A lot to learn, but well explained with rules that are gradually implemented and explained. Great mix of strategy, chance, and cooperation in a way you generally only see in a computer game. My family loves it.
A lot to learn, but well explained with rules that are gradually implemented and explained. Great mix of strategy, chance, and cooperation in a way you generally only see in a computer game. My family loves it.

When I opened the Amazon box, I noticed that one corner took a pretty good hit (see picture) at some point. Amazon (the shipper) didn't add enough bubble wrap to keep things in place, so it was pretty loose in there. However, the actual game is phenomenal! Already on scenario 7 with two family members. We are absolutely crazy about it! The price is great too (~$38), especially considering the amount of stuff provided.
When I opened the Amazon box, I noticed that one corner took a pretty good hit (see picture) at some point. Amazon (the shipper) didn’t add enough bubble wrap to keep things in place, so it was pretty loose in there. However, the actual game is phenomenal! Already on scenario 7 with two family members. We are absolutely crazy about it! The price is great too (~$38), especially considering the amount of stuff provided.

This is a very fun game. I looked at the bigger Gloomhaven Game first before finding this one. JOTL reviews said this was a good introduction to the Gloomhaven larger Game. The first five scenarios do a good job of stepping you through the rules. There are extra class cards for these scenarios with learn to play text on them. By the time you get to scenario 4 you replace these learning cards and have your characters full cards at your disposal. I highly recommend this game to anyone interested in trying out the larger Gloomhaven or frosthaven experience.
This is a very fun game. I looked at the bigger Gloomhaven Game first before finding this one. JOTL reviews said this was a good introduction to the Gloomhaven larger Game. The first five scenarios do a good job of stepping you through the rules. There are extra class cards for these scenarios with learn to play text on them. By the time you get to scenario 4 you replace these learning cards and have your characters full cards at your disposal. I highly recommend this game to anyone interested in trying out the larger Gloomhaven or frosthaven experience.

Fast Amazon shipping, delivered within a day. 4 fun characters, excellent solo mode (control 2 of the characters). Lots of content. Scenario 1 - 5 is the tutorial which is great for newbies as it trickle feeds you more and more of the game mechanics. It even tells you how to store the pieces when you're punching them.
Fast Amazon shipping, delivered within a day. 4 fun characters, excellent solo mode (control 2 of the characters). Lots of content. Scenario 1 – 5 is the tutorial which is great for newbies as it trickle feeds you more and more of the game mechanics. It even tells you how to store the pieces when you’re punching them.

Great Intro into the world of Gloomhave
Not sure if you want to spend all that money on Gloomhaven only to find out you don’t really care for it? This is the game for you. It’s like a taste test of the full game. It has all the same game mechanics and feel of the full game, without all the costs. The first 5 scenarios serve as a great introduction and tutorial to the world of Gloomhaven.

I would recommend this game to anyone who is considering investing into the full game.

When I got this game I was surprised how heavy it was, something like 22 pounds. There are a lot of little pieces to punch out. You will need something store everything in. I use a combination of small plastic crafting boxes like those bead boxes, small cardboard boxes (resembles a pizza box) and some small baggies, and card sleeves . It does take a little preperation to set up each adventure. This is a game that you can actually play by yourself because the monsters have their own movements preplanned. It is a lot of fun with more people and the encounters do scale up. There is plenty of replayability. This is not a game for everyone and does take a few adventures to get a hang of the game.
When I got this game I was surprised how heavy it was, something like 22 pounds. There are a lot of little pieces to punch out. You will need something store everything in. I use a combination of small plastic crafting boxes like those bead boxes, small cardboard boxes (resembles a pizza box) and some small baggies, and card sleeves . It does take a little preperation to set up each adventure. This is a game that you can actually play by yourself because the monsters have their own movements preplanned. It is a lot of fun with more people and the encounters do scale up. There is plenty of replayability. This is not a game for everyone and does take a few adventures to get a hang of the game.

I like the solo play aspect. I will eventually buy Gloomhave
I like the solo play aspect. I will eventually buy Gloomhave

So many pieces ,very easy to learn ,a really fun game.The whole family plays this together we have a 12-year-old and nine-year-old and then two adults and we all enjoy it very much
So many pieces ,very easy to learn ,a really fun game.The whole family plays this together we have a 12-year-old and nine-year-old and then two adults and we all enjoy it very much

Fantastic introductio
I would say if you have played through GH already you probably know way more than me about the game, bet you already have this JotL version, and can skip this review. If you haven’t picked this up after playing GH, I can see this fulfilling the itch for more diversified game play while awaiting Winterhavens release.

I’ve played Gloomhaven a little before pre-COVID. Picked up this to scratch the itch as a solo attempt and so glad I did. It comes with a lot of material. I mean a lot. Set up is way easier than the standard game due to the book format of the rooms rather than tiles. The lack of tiles doesn’t take away from anything. This allows you a little more freedom to experience the game and see if you’re in for the long haul.

