How to play Gloomhaven
1–4 players · 120 min · weight 3.9
Gloomhaven is a cooperative dungeon-crawling campaign game for 1–4 players that has topped the BoardGameGeek rankings for years. Designed by Isaac Childres and published by Cephalofair Games in 2017, it is one of the most ambitious tabletop games ever created — a fully self-contained campaign of 95+ scenarios, a persistent world map, character retirement and legacy mechanics, and a hand-management combat system unlike any other dungeon crawler. Players control mercenary characters working their way through the city of Gloomhaven and its surrounding wilderness, each with a unique ability deck that defines their playstyle. The game plays in 60–120 minutes per scenario and a full campaign can span 100+ hours across many sessions.
How to play
Characters and ability cards: Each character class has a unique deck of ability cards. You choose a hand size (8–12 cards depending on class) at scenario start and cannot gain more cards mid-scenario. Each card has a top action and a bottom action; each round you play exactly two cards and use one card's top action and the other's bottom action. Cards are discarded after use (recoverable via Rest) or lost permanently. When you run out of cards to play, you are exhausted and removed from the scenario. Round structure: Each round, every player secretly selects two ability cards and places them face-down. Monsters act via an initiative-based AI deck. Everyone reveals simultaneously; the card with the lower initiative number among your two goes first for your turn. You perform the top action of one card and the bottom action of the other in any order. Monsters activate in initiative order, following their behavior deck. Resting: You may take a Short Rest at the start of your turn instead of acting — shuffle your discard pile, randomly lose one card permanently, and return the rest to hand. A Long Rest costs your turn but lets you choose which card to lose and heal 2 HP. Scenario win/loss: Most scenarios require killing all enemies or completing a specific objective before any character becomes exhausted or the party is wiped. Characters at 0 HP become exhausted (removed for the round, return at 1 HP next round or after a scenario-specific condition). Party failure means replaying the scenario. Campaign progression: Completing scenarios earns gold (spent between scenarios for equipment), experience points (advancing characters to higher levels with better card options), and reputation. Characters eventually "retire" upon fulfilling their personal quest — a legacy mechanic that unlocks new character classes permanently.
Strategy
Gloomhaven's combat system rewards players who understand ability card sequencing and initiative management more than any other factor. Hand management is survival: Your ability cards are your health. Losing cards permanently (through resting, certain effects, and card loss abilities) is the clock ticking on your character's life in a scenario. Powerful "loss" abilities (printed with a burn symbol) should only be used at critical moments — they end your character's hand faster. Beginners often over-use loss cards; experienced players treat them as emergency reserves. Initiative is position control: The number on your chosen cards determines when you act relative to monsters. Moving early lets you reposition before monsters close in; moving late lets you react to monster movements. Deliberately choosing high or low initiative to cooperate with a teammate's positioning — "focus pulling" (a monster always attacks the closest enemy or lowest-initiative target) — is the deepest tactical layer. Focus and monster AI: Monsters always move toward and attack their "focus" — the character they can reach most directly with the least movement. Blocking corridors and choosing positioning deliberately manipulates which character monsters target, protecting fragile classes (Tinkerer, Spellweaver) behind tanky ones (Brute, Cragheart). Element system: Many high-powered abilities create elements (fire, ice, air, earth, light, dark) that persist one round and can be consumed by other abilities for bonus effects. Build your party's card selection to generate and consume the same elements consistently — a two-character fire synergy (one generates, one consumes for double damage) is dramatically more powerful than random element use. Party composition: Gloomhaven characters have distinct roles — tank (absorbs damage), damage dealer, support/healer, and control. A 2-character party needs both roles covered; a 4-character party can specialize deeply. Each class plays entirely differently and has a high learning curve on its own.
Tips
- Treat Loss-effect ability cards as emergencies, not routine plays; they permanently deplete your hand. - Watch monster focus — position your tankiest character between monsters and your squishiest teammate. - Initiative 20 and lower is "early"; initiative 60 and higher is "late" — choose deliberately, not randomly. - Short Rests are efficient; Long Rests are safe — use Long Rest when a card you cannot afford to lose is at risk of random discard. - Elemental synergies between party members multiply your damage; read each character's cards before the scenario to plan element generation and consumption. - Looting gold is not optional — gold funds equipment that significantly improves your character's power. - Failed scenarios are learning experiences, not setbacks; Gloomhaven is designed to be replayed. - Between scenarios, equip the strongest items your gold can buy; experienced players invest in equipment before leveling up.
Player count & time
1–4 players, 60–120 minutes per scenario. The solo mode (controlling two characters) is excellent. At 4 players turn order discussion and coordination take more time but the party can be highly specialized.
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
A standalone prequel designed specifically for new players, with simpler scenarios, a tutorial structure, and 4 new character classes. It is the recommended entry point for anyone new to Gloomhaven — the base game's rulebook is notoriously complex and Jaws of the Lion eases the onboarding significantly.
Frosthaven
The 2023 sequel by the same designer, set in a frozen northern city with new mechanics, characters, and a 100+ scenario campaign. Widely considered a refinement of Gloomhaven's systems.
Common beginner mistake
Burning loss cards in the first two rooms of a scenario and running out of cards before the boss. Reserve Loss abilities for the final engagement or critical moments; the scenario is usually not over when it feels like it.
Sources & attribution
- https://cephalofair.com/collections/gloomhaven
Original how-to-play summary — not a substitute for the official rulebook.