Frosthaven in about 3 minutes

[@3MBG]

Is there too much of a good thing in board gaming? I'd say Frosthaven makes a case for that. You can't just pick this up and play it casually, its a serious commitment for any group. Which is absolutely a strength of the game, how groups can get really into it for tons and tons of sessions. And that makes it awesome IF you are playing it that way. Don't get it unless you are gonna play it, otherwise its a very expensive paper weight.

[@andrewsmith575]

Gloomhaven felt that way to me, too long to setup and at the end of each scenario felt like little was accomplished

[@st0ox]

@@andrewsmith575 the setup problem can be solved if you have some storage space (or better hidden space) close to your gaming Table. I use an old Secretary desk with a fall front that also extends my play area and can store everyones characters in different compartments. About the accomplishment at the end of a scenario. I think Frosthaven improves here a lot, but in general I agree. There are no real fail forward mechanism, so the game just expects you to retry until you succeed or choose another mission. The rewards are small, but can have a huge impact if you find a way to integrate them into your build efficiently. This is why from a campaign point of view games like Sleeping Gods are much more engaging, because so much has a rewarding impact on your crew and/or the world even if you fail forward. But but Gloomhaven missions feel in my personal point of view more like puzzles and not really DM/story driven dungeon crawlers and I don't need a fail forward mechanism in a puzzle. You either solve it or loose interest xD

[@misterman99]

I gave away Gloomhaven big box. Just going to wait for the inevitable “Jaws of the Lion” mini box for this too. Love the gameplay but never would get through that campaign so small box is genius.

[@Drossus]

Never! Well... Okay yes, I'm sure there can be too much but we've cleaned through everything in the Haven product line and are still excited to crack into this. Coupled with the experimenting with things like scenario formulas and character abilities, there's enough new totally new stuff we're excited to get into. Will that last for however many hundred scenarios there ended up being? Uncertain.

[@andrewsmith575]

@@st0ox I had stuff stored to make it quick but just setting up the dungeon still took a long time for a game, I like the idea of Jaws of the Lion with playing on the scenario booklet.....Gloomhaven excess is its strength and weakness....Hope people are enjoying frosthaven. I am waiting for Arydia.

[@kdlittle88]

Just always exactly the right amount of info to know what a game is about, and that takes real talent!

[@3MBG]

Thank you kindly

[@Maefyre]

I think even if people think it's not too daunting, at like 50-70 NZD for Jaws of the Lion on second hand market with 1 scenario played, or 90 new, you're absolutely best off playing that through and deciding "Do I want this 10 more times?". The quality of Jaws is so good for such a great price point that it's such a good value purchase even if you decide to get Gloom/Frost afterwards.

[@balamstudios]

Less than 22 seconds and I already know that it indeed has a solo mode. THANK YOU!

[@Zombie8tHeart]

Just started our campaign! I'm so excited with the new features and refinements!

[@jacquesfouche4278]

Nice one! Certainly the main reason that we got Jaws of the Lion rather than Gloomhaven was for the shorter campaign playtime. We've had JOTL for about a year now and the wife and I are only now on the last few scenarios of the 25 total. It's such good gameplay and absolute glory when you complete a scenario, but I can definitely see one getting demotivated if after a year you're still not even past a quarter of the game. Still, Frosthaven looks amazing and in a perfect world some friend or family member would randomly gift it to me and commit to playing every week! Cheers for the upload!

[@IslanKleinknecht]

We finally got rid of our copy of Gloomhaven recently, JOTL is definitely much more our speed as well.

[@CarlosRodriguez-ez3ls]

Great review Jarrod! I'm already looking forward to the digital implementation. Thx!

[@Ghoulicus]

Currently, they said there are no plans to make one -_- theres no way they don't eventually, though.