The crawl, walk, run approach I’d much appreciated. It helps establish rules (and good habits) before breaking loose. The format this is presented in easy to reference, I found. After playing the standard GH 1st adventure where it took us about 4-5 hours for 3 of us to finish the first scenario while learning the rules. this ease a much easier bite to chew. If I/we had picked up this starter version and played through, solo or with otherwise, we would be ready to hit the ground running in playing the standard GH game and forsee playing that aame 1st GH in much less time aside from the additional set it would require. Note: there is a great app you to play this a bit easier as well that tracks tokens and also allows you to play from afar with others. Maybe worth checking out if it works for you oyour group so YMMV.

You get a lot out of this game the added characters ensure it stays relevant and worth the time and money investment when you move in to the standard GH.

A Clever Tabletop Fantasy Campaig
“Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion” is a solo / co-op fantasy campaign for 1 to 4 players, the little brother to the very popular “Gloomhaven” campaign released several years ago. While definitely a fantasy game, it eschews many of the tropes of that genre. The clever game system uses cards to plot out characters’ turns.

Pros:
– First rate physical components; attractive and sturdy.
– Meaningful and interesting choices every turn.
– The programmed learning format (gradual introduction of the game’s rules) over the first five scenarios helps players learn the game.
– The four included characters and interesting and each offers some unique options.
– Strong player progression – ‘leveling up’ will give player’s new options for their characters’ decks.
– The combat resolution system, using a deck of modifier cards, is less random that a dice-based system.
– Each monster type has its own unique deck of activation cards that alleviates the need for an overlord/gamemaster while providing some theme and individuality to each type of enemy.

Cons:
– Nominally a ‘legacy’ game (components are altered as the story progresses) so theoretically the game can only to played once. However, I’ve found that a little extra record keeping can allow you to by-pass this.
– While the rules are pretty clear, the increasingly complicated card abilities can be a little tricky to parse sometimes.
– The spiral-bound map book replaces a mapboard or map pieces that are fit together. It’s a simple alternative but somewhat limited.
– Gameplay is strongly focused on combat.

Recommendation:

This is a great game for experienced gamers willing to commit to a long campaign over many play sessions. The game is ‘thinky’ and requires some real thought when selecting the cards for each character’s turn. The storyline plays out over multiple scenarios and each will take several hours to play.

This is not a game for young kids. Not only are the rules and game play too difficult for young ones, the story line is decidedly dark.

No problem, everything is in good condition, miniatures are rly detailed. Satisfied.
No problem, everything is in good condition, miniatures are rly detailed. Satisfied.

This game was a Christmas gift for my husband's brother. They're obsessed with it! They've spent HOURS and hours playing this game. They're now purchasing pieces to hand paint, which aren't cheap either, so I would say for anyone into this kind of stuff, you'd win with this game!
This game was a Christmas gift for my husband’s brother. They’re obsessed with it! They’ve spent HOURS and hours playing this game. They’re now purchasing pieces to hand paint, which aren’t cheap either, so I would say for anyone into this kind of stuff, you’d win with this game!

This game was a Christmas gift for my husband's brother. They're obsessed with it! They've spent HOURS and hours playing this game. They're now purchasing pieces to hand paint, which aren't cheap either, so I would say for anyone into this kind of stuff, you'd win with this game!
This game was a Christmas gift for my husband’s brother. They’re obsessed with it! They’ve spent HOURS and hours playing this game. They’re now purchasing pieces to hand paint, which aren’t cheap either, so I would say for anyone into this kind of stuff, you’d win with this game!

Had to watch a few videos to help learn how to play but totally worth the time and money! I sat down to play with a friend and 8 hours later we was in need of a break.. time flys when your having fun..
Had to watch a few videos to help learn how to play but totally worth the time and money! I sat down to play with a friend and 8 hours later we was in need of a break.. time flys when your having fun..

If your a fan of board games, don’t think this one has an equal. Top notch
If your a fan of board games, don’t think this one has an equal. Top notch

Very good game. A lot to learn and highly recommend watching the youtube guide on how to play it. Couldn't be happier with it.
Very good game. A lot to learn and highly recommend watching the youtube guide on how to play it. Couldn’t be happier with it.

My husband and I are playing this together and we have had alot of fun. The game play instructions are printed so perfect. It is not hard to understand. And the price is not too bad either.
My husband and I are playing this together and we have had alot of fun. The game play instructions are printed so perfect. It is not hard to understand. And the price is not too bad either.

This game is for moderate to advanced board game or RPG players. It's incredibly expansive and the gameplay is very fun. It's a bit difficult to get started, but very rewarding. The amount of items in the box is staggering. It's a great value. I've never had so many pieces and content in a game.
This game is for moderate to advanced board game or RPG players. It’s incredibly expansive and the gameplay is very fun. It’s a bit difficult to get started, but very rewarding. The amount of items in the box is staggering. It’s a great value. I’ve never had so many pieces and content in a game.

Read the rules carefully. This is not an easy game to learn but once you learn it it's pretty amazing. It has a campaign mode that you could literally play it 8 hours a week an not complete it in a year. $100 is a small price to pay for hundreds of hours of entertainment.
Read the rules carefully. This is not an easy game to learn but once you learn it it’s pretty amazing. It has a campaign mode that you could literally play it 8 hours a week an not complete it in a year. $100 is a small price to pay for hundreds of hours of entertainment.

