Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
About the Game
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a standalone game that takes place before the events of Gloomhaven. The game includes four new characters — Valrath Red Guard (tank, crowd control), Inox Hatchet (ranged damage), Human Voidwarden (support, mind control), and Quatryl Demolitionist (melee damage, obstacle manipulation) — that can also be used in the original Gloomhaven game. The game also includes 16 monster types (including seven new standard monsters and three new bosses) and a new ca
Reviews
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Playing Jaws of the Lion felt like welcoming an old friend in a much more convenient package. It captures so much of what I love about Gloomhaven – the tense cooperative combat, the clever card management, the thrill of unlocking new abilities – but streamlines the setup and learning process significantly. The first five scenarios serve as a built-in tutorial, which was perfect for easing my friends into the game’s mechanics. We quickly grew attached to the new characters (the Hatchet became my favorite with his ranged tricks) and found the scenario book setup genius; no fiddling with dozens of map tiles, just open the book and go. The campaign is shorter, which for us is actually a plus because it feels achievable to complete. The only downside I’ve experienced is that Jaws of the Lion is still a hefty cooperative strategy game – it’s easier to jump into than the original, but if your group isn’t into thinking hard and coordinating, it might be tough. Also, as a seasoned Gloomhaven player, I noticed the overall difficulty and complexity are toned down a bit (which is understandable). I did use an AI tool to aggregate other players’ reviews and most echo that this is the ideal entry point into Gloomhaven’s world. Personally, I had a blast and would rate it a 9/10 for delivering an excellent experience without the usual fuss.
✓ Pros
- • Great onboarding with tutorial scenarios
- • Much quicker setup with the scenario book
- • Retains the deep, tactical gameplay of Gloomhaven
✗ Cons
- • Still a heavyweight game (not truly casual)
- • Campaign is smaller scale (only 4 heroes, fewer scenarios)
- • Some complexity and bookkeeping remains despite streamlining
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