Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs

I love that this exists as an idea, full Gloomhaven-style tactical combat shrunk down small enough to actually travel with, zero table setup compared to the big box. The miniature miniatures are genuinely a little marvel of production, I sat there turning one over for a solid minute before I even opened the rulebook. That said, if you’re the type who feels a little guilty leaving minis unpainted on the shelf, fair warning, these are so small that painting them convincingly is its own project.

My actual gripe is mechanical. The original Gloomhaven used a card-based attack modifier deck, which meant you could count cards, manage your deck, plan around what you knew was coming. This one swapped that for straight dice, and it shows, runs feel noticeably swingier now, a bad roll can undo good tactical planning in a way the card system never really allowed. It’s a smaller box making a real design tradeoff, not just a smaller version of the same experience, and I wish that were advertised more clearly going in.

Component quality was a mixed bag for me too. My health dials fit so tight I’m not totally sure mine will survive repeated scenarios without something cracking, and I’ve read enough accounts of warped trays straight out of the box to think mine wasn’t a fluke. Cool little puzzle, decent solo game for a plane ride, but it’s Gloomhaven with the training wheels of the card system removed, and I’m not sure that’s a straight upgrade.

Three stars, mostly for the ambition of the format.