Frosthaven

Gloomhaven, but colder, longer and considerably less forgiving.

Frosthaven is a failing outpost far north of the capital, barely holding against the weather, let alone the Algox coming down from the mountains and the Lurkers arriving from the northern sea. You take a party of mercenaries and try to keep the settlement standing across a hundred-scenario campaign, with sixteen new characters and three new races. Between missions you rebuild the village itself, choosing which buildings go up and what each one unlocks. Isaac Childres designed it, and characters and items move between this and Gloomhaven in both directions.

Combat is the Gloomhaven system: two cards a turn, the top half of one and the bottom half of the other, with a hand that shrinks as the scenario grinds on. Frosthaven adds a crafting economy, a seasonal event system and outpost building, so resources carry a weight they never did in the original — out here you build items rather than simply buying them. At 4.4 on BoardGameGeek's weight scale it is the heaviest thing in the shop, and the 90 to 180 minutes below is per scenario, not per campaign.

Perfect for: Anyone who has looked at a shelf of unplayed games and concluded that the answer is to buy one substantially larger.

1–4 players | 90–180 minutes per scenario | Age 14+

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