It’s more than fair to say that when Gloomhaven launched in 2017 it changed the tabletop gaming landscape. It began a wave of new titles, and creators, coming to the board gaming scene and proved that there was more than enough space for new IPs to thrive. Now, in 2024, the entire Gloomhaven franchise is growing more than ever before with even more set for the future.
After the original game received expansions, and the spinoff Frosthaven, you would be forgiven for expecting the heavy-duty tactical game to continue in that vein. Instead, in 2024 they asked a rather unusual question – can we take a game famed for its treasure chest-sized box and make it tiny? The answer – absolutely!
Buttons & Bugs is a solo game that takes the Gloomhaven system of combat and transitions it to a very small box. That doesn’t mean it loses any of the complexity, tactical requirements, or difficulty of base Gloomhaven though. In fact, this really is just solo Gloomhaven made convenient.
The game is played using a scenario deck that outlays what is happening in the narrative campaign. The card is then flipped over to reveal a battle map which is then populated with your character’s mini mini and tokens or cubes to represent the enemies. Then, you use the Gloomhaven card-based battle system to fight, and hopefully defeat, the opposition in front of you. There are several characters to choose from and the campaign does differ depending on your choice.
It is an absolute blast to play, can be wonderfully challenging, and is unbelievably quick to set up and pack away. Being able to get that Gloomhaven kick without needing other players, or an entire table of space, really makes this an incredible title. Personally, I keep this by the kitchen table and can attempt the next quest and get cleared away in about 20 minutes. Great for squeezing in some gaming when you have that little time slot free. I cannot recommend Buttons & Bugs enough.
At UK Games Expo, I was lucky enough to speak to the Cephalofair team about what comes next for them and the Gloomhaven franchise. There were two very exciting, and in parts surprising, answers. Firstly, Gloomhaven Second Edition and, secondly, the Gloomhaven roleplaying game. Both had me very intrigued.
To begin with, the Gloomhaven Second Edition is really a complete misnomer. Considering the vast list of changes being made, this is really an entirely new Gloomhaven. This is not just a reskin, not just an errata fix, not just a reprinting. This is Gloomhaven reworked to make it even better with the benefit of years of experience in it.
The characters are rebalanced and redesigned. The monsters and scenarios have been reworked, and added to, to make them play better. The narrative itself has been rewritten and improved upon. This is all topped off with new artwork and a new faction reputation system to consider. There is very little that hasn’t been overhauled in the Second Edition. You can find out more about the changes on the Backerkit page.
Getting the chance to experience Gloomhaven improved is a genuinely thrilling concept. Whether you have played it before, or not, the Second Edition is something people should be looking at. If it was groundbreaking and great in 2017, imagine the possibilities of a new version effectively built from the ground up!
The Gloomhaven Roleplaying Game holds just as much potential intrigue though. With the growth of the TTRPG scene in recent years, it was perhaps inevitable that this would happen. This is no mere Dungeons and Dragons supplement though. This is an entirely new system with huge ambitions going forward.
The combat system is based on the Gloomhaven card-based system and actually makes a huge difference gameplay-wise. I found it much easier to know what a character was able to do by having those options physically in my hands. It drastically changes the flow at the table and removes that flicking through pages of documents to find out what to do next. It is a nice fit for roleplaying games.
Character creation takes a mix-and-match style approach allowing you to choose from a strong range of options with no limits on which ones will fit together. It is entirely up to you how to build the character. Just because you chose one option doesn’t necessarily lock you out from another. It is a freedom that more and more systems are moving towards so it is great to see Gloomhaven doing it too.
In terms of ambition, the Cephalofair team behind the Roleplaying Game sees it as a wonderful opportunity to expand on the lore and world of Gloomhaven. Certainly, it is a world that deserves wider exploration and a TTRPG does seem like a great fit for that. It is a tantalising prospect to see how they develop a world that is so beloved by so many players. After talking to them at the UK Games Expo, they recognise the weight of that responsibility. However, being just as big fans as the players, they are the right crew to take it on.
What about the future beyond that? The Miniatures of Gloomhaven range continues to be developed from its Backerkit success with even more minis potentially being added in the future. With these being compatible with Gloomhaven, the TTRPG, and any other fantasy games you care to use them for, they have a lot of potential use. A one-stop sort of approach, if you will.
In fact, it is a project like the Miniatures of Gloomhaven that perfectly demonstrates what Cephalofair is planning for the future of Gloomhaven. Though they couldn’t tell me details, when I spoke to them at UK Games Expo it was clear that a lot was going on behind the scenes. The biggest takeaway from my chat with Monica Paprocki, Marketing Manager, was that they are always listening to the Gloomhaven community and want to give them what they want as well as new experiences in this world.
Cephalofair wants to continue to push the Gloomhaven story and world in different ways, and these recent additions to the franchise are clearly just the beginning. They could easily have sat on the success and just released Gloomhaven expansions until the end of time. The fact they are not doing that is something worth a huge amount of credit.
We will soon be entering a new era for the Gloomhaven community and, to be entirely honest, I think it’s going to be the best era so far for those experienced in it and for newcomers. You don’t have to commit to a trunk-sized game thanks to Buttons & Bugs. If you do want to take the full dive, the Second Edition will absolutely be the best way to do that. If you love the freedom of tabletop roleplaying games, then there’s going to be an option for you there.
The Now, Next, and the Future of Gloomhaven is anything but gloomy.
“…they are always listening to the Gloomhaven community and want to give them what they want as well as new experiences in this world.”
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