[@GameshinbunTV]

I'm loving gloomhaven, will get frosthaven as soon as they translate it in italian 🎉

[@iansutton7416]

Having been able to compare Gloomhaven digital vs. Gloomhaven original, I'd definitely recommend people thinking about how they want to play the game. For solo, I'd make a strong case that digital is the version the game always should have been. All the complexity of setup and in-game admin handled automatically for you. Unless you particularly enjoy the tactile elements solo, then you'll get a lot more gameplay in less time with the digital version. For group play, that logic may still apply (and the digital version does handle multiplayer well), but there can be a shared joy / experience from such games in person, also sharing the admin out to ease the load. Plus gaming with others in person is generally much more sociable / enjoyable. I presume Frosthaven will get the same digital treatment, so it's something to bear in mind before dropping a lot of dollars on the board game. ______________ Moving specifically onto Frosthaven, I'll be interested in how people find the greater variety in scenarios. For me this was rather weak / repetitive in Gloomhaven, mostly being classic dungeon-crawl: kill monsters in room, kill monsters in next room, until all rooms emptied; a few 'survive 10 rounds'; not much else! I've heard they've freshened this side up a bit, but would be interested in how much. I'm not expecting Etherfields like innovation, but hopefully they took a lead from it in coming up with a little more variety to the challenges. As for the card system - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. For me that's the heart of the game and made it the success it was. Good to hear that you find the characters a bit more 'characterful' in this respect, even if that's only mechanical (Gloomhaven was not a narrative game where there was much fleshing out of 'personality' - and it never set out to be that).

[@3MBG]

Have to admit i ended up playing way more Gloomhaven digital than IRL. IRL we did 30 missions, but i retired every class on digital

[@jordanw2741]

I really loved Gloomhaven, but I didn't have a group to play with, so was playing with two hands. It just felt like a lot of work and effort to play, and that didn't include all the time spent thinking about what to do. While the apps definitely helped, I don't think I can in good conscience buy this game, unless i find a group to play it with. And with everything going on... The pc version scratches my Gloomhaven itch well enough.

[@TotallyNotElPresidente]

Protip for anyone who hasn't kickstarted it: wait until it start hitting retail, cuz those prices are insane.

[@3MBG]

Oh yeah, if the market is currently scalping KS copies, its just not worth it. Waiting is fine

[@stevew8187]

I played JOTL and kind of enjoyed it. The PC version of Gloomhaven was 👍👍

[@JJEMcManus]

I’m loving FH even more than I expected. Boneshaper ftw! But do try JOTL first if you don’t know if this system is for you.

[@Ghoulicus]

Yeah, also my first group was Boneshaper + Bannerspear. I heard it was the "BS" combo people liked and it was indeed, kinda bullshit and really fun. It didn't feel like it broke the game, more like the complexity of playing those two well was very low

[@Squatch_needs_no_heroes]

The lines have fully blurred now between board games and RPGs, and sometimes you’ve just got to ask yourself, isn’t this just an RPG with more bitz?

[@3MBG]

I really disagree with this framing, and i see it a bit. For me the main difference between an RPG and a board game like Frosthaven is having a DM and the sharing of stories and character interactions. This really is very different experience as its a fighting game with a linked narrative. I feel they scratch super different itches, and at least for me I play RPGs to do silly voices more than roll dice.

[@Squatch_needs_no_heroes]

@@3MBG Yeah I can see that, and I love narrative co-op games. I suppose it’s how you roleplay: I agree with your,point for me roleplaying is more theatre and improv, but for some people roleplaying is very mechanical, fighty and dice-rolling. The minis and virtual tabletops in RPGs are drawing them closer to board/mini games as well. An interesting point about the itches, I suppose I do silly voices while playing narrative co-ops so it crosses into roleplay.

[@bobstars1000]

Thanks!

[@3MBG]

Thank you!

[@amaggixz]

I was waiting for the joke. "Have you played Gloomhaven? That's it" - End

[@TracerQQ]

It's going for 330 CAD at retailers in Canada. You also need a 100$ insert to organize it. So you really do need to go all in 😀

[@ebahns]

You don't NEED that $100 organizer. If you own a 3D printer you can download different organizers for free and print them yourself

[@TracerQQ]

@@ebahns I'm not buying a 3d printer either. Honestly...

[@HamishSpark]

Any chance of Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile in about three minutes?

