Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion - Your First Gloomhaven

[@jobberslayer]

Great! Just what we needed! Another Love Letter retheme. *watches video* Man, they added a lot of new mechanics.

[@jeffmcleod6042]

Dude! I'm drinking chocolate milk!

[@TheMRMAIUS]

Years and years of searching,and watching some of the reviews ,I think I ve found my favorite board game reviewer.

[@seanhenry8243]

The Gogol Bordello album in the background is a nice touch

[@mr.rogers7612]

If I did board game reviews I would be your favorite, an I'm extraordinarily humble

[@chriswelter3859]

his editing is really clean, and he has the perfect combination of being entertaining and informative. he gets to the point, but in an easygoing way.

[@mp9305]

They have good writing. Only SU&SD does a similar thing. Must be that they're both British.

[@chriswelter3859]

@@mp9305 I definitely feel like that is a factor in the quality of these videos.

[@ClutchSituation]

I'm just getting into this now because I assumed you needed a minimum of two people to play. But I saw Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion and noted that it was 1 player. Options for single player has been the best thing that has happened in board-gaming the last few years for some us. We all don't have people who enjoy board games in our lives.

[@AthexTube]

To me Jaws of the Lion may be the perfect version of Gloomhaven, its approachable, compact and has the same systems as the larger Gloomhaven.

[@johnnash5318]

I've just started a Gloomhaven campain and all you said is true: I've lost first scenario 5 times, and was confused by the rulebook so many times. Now, after 10+ scenarios i am absolutely in love with this game. And my thoughts are, that having JotL before starting Gloomhaven would be like tutorial campain. And then Gloomhaven ratings probably would be even higher.

[@ShadowReaver573]

The ring bound paper game boards is absolutely magic, and I literally fell over in laughter when you showed that magic. Those cardboard board pieces live in an accordion folder to save on set-up

[@Rudsterman]

That was the most fun board game introduction I have ever watched. Thanks so much for your time making it and the pure entertainment it provided!

[@dlrbrian]

Dude I think you just convinced me to buy Jaws the lion. The scenario you describe of the first gloomhaven was us to a tee. We played the first scenario twice and lost and we never picked it up again. The fact that they streamlined it and made it easier to pick up seems like it was tailor-made for me

[@tinomendoza7045]

Imma be getting gloomhaven today! Im so excited!

[@piesandhiking4943]

Enjoy! It's amazing

[@franks_nl]

And, how is it?

[@tinomendoza7045]

Frank S oh i love it! Unfortunately i don’t get to play it as often as i use to but i look forward to playing it again

[@MitBit01]

"Gloomhaven" is your favorite *franchise* now. Bask is the glory of endless sequels. Also, this is exactly what I wanted from Gloomhaven

[@Cragun.]

10:30 love what you did with your nails here. Great overview and walkthrough … can’t wait to play!

[@emmaplaysgreen2849]

After seeing Paul Grogan of GamingRules!'s playthrough with Isaac on Sunday, I had already decided to buy Jaws of the Lion to play with my 15 year old daughter as it makes Gloomhaven finally accessible for me in so many ways, cost not the least of those. I wanted her to know something about the game so I got her to watch this video with me. As soon as Hatchet came on screen, her eyes lit up. She loves Hatchet too. I'm leaning towards the Voidwarden myself.

[@NoPunIncluded]

This is adorable. I really hope you and your daughter have endless hours of fun. Hatchet is the best.

[@Desertseye]

Finally found an entertaining and informative board game reviewer. You have a new fan, my friend. Keep it up and thank you.

[@8080pop]

I've very new to board games, and i've been eyeing more complex board games for a while now. I decided to pick up Jaws of the Lion a couple weeks ago on a whim, and was seriously overwhelmed when I was setting up the box with all of the cardboard pieces. When my sister and I started our first ever campaign of any board game, we had an absolute blast with this game. The handholding for the first couple of scenarios was incredibly helpful, and we had a solid understanding of how to play the game by scenario 4. After scenario 5, we were flying through turns, and the pace of the game ramped up as we started to look at the rule book less and less. Definitely quickly becoming one of our favorite games to pull out on game night. Great review, and anyone who is new to "complex" board games, this is an amazing start!

[@GameKingFaiz]

My group finished our Gloomhaven campaign and even though we do have Forgotten Circles, our will to keep playing this game just wilted out. However we are now getting back together to play Jaws of the Lion--HYPE!

