I have always loved playing video games. However, my love for TTRPG and board games has only come around in recent years. I enjoyed playing Clue as a kid, but I never thought about board games as being “for adults.” Then, I started playing Dungeons & Dragons, which often comes with a lull in sessions. I needed to scratch that itch, but the catch was anything we did had to be playable with only two people. That is when I found Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion. It had tactical combat, the possibility for a small amount of roleplay, and minis. My spouse and I played it every week for months until we finished our campaign. It was the highlight of our year. Therefore, we immediately dived in when we found a copy of Frosthaven, the sequel to Gloomhaven. So, without further ado, let me tell you about it!
Frosthaven’s Story
Frosthaven follows the story of a group of mercenaries during their time at a small outpost north of the capital city of White Oak. This outpost has dealt with harsh weather and raids from both natural and mystical sources. While dealing with the harsh weather and dangerous threats, these mercenaries must help this settlement thrive. Some of these threats include the Algox tribe raiding the village, the crablike Lurkers chittering in from the sea, and machines that seemingly move on their own accord. The players will face these entities head-on, make some friends along the way, and perhaps curb even more sinister forces. Welcome, friends, to the world of Frosthaven.
Features Unique to Frosthaven
- Gloomhaven battle mechanics.
- No need to relearn the combat system.
- Sixteen new characters.
- Three new races.
- Twenty new enemies.
- 100+ new items.
- 100 scenarios.
- Puzzles.
- Seasonal events.
- Two seasons to play through.
- Summer and winter.
- Two seasons to play through.
- Expand the outpost.
- Build new structures throughout the town.
- Crafting.
- And more!
Thoughts on Frosthaven
I knew the Frosthaven box was going to be massive and heavy. However, what I did not expect was how beautiful it was going to be. The bottom portion is designed to look like the map, and the top shows all the different playable characters. The attention to detail is fantastic. I was also expecting many more pieces than in Jaws of the Lion. Boy, I underestimated that. We spent the first evening with our new baby, punching out the pieces.
Once everything was set up and ready to go, we picked our starting characters. The spouse chose a Quatryl Blinkblade named Britney, while I decided on Barry, an Inox Drifter. We have played through about five scenarios and loved every minute of it. The story is intriguing, and we feel like our choices have consequences. All the pieces feel great to hold, and we appreciate having full map pieces versus the booklet used in the other title. Plus, they are double-sided!
Overall, this quality game is well worth what we paid for. We will have many hours of fun and will not be looking for another game anytime soon. While I would not recommend this title to those just dipping their toes into board gaming, I would recommend it to those with some experience. Ultimately, we look forward to our weekly game night, and if you like playing challenging board games, I recommend you check Frosthaven out.
Odds & Ends
If you want a copy of Frosthaven, I recommend checking out your Friendly Local Game Store. For more information on this title, check out the Cephalofair website. Finally, if you want to play a similar game on PC, head over to my article covering Gloomhaven.
