Frosthaven

I dove into Frosthaven with the same mix of excitement and mild dread I reserve for complex board games — and honestly, it mostly delivered. This is the much-anticipated digital successor to Gloomhaven from Isaac Childres’ universe, rebuilt by Snapshot Games to handle both solo runs and 2–4 player online co-op. What stands out immediately is how faithfully the meat of the board game — the card-driven actions, tricky encounters and long-term town progression — has been translated to PC. If you’re a Gloomhaven veteran you’ll feel at home fast; newcomers get difficulty scaling and tutorials, although some of the systems still expect a patient learner.

Tactical Frostfront Skirmishes

Combat in Frosthaven is a slow-burn kind of satisfaction: every turn you juggle card choices, stamina, positioning and synergies between classes. The core loop is turn-based, grid-oriented and brutally tactical — you’ll plan a flashy combo two turns ahead only to have it spoiled by an enemy push or a summoned add. That’s part of the charm: the game rewards thinking in layers and punishes sloppy play, and the digital client enforces the rules so you stop arguing about edge cases. The ability card system forces meaningful trade-offs; taking a defensive card now means you might lose an offensive burst later. I appreciated how the UI automates complex interactions (status effects, summons, initiative) but some screens still feel clunky when you’re trying to coordinate a four-player short rest.

Outpost, Classes and Risky Choices

Outside of combat you manage Frosthaven’s outpost: build workshops, upgrade facilities, recruit and retire characters, and unlock new classes. This town-building rhythm gives the campaign a satisfying macro-progression — the choices you make in the outpost change how the next set of missions feel. Classes are where the game shines: starting options like the Banner Spear, Boneshaper, Drifter, Geminate, Blinkblade, and Deathwalker all play very differently and open up interesting synergies. I loved experimenting with party comps and seeing how a trap-focused class could be ruined by flying enemies, which made me both laugh and curse in equal measure. Resource management matters: supplies are finite and every mission decision can ripple back to your outpost plans. Multiplayer amplifies this, because cooperation (and sometimes coordination headaches) become part of the experience.

A Cold, Beautiful Presentation

Visually Frosthaven is polished for an early access title: detailed models, expressive animations and moody environments sell the setting well. The soundtrack and ambient sounds add weight to exploration, and the seasons/biome variety keep the maps from feeling stale. Performance on my PC was generally solid, though user reports of crashes and connection issues — especially in multiplayer transit screens and certain UI prompts — are real and frustrating. Quality-of-life improvements like faster animations (5x speed!), automated bookkeeping and scenario setup are huge wins compared to table-top play. Accessibility options are present but I’d like a more explanatory codex for newcomers; some mechanics still rely on prior knowledge or patient clicking to fully understand.

Frosthaven is a promising, lovingly crafted digital translation of a complex board game that already delivers deep tactical combat and meaningful town progression. Right now it’s best for solo players and veterans who can tolerate early access hiccups; multiplayer fans should wait for more stability patches before committing. I recommend it if you want a faithful Frosthaven experience and don’t mind being patient while Snapshot polishes the rough edges.