[@BenPoenisch]

I love the Gogol album behind you! Great review

[@alexwesson8703]

I just spotted that too. Banging!

[@rickwelch1977]

My personal kudos goes to any reviewer who flawlessly uses words like verisimilitude and aplomb in his review. Seriously, thanks for a really good review. I have been playing Gloomhaven with some of my adult kids for a few years, using my son's copy - long enough to have retired a few characters. Now I want to get some of my pre-teen grandkids into the system. Some of our local gaming group want to do the same. Your review has convinced me that this is exactly what I need to accomplish both objectives.

[@blazepond5518]

alright, i just ordered a copy for my group. thanks for the great review! been saving for a new lockdown boardgame for ages and looked at a lot of your reviews along the way. My favourite boardgame experiences have always followed a great NPI or SUSD review, exciting!

[@danepatterson8107]

Very excellent work on this one; I just tuned into your channel after searching JotL. Informative, friendly atmosphere, excellent humor, felt exceptionally honest - the great ones make it look easy, and you made this look easy to produce. You also made me really happy that I decided to start with JotL instead of jumping straight into FH. I never played original GH. I wonder if I will want to play GH after this instead of FH... Anyhow, great work. Very authentic.

[@NoPunIncluded]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@johnjones6115]

"Don't have to mess with tile pieces anymore..." ...begins sweating in 3d printer

[@wescraig3686]

The wife and myself play it almost every night on the bed. Got a large piece of cardboard and going to have some " Arts and crafts " time to make a gloomhaven play mat out of it. We started out as Void Warden and Demolitionist but now have started over as Hatchet ( myself ) and Red Guard. We got tired of WoW and being old nerds with a 10 month old baby then this was the easiest way for us to game and spend time together at night.

[@christophermoore8524]

I'm tempted to buy this to help me learn to love the copy of Gloomhaven we already own.

[@erlendandresen3115]

Great video! Love the feel and the look of the video. And review/love letter is top notch! Keep up the good work!

[@TimtimGaming]

Brilliant thank you, looking to get into the world of Gloomhaven for the first time and this with the quick setup and tutorial system looks perfect for me :)

[@mikeyoung9810]

While I've been subbed for a while now I don't tend to really listen all the way through as I don't play board games (I mostly make them and lightly listen just for picking up concepts I haven't considered but don't really want to know them in detail-spoils creativity) but this time I found myself glued to your words. Really "epic" job. I won't be spending 150 or 50 on a board game (I own 3 none of which I have ever played) but I've always loved board games. Now old and alone (be nice to your wife..don't end up where I am) I still love board games. Or just hearing about them. Piles on *heaps* of hyperbole.

[@rabardy2992]

Another great vid, Efka, and like you surmised, this has given me the slightest speck of a fraction of smidgeon of minor interest in this amazing phenomena. A phenomena I've successfully ignored and avoided quite happily up until now... Oh, my pocketses! 😩

[@SailingtheSeas23]

Love the Gogo Bordello album in the background! Six out of 4 will watch again!

[@bobspalding2477]

I’m working through JoTL currently, and loving it. Already bought Gloomhaven, forgotten circles AND Frosthaven expecting to be working through these for years to come 😂

[@JB-js4xi]

Just bought this. I know...I'm always late to the party. I'm really excited to get to spend next weekend with it. Great review. Thank you

[@NoPunIncluded]

No such thing as late to the party. I hope you have a great time with it.

[@RageBadgerGaming]

It's such an amazing introduction to the game! I'm super biased, given I made a channel dedicated to it but introduction the mechanics over five scenarios, slowly adding more and taking off the training wheels is so much more effective than letting people just die in the Black Barrow. You're just spot on, and I really hope to see how the community grows and lets this new wave of players in!

[@PlayGamzWithMe]

Excellent! Maybee the most well worded review I have ever watched and I've watched a TON :-) Thank you !!

[@gjkf]

I always wanted to try out Gloomhaven but refrained to do so by the insane price tag and size of it. With this, I might just do it. If not now, some time for sure.

[@timd4524]

Yea, the price point of Gloomhaven was always to much for me and as you've said the gameplay is massive. Jaws of the Lion gives me exactly what I wanted. I finally get to delve into Gloomhaven at an entry level price. Also the 1-4 players os a huge perk. Nice review. Think I'll subscribe.