In Depth Game
Lots of fun with my kids but we enjoy D&D and detailed board games.
If you like D&D this is a easier way to play and has a good story line.

Great fu
This was my first board game purchase and it was well worth it! I’m playing the game as a duo (2 people), with an extra 3rd character that we share. The game itself takes some time to learn and at the beginning it will seem confusing. It takes at least a few maps to get the hang of things. I recommend fully reading the rulebook and Googling any questions you may have, as that will familiarise yourself with the mechanics quicker. I also recommend finding and printing out character sheets and such, as you will need to write down a lot of information and the provided sheets are too tiny. The game has plenty of content; lots of classes, maps, good/bad routes, items etc. The game is very fun but be warned that maps can take a long time! My runs usually lasted several hours, at least 1-2 on shorter maps. I recommend trying to complete a map in one go if possible, as it’s more immersive, otherwise it may be hard to continue where you left off from a previous game. You’ll also need a large amount of space to play, about a large table, or 2 coffee tables worth of space.

Perfect to learn the game and test i
This is an amazong way to learn the game and try to see if you will fully like it before buying the full game. So far amazed about the game. The fantasy and adventure is almost only in the background, what is amazing about this game is the strategy and the mechanics. Be aware of loads of admin, make sure one of the players really like organization and keeping tracknof everything.

Will recomend anyone to buy this first before investing in Gloomhaven.

Another thing to add, love the fact of the maps/board withing the campaign book, not more dealing with a thousand tiles to build different scenarios

Brilliant game and well worth the money.
Absolutely love this game. Well designed, great fun and you get sooo much for your money! The box is extremely heavy and so packed that you can’t get it all back in the box after you get it out. Really recommend.

Anything but gloomy
Dense and satisfyingly complex to learn, this is the pinnacle of boardgaming achievement.

East play great adventure
Great d n d game, good longevity…well designed can see why this has been a winner for a couple of years

Legacy Dungeon Crawler with Brilliant Narrative & Gameplay
Gloomhaven is what happens when you combine an old school RPG hexcrawler and dungeon crawl with Heroquest and Warhammer Quest, then remove all of the dice!

You use a hand of cards which you can recycle (loosing 1 card each time you do) to perform your actions which vary depending on your specific race/class/archetype. There are some typical fantasy trope-ish characters as well as some new imaginative and unique ones, each of which brings a different set of skills and way to play to the table. From the elementally infused Crags to the nimble, rat-like Vermling.

The game can be pretty tough – but if adventuring was easy then everyone would be doing it!
However as you survive your character gets better, or at the least ‘less bad’ until you complete your hidden unique goals and can retire.

The plot doesn’t end there however as there are scenarios and quests which convey a narrative as well as your own hidden goals. As you play more characters become ‘unlocked’ and new locations to explore/pillage become available
on a world map.

The game weighs almost 10kg and is very deep. If you are concerned about the legacy/permanency aspects you can use removable stickers so that if you finally get bored you can start from scratch although the rules explicitly say that you can revisit and replay scenarios if you want.

There’s over 1500 cards, 17 characters, 95+ scenarios/adventures, as well as minatures for the heroes, and probably close to 100 standies for the monsters, full colour hex based tiles and a fold out, hardback world map.

There is a reason this game hit the top of the board game charts and won several prizes for design and gameplay. For the hours of gameplay in this hefty box, it actually offers surprisingly good value for money!

Simply the best RPG adventure around.
The title of this review doesn’t lie. What Isaac Childres has created is a game of such scope and wonder as to seem almost daunting at first. However, bore down into the game and it’s a simple mechanic, refined and worked to create an elegant dungeon crawler with the added bonus of an ever changing, evolving storyline. One which you control!

You take on the role of your character and dive into the scenarios, levelling up, adding new items and unlocking new game content as you go. That’s right, NEW GAME CONTENT. Much of Gloomhaven is kept hidden from you in the beginning behind sealed boxes, envelopes and books. Only upon completing certain achievements or progressing your party’s story can these be opened. With 95 scenarios to play through too there is plenty of scope for progression.

Characters will actually retire during your play through and you’ll take on new roles as you progress. The story is about the events surrounding Gloomhaven city and you are just an interested (and influencing) party.

Players can easily change from scenario to scenario as the game allows for different party sizes. Replaying scenarios is fine too and there’s a casual mode if you just want to grind for some gold and experience.

The price may be daunting but this game could potentially offer you years of enjoyment and the shear number of components contained within (over 2000), help to justify it a bit. If you like your adventure games, mixed with a sense of control from you, the players then you really won’t be disappointed with this game.

My gorup is enjoying it greatly and it will easily scale from 2 to 4 players
I did not buy the game through Amazon but have nearly 30 hours game play so far and hardly scratched the surface of the scenarios. My gorup is enjoying it greatly and it will easily scale from 2 to 4 players. At nearly 20 pounds in weight you get a lot of components in the box. I would judge the rules to be of medium complexity. Paul Grogan rules and campaign videos are a must watch (google it). There are also apps that help with managing the turns.