Frosthaven is the sequel to the enormously popular (and enormously heavy) Gloomhaven – a eurogame