Frosthavenis theupcoming sequelto the incredibly popular board gameGloomhavenfrom Cephalofair Games. The original game was a massive success in both of its Kickstarter campaigns. In fact, the reprint nearly broke the $4 million mark in 2018. If things keep tracking the way they are as of this writing,Frosthavencould easily surpass that number by the end of its campaign. The game only startedits funding perioda few hours ago and is already halfway to $4 million. And that counter isn’t slowing down.
This, of course,wasn’t unexpected.Frosthavenis the sequel to one of the most popular board games ever released.Gloomhavencurrently sits atop the Board Game Geek rankings and has spawned several offshoots, including itsown video game. To think that Frosthaven was going to be anything less than a success would have made you sound like a crazy person. That said, it is a little surprising thatFrosthavenis so successful this quickly. Given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, I was expecting a bit cooler reception to the project.
However, it appears the hype around the game outweighs any financial fears. And, to be fair, if any game deserves this level of hype, it’s probablyFrosthaven. In many ways, it’s justGloomhaven’s gameplay with new characters. With how greatGloomhavenis, that’s probably enough. Of course,Frosthavendoes a few new things to stand out.
InFrosthaven, you’ll be able to construct different buildings that give you access to new items and abilities. This gives you some real control over how your experience builds over the course of 100+ scenarios. No two playthroughs are likely to be exactly the same.Frosthavenalso goes even deeper into the in-game secrets that madeGloomhavensuch a joy. There is so much to unlock here that even veteranGloomhavenplayers are going to be kept busy for months.
Obviously,Frosthavenis a massive box. If you’re looking at the Kickstarter campaign and feeling a little overwhelmed, you’re likely not alone. Truly, I wouldn’t recommend Frosthaven to new players to the board game hobby. Instead, I would suggest you wait for the upcoming “lite” version ofGloomhavencalledGloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. It’s an easier entry point in both complexity and financially. If you love it (and you will), then you spend $100 onFrosthaven. However, if you’ve been playing games for a while, this one looks like a must back. The gameplay is incredibly rewarding and the legacy elements are absolutely fascinating.
IfFrosthavensounds like your cup of tea, the game isavailable to back on Kickstarternow. The campaign has 31 days left to go. For full disclosure, I’m backingFrosthavenon Kickstarter. I usually wait for games to come to retail. However, I tried doing that withGloomhaven’s original campaign and getting it was a nightmare. So, I’m not taking any risks this go-around.
