Have you had some epic rounds of Gloomhaven but are still left scratching your head thinking about what to play next? Look no further, we’ve created the ultimate list of awesome games like Gloomhaven.
If you’ve come to this list you probably already know the epic fantasy scenarios you navigate while playing with your trusty fellow players. We’ve included games with simultaneous actions and with campaign-driven stories.
Without further adieu, here are 5 games like Gloomhaven you can play with friends or family!
5 Games Like Gloomhaven
Descent: Journeys in the Dark
Players: 1- 5
Playing time: 120mins
Embark on an epic quest against an ancient evil…
Descent: Journeys in the Dark takes players down to the depths of Terrinoth, as an ambitious overlord gathers strength to attack the world above. Can the heroes unravel the overlord’s plots or will the world descend into darkness?
Another highly thematic board game, Descent: Journeys in the Dark focuses on an adventure as you crawl through dark dungeons, and embark on dangerous quests.
To start, one player takes on the role of an evil overlord, while the rest are courageous heroes. Featuring double-sided modular board game pieces, the immersive story-driven campaign has players combine skill sets. There’s also a downloadable app that drives the story further, immersing players in the fantastical world of adventure.
This board game is a little easier than Gloomhaven so it’s perfect if you’re not looking to play for hours on end. Another bonus is Descent’s miniatures are amazing and enhance the gameplay.
Nemesis
Players: 1- 5
Playing time: 90- 180mins
Awoken from hibernation, your crew is confronted with a critical damage report… and the ship cannot continue. Seems easy, right? But, after a little investigation and a headcount, you’ve found one of your crewmates is dead. To make matters worse, there are unrecognizable horror sounds coming down the corridors.
Rather than a fantasy world, Nemesis is based in a sci-fi world as you and your fellow crewmen work to survive the mysterious events that occur. To reach Earth, players will need to cooperate as they work to complete missions. A group strategy is needed as each character comes with a unique set of skills and weaknesses.
Can you trust your crewmates or will you all perish into the oblivion of space?
Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients
Players: 1- 4
Playing time: 120mins
Set in the Old West, Shadows of Brimstone features saloon girls, gunslingers, and the classic western heroes roaming the streets while otherworldly energy seeps into the town. Monsters and demons overrun as the town receive a heavy dose of horror.
In this fast-paced dungeon-crawl game players create their own characters taking on the various roles of people in the town. Exploring the mines you work together to try to seek out the monsters, collect loot and survive the horrors you face along with the campaign.
You’ll find Shadows of Brimstone has similar mechanics as Gloomhaven like dice-rolling and cooperation. But, with a strong card-driven system, each game isn’t the same.
If you become a fan of the series, there are loads of Shadow of Brimstone options and expansion packs you can try.
Arcadia Quest
Players: 2- 4
Playing time: 60mins
The city of Arcadia has stood peacefully for the past 1000 years, but now an evil leader, Lord Fang, has overrun the Temple of Dawning. Looking to cause complete chaos, he joins forces with trolls, orcs, and goblins, not stopping until he sees the city fall to darkness.
Arcadia Quest has each player take on the role of a Hero joined together in a Guild. Working to complete quests and upgrade the team, players battle all of Fang’s minions. If successful, the game ends in an epic showdown with Lord Fang.
Heavily focused on dice-rolling, each battle can be blocked with high-scoring rolls. Arcadia Quest is similar to Gloomhaven as it has various playable characters as well as engaging simultaneous action.
The game time isn’t too long to play, so there’s more opportunity to play a couple of rounds!
Star Wars: Imperial Assault
Players: 1- 5
Playing time: 60- 120mins
The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance…
In the midst of a Galactic Civil War, the Galactic Empire’s power is threatened. Stormtroopers reassert their dominance while rebel operatives battle to stop them at every turn. The struggle for galactic freedom hangs by a thread.
A perfect game for Star Wars fans, Imperial Assault is an adventure board game where a faceless empire goes head-to-head with daring rebel heroes in a series of tactical missions. Each strategy, battle, and move is important as it all leads up to a climactic final showdown.
Like Gloomhaven, Star Wars: Imperial Assault also has player characters develop over each session, and with 30 missions total, each game is as interesting as the last.
Wrap-Up
We hope you enjoyed our list of 5 games like Gloomhaven! It’s topped the charts for years as one of the best adventure, exploration, campaign-style RPG, and dungeon-crawl board games with cooperative components. Gloomhaven really is a masterpiece.
One of the best board games out there, Gloomhaven seems pretty tough to beat. But, be assured, these games are top contenders that’ll impress the biggest of Gloomhaven fans!
If you enjoyed any of these games, we can assure you that you’ll love these other titles too: Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, Mage Knight, Spirit Island, Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure, and Twilight Imperium.
Expand your horizons and let us know which game is your favorite! Drop a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.
Ready Player Christine. Since my first D&D game, which took a turn for the weird and wacky (probably my influence), the world of board and tabletop games came alive. Now today, I get to write about these fantastical, fictional, and downright fun worlds.