This is a fundamental shift in how we interact with the environment and it injects a heightened sense of tension. It doesn't hurt that these dungeons, with their atmosphere and excellent design, are all the more enjoyable because the digital version removes so much of the busy work of the tabletop game. It's so much easier to be enveloped by it all.
As packaged content, this adaptation of Jaws of the Lion is a surprisingly effective remodel of the cardboard product. Despite abandoning the material’s original purpose of providing a more streamlined introduction to Gloomhaven’s systems, the design team produced an entertaining and effective side campaign that will extend the life of Gloomhaven and bring fresh perspectives to this storied game.
Short of somehow also being a massive box full of toys, secret envelopes, and bears to rummage around in with a group of mates, I couldn't ask for more from this loving and skillful adaptation.