[@Paul-ro6py]

Oh Efka, what a wonderfully passionate review, Im looking through the window thinking long and hard on should I pick up a copy Jaws of the Lion.

[@AhJong0]

Great stuff, NPI was one of the reviewers who put me onto Gloomhaven. I lived with three friends and we played around 30 games. I then moved out but we continued to meet for Gloomhaven days and after 47 games we finished the main story !

[@massive323]

Native english speaker here - congrats on the use of verisimilitude. Had to look up what it meant... *shame*.

[@ShelfClutter]

Great as always! No one has ever played forgotten circles or knows what it's like 😂️ Harsh truth

[@BillyTheRealDeal]

Not only is this a great overview. There is also a wonderful piece of vinyl on the shelf. Love some Gogol Bordello

[@miikaelas]

My boyfriend plays Gloomhaven weekly with his group and I now bought myself Gloomhaven - Jaws of the Lion to get into it, because I want to share that interest ... and surprise him with it. Looking forward to having my first experience with it on the weekend. :D

[@miikaelas]

and also, now that I watched this video through, I cannot wait to start to play this. I want the black hole healer, because yes. licking a black hole must lead to good luck ...

[@photoben]

I photographed Gogol Bordello at Reading festival years ago. Phenomenal live band. I need to listen to that now!

[@dant5349]

I've just noticed that if you say 'Jaws of the Lion' quickly, its sounds like 'Joseph the lion' and I love it.

[@Stezzanz]

Now that is some review! Well done. Thoroughly entertaining.

[@maxarnoldy3955]

You are just brilliant. Thanks for the love letter

[@MrTombombodil]

Gloomhaven is a great example of a core law of game design. For a game to truly succeed both financially and critically, it has to be engaging and fun to play at it's most fundamental level. You could cut out 90% of Gloomhaven and it would still be super fun because the action card system and basic mechanics play are tight, and challenging, and interesting. All the rest of it just elevates the experience with flavor and investment. But if the core gameplay of Gloomhaven was boring, no amount of cardboard could save it.

[@Metroidam11]

Never tried the original, but now if the opportunity arises, I'm going to try to play this first. Great review as always!

[@AlwayzFresh]

Solo Gamer. This beauty has been sitting on my shelf for a few months unopened. Getting excited to try it out. I bought it along with Hellboy, Firefly Brigands, Dark Souls Deck Game, Ghostbusters, Zombicide Black Plague, Mage Knight, Imperial Assault, Outer Rim, Mansions of Madness, and Marvel Championships. I kinda jumped into the hobby with a massive cannonball. Just now getting the miniatures all painted and have played everything but Jaws of the Lion and Mage Knight. So far Marvel Champions, and Mansions of Madness are faves. PS....Immigrada Immigraniada!!

[@TerribleGaming90]

Waiting my copy to arrive , thanks for this fantastic review

[@robertchilders3718]

My group just finished GH and is getting ready to start Forgotten Circles. Guess I know where we are headed after that, while we wait for Frosthaven next year. Great review!

[@eatings]

Well you didn't intend to sell me on it, but you totally sold me on it. Also I appreciate the Gogol Bordello album in the background :D

[@lenaforsgren]

Already bought it as a Christmas gift for my husband, we’re looking forward to playing it 😍😍😍

[@williamgarcia-medina9989]

I love watching reviews he actually likes.

[@dkartzinel]

The set up is exactly what sold me on this! That's why I gave up on the original - as a solo play game, it just took too long to set up for me.

[@alexmillette1054]

Same here!! Even with all the Plano box for storage, the set up for gloomhaven was too much for me.

[@ericfrancis7816]

May I just say your taste in music is exquisite. #GogolBordello

[@RogueSully]

Amazing. Great Gloomhaven love letter. Enjoy your adventures!

[@borreholic]

So we don't have to spell out "original Gloomhaven" anymore, thank God. It's "Gloom-daddy-O" from now on.

[@AlexRechevskiy]

Gogol bordello fan! Awesome!!

[@thegodoftoast8067]

GOD i love jaws of the lion. i absolutely think it’s the definitive way to enter into the haven series and i agree with Efka in saying that I crave more of this kind of box. Frosthaven: Jaws of the Polar Bear, perhaps? Tho… Buttons and Bugs maayyyy be starting to shake things up a bit these days. $15-20 MSRP? it fits in a coat pocket? playable on an airplane tray? that’s tough to beat if you’re okay with railroaded story and solo only play.

