Checking out an early version, headed by X-COM creator Julian Gollop.
Frosthaven, a board game that was somehow even bigger and more ambitious than its considerably weighty forebear Gloomhaven, asks a lot of its players.
Each turn means picking two from maybe a dozen different possible action cards. Each of those cards has two options (plus a “default”), and each of those cards is played out against multiple other actions by your enemies and companions. And that’s just the game itself—actually getting the game set up and getting your fellow gamers to agree on semi-regular appointments is a whole other crusade against tough odds.
When you’re zoomed in, and especially in interior spaces, you can easily see Frosthaven‘s hex-based board game roots. Credit: Arc Games
Treacherous terrain is a big part of the strategy, whether using it for power-ups or kiting enemies into bad spots. Credit: Arc Games
Summons and spell-casting add another layer of complexity onto the game’s meaty combat. Credit: Arc Games
Your outpost provides you with boons, quests, and other higher-level management options. Credit: Arc Games
Like Gloomhaven before it, Frosthaven is getting a PC game, which should make exploring a baddie-infested tundra easier to set up and potentially easier to do multiplayer. A closed beta test begins March 27, with sign-ups at the game’s website. The game will launch into early access during 2025, with more than 35 quests across the first two acts available, with over 130 quests planned in total. It will have single-player and up to four-player multiplayer, with players able to pick up their teammates’ characters if there’s a momentary dropout.