Gloomhaven has been released digitally in early access on Steam. Though it only contains a fraction of the content in the analog version, it will have all of it and more once it is officially released.

Gloomhaven Digital Description:

Gloomhaven is the top-ranked board game on BGG. It is a cooperative, dungeon crawler with a sprawling and branching campaign. The digital version of this app is in early access and offers a taste of what the game play will be like.

Though I have never played a physical copy of Gloomhaven, through playing the digital version, I understand the basic mechanics of combat and adventuring. Each adventurer has a deck of cards that are split into a top and bottom section. Each section has an action on it. Each round you choose two cards to play. You use the top section of one card and the bottom section of the other. Card actions include movement, range and melee attacks, picking up loot and other character specific moves. Every card has a speed value and the first card you choose determines your initiative.

If you ever run out of cards to draw, your character is exhausted. If you clear the area your exhausted adventurers return. But if all your characters are exhausted or lose their hit points, you lose. You can take short or long rest to replenish your deck at the cost of a card.

In the Adventure mode you must win three boss fights. You start in town and select the path you wish to travel. You might randomly encounter someone on the road and they might be helpful…or not. You enter rooms full of minions you must beat in order to get to that area’s boss.

The digital version of Gloomhaven launched with four playable characters and a fifth was just added. You start with a party of two but can unlock three and four character parties by wining Adventure mode. There are currently nine enemy types and three different bosses in the digital game.

Quick Review of the Gloomhaven Digital Board Game:

The digital adaptation of Gloomhaven is a fun introduction to the game. I am happy they have already added more content and responded to players’ requests. There is still a lot to add; including additional characters and enemies, campaign scenarios, and a multiplayer mode.

The new tutorial makes learning the game easy. The interface is pretty easy to navigate for the amount of information. The animations, adventurers and enemies look great. I really look forward to getting additional content and modes of play.

If you enjoy Gloomhaven’s tactical game play and want to try it solo, or don’t have a group to play it with, this digital version is for you. Some players might want to wait until more content is added. That might have more to do with expectations. I say get in now, enjoy the content as it arrives, and have your say in how the app develops. It is available on Steam for PC.