[@jesusmora6336]

Fantastic in-depth review

[@josevelajr]

gogol bordello! also, I love Mark Kermode's movie reviews.

[@bradchamberlain5249]

No Pun Included turned our family on to Gloomhaven in the eternal wait between the first and second printings when we were looking for a replacement to Mice and Mystics. We just finished the last mission in the main storyline last weekend after 2-1/2 years of gameplay, and still have a few more side missions to do. So, this is the perfect time for Jaws of the Lion to come out. Thanks for turning us onto the game and world, Efka and Elaine, and keep up the great work! (PS - I felt the "yeah, it's just another fantasy setting" undersold the amount of time and effort Isaac put into creating new races and classes rather than falling back on the old dwarf/elf/human/orc x fighter/wizard/thief/cleric combinations...

[@BecauseOfDragons]

Good to know that Jaws Of The Lion is good fun. I have played through pretty much everything from the original Gloomhaven (completed the main quest line etc) and whilst there is still more left there, we unlocked a lot of what the game had to offer. I am wondering about getting Jaws Of The Lion though as an extra bit of a Gloomhaven fix which fits into a smaller package and with a more defined end goal - I am sorely tempted.

[@NoxxvilleEdm]

thanks to this video i bought Gloomhaven Jaws Of The Lion and it's the best decision I've made, looking forward to buy the big box.

[@doughay3075]

Thoughtful and entertaining review - thanks Efka!

[@and1cardsuk733]

Great review! I am going to stop looking through the window.......now I just need a bib!

[@keithnemes5466]

Picked this up a few days ago and love it. Great intro to Haven world for me. Plus at $25 USD it is a great bargain

[@BBI_Strange_Agent]

No kidding. I figured it would be a $50-$60 game and the contents would easily justify that. If you plan to play it over, do yourself a favor and invest in the removable stickers (also has replacement seals for the boxes). About $9.

[@nikolaistarkweather5313]

Whole heartedly agree with set up. The ONLY reason I don't play Gloomhaven more is the set up.

[@MrStatistx]

I'd say the most important thing: It's an affordable game for more casual players, like sure with the amount of content in the main game, ~130 bucks are alright, but if I know I'll be playing only once a month, it's harder to justify than 50 bucks for this. (going by the current euro prices at my local game store)

[@cardboardconflicts]

Just picked up jaws of the lion! Can’t wait to feast on some cardboard!

[@MrStevenvanL]

Oh God - I hope I don’t find a by now dead dog in my still unopened, because intimidating, Gloomhaven box...It’s a Schrödingers dog situation...

[@knighthawk3749]

If you find Gloomhaven intimidating then you should definitely get Jaws of the Lion first because it has a tutorial system bar none

[@nerdfatha]

Gogol Bordello! love to see that in the back ground! also, great video!

[@ToejamDcheflok]

Found this channel just recently. Love it! Still don't get the relationship to "Shut up and sit down" and don't get why there are no marks in the time-bar like dice tower has it ( e.g. "intro / Explanation / Final thoughts) but that sub button was hit very fast. (Plus you hair looks much cooler now that this palm tree you had in your old videos :P )

[@TheEricBooth]

I REALLY want this game now. I wanted it before, but now I REALLY REALLY want it.

[@apolashimself]

Completing Gloomhaven should be a life achievement by now

[@raziel2273]

I have a full time job a personal life and still i m going to finish it for the second time in order to unlock any remained characters and to see different story paths.All you need is passion for the game and good company!Cheers!

[@magruch777]

"A sloth with cataracts." HA! I giggle snorted.

[@joshtimothybaker]

Me too!

[@KevinoftheCosmos]

Now that my partner and I own 15 boardgames that we don't understand, we can finally crack one open with relative confidence, thus reducing our guilt over the trees being culled for the purpose of our entertainment! ...and our bonding. I guess I don't really feel that bad now that I unpack it (that thought, as well as the Jaws of the Lion). Thanks in no small part to being bolstered by your entertaining and informative video, of course.

[@daswillemtv]

I get together with some guys in my unit and play Gloomhaven, and very much looking forward to Frosthaven…but it all started here in JOTL!!!