[@3MBG]

Unlikely, I've played it twice and really didnt enjoy it. And i feel its a game you need to play a lot to get value from.

[@sparktin165]

Yeah fair enough, I definitely agree with that

[@dustin802]

Is 200USD worth the gameplay bundle? removable stickers, stand-alone campaigns, etx?

[@adownbeatexegete1549]

Where can you buy Frosthaven online? I know The Wandering Dragon near me in Plainfield, Illinois sells it but their prices are ridiculous.

[@3MBG]

I use a site called board game oracle to track things

[@adownbeatexegete1549]

@@3MBG You're a saint.

[@daveland3599]

The F/H review we’ve been waiting for! Thanks Jay, smashed it as usual.

[@timoseppa9124]

Thank you! Intriguing. Probably a no for me as I don't have the time.

[@Zilong09]

I saw this at PaxU... Was tempting. Do you have to play GH first to play this?

[@3MBG]

Absolutely no. Id seriously suggest Jaws of the lion though as its much cheaper and shorter

[@josiahp.6960]

Yup, I didn't even really get started on Gloomhaven before backing Frosthaven. Now I have it and I'm desperately pushing through a solo Gloomhaven so I can carry on into the sequel.

[@tabletopforone]

Great video as always, Jarrod. The game's not for me, but I think a lot of people will enjoy it.

[@MrTroxel]

Alright Flaming Fowl, you know what we're gonna ask

[@3MBG]

About 2 years from now i reckon, Christmas 2024

[@RageBadgerGaming]

@@3MBG Still very optimistic.

[@godot1785]

i dont know i really think there is a limit and even when its a good game its like you would have the witcher 3 5x the size.Its good but its simply to much ( and goddamn expensive) to enjoy.

[@vanskomeros]

Why is it so low on BGG still ?

[@3MBG]

BGG's system takes volume of ratings to get a full score. This is to stop 5 accounts rating a game 10 and sending it to the top. As more people play the game and rate it, more of its true score will be added in the ratings.

[@vanskomeros]

@@3MBG Thank you sir!

[@prisonmike1576]

Idk if I'd say semi coop lol, atleast for my group it isn't.

[@ahabwolf7580]

My 3 min with this game were opening the box, realizing I was in over my head, and putting the game back in the closet where it will probably sit un-played for the rest of time lol.

[@3MBG]

Grim.

[@ETL1151]

It's 2023 :)

[@3MBG]

Did i say it wasn't somewhere?

[@iansutton7416]

@@3MBG I think a reference to the opening credits

[@ETL1151]

@@3MBG briefly in the intro. Top right.

[@melski9205]

I think he was showing off the older previous styles briefly (each with a different year) as he went through them he marked them with the year. I didn't notice the years flying by until it got to 2022. I thought the same as you he's got the year wrong, but when I went back and watched it I realised what was happening. Maybe if you do the intro like this again maybe add 2023 on the current look at the start.

[@3MBG]

Ah yep, we go through all 5 previous seasons. You'll' then notice the 23 beside Carl on the opening title card for frosthaven in the bottom left

[@kallesalo4848]

Gloomhavens two card action selection system was very good, but rest of the game mostly wasn't and in the end it was pretty mediocre game. Frosthaven doesn't seem to be any better...

[@screamingiraffe]

The game is way overpriced, just saw it in a game shop for $250. insane.

[@3MBG]

Expensive is not the same word as overpriced. The game is expensive, but considering the work that went into it, the sheer amount of components and bits, and the estimated play time of the game. $250 for all that is underpriced.

[@LoneWolf-zc7nw]

I am pretty sure it is a good game but it is not for me. Frosthaven is long, too much time for setup and tear down, and a lot of bookkeeping. I believed this types of games should be video games not board games.

[@3MBG]

Here's the thing though, this is the sequel to a megahit game and it broke records on kickstarter. It's one thing to personally prefer something like this on PC, but the reality is a stonkingly large number of folks will play this on a tabletop. And as big and long as it is, its gonna get more playtime than 95% of other games released in the last year.

[@Ismael-995]