[@jessicas2165]

Hahaha I had no idea you could negate damage. I must have forgotten it. Thanks for the reminder

[@realgamingden]

I just purchased this today.. can't wait to play with my wife and kids. Hopefully they get into it lol

[@AlmightyCow1]

I'm curious if Frosthaven will incorporate some of these more streamlined ideas. I'm one of the many that have shied away from GH due to the magnitude and high bar of difficulty. If Frosthaven takes steps like this, I may have to keep my eye on it.

[@DianeMountford]

For the record, Efka, my friend Jessica and I have finished the base campaign of Gloomhaven. A couple of weeks ago, we finally defeated the big bad in Forgotten Circles. Yesterday, we ordered Jaws of the Lion.

[@philipargo]

I didn't notice the Gogol Bordello album on the shelf, well played, sir.

[@dwnvwdjvn]

Always wanted to play Gloomhaven, it just seemed too huge (in scope and in cupboard space), too expensive and too complicated (to begin with anyway). This looks absolutely perfect for what I am looking for in a game.

[@FuncleChuck]

Jaws is THE MOST PERFECT, EPIC, AMAZING introduction to Gloomhaven. 13/10 BUY NOW, not owning it makes you a traitor to the realm.

[@twiggyvlogs6441]

We're playing forgotten circles and it's really good. it fixed some small problems and adds interesting new mechanics.

[@THESP-rz3hg]

The most intelligent and revolutionary thing about JotL is taking Gloomhaven and making a small version that you can try if you're intimidated by the size or complexity of the original Big Box Kickstarter version. And It WORKS. Every huge boardgame crowdfunding campaign should figure out right now how they're going to do the same slimmed down expand-alone version

[@anonymouse8953]

Best Jotl advertisement i‘ve seen so far, love it, thank you! Honestly i hope Isaac will not listen to all of you who prefer to play GH in a book (and streamlined). I prefer it the epic- stable- no compromises way the original is going ( and luckily Frosthaven two). Still have to wait until september the language version hits my doorstep.

[@knighthawk3749]

Read his latest update to Frosthaven KS. The books will be created as an optional value added purchase. Both sides get what they want.

[@anonymouse8953]

@@knighthawk3749 Thats good news for everyone.

[@soulard40]

I'm so happy that I spotted the Gogol record in the background....so where's the purple?

[@bellesmith8925]

I like the ring-bound map addition

[@AudiblePhysicsProductions]

My Gloomleague has been playing for 2 yrs and completed the main campaign. We started the expansion, but are taking a break to star JotL this weekend! SO PUMPED

[@SamClemensRIGL]

Excellent review! One minor quibble, but I'm fairly certain the Demolitionist is a female quatrl. Props to the Gogol Bordello album in the background! They're amazing live if you ever get the opportunity.

[@JanFlint]

The review caught me - well explained....but you got me subscribing with doghaven 🤣

[@JoelFischer]

Wait, so can you play this standalone without owning Gloomhaven?

[@wicaksonoadi1035]

Yes, exactly.

[@philipthonemann2524]

This is a brilliant love letter to this game. I’m still hesitating, but not as much…!

[@Tennethums1]

Thank you Ryan Laukat.

[@marcelcwertetschka]

Great Video! Would love to see a review of Forgotten Circles from you Efka...

[@Discopandda]

If Jaws of the Lions was available in my country I would buy it instantly and adopt it as my GO TO introductory thematic game

[@knighthawk3749]

Why isn't it? It will be going to worldwide distribution in August.

[@daveb1101]

Wait, now you’re having a go at tractors! I’ll have you know some of my best friends are tractors!

[@aponly]

"More dungeon crawlers than people!" I just picked this up at Target. Thanks for the video!

[@FCL70]

In regards to having complete GH/FH maps in books, my issue would be that all map area is immediately revealed. One of my *favorite* parts of GH was not knowing what was lurking behind a door or what would happen when someone stepped on a trip plate. I disliked the original scenario book for this reason - you saw the whole thing: map layout, enemy position, etc. You had to work hard not to see what you weren't supposed to. This was vastly improved by phone/tablet apps that came out which allowed you to reveal specific sections & text separately. So if FH can be published with maps in multiple books in such a way as to accomplish this, then yes, I'd be entirely in favor of it and save a lot of setup time.

[@knighthawk3749]

Some of the JotL scenarios don't reveal everything at once. There is a supplemental book.

[@Falcon-ev6ct]

Great review, good job Elaine and Efka, I take it you were sent the copy for review.Will be picking this up for sure, not available in the UK yet though?if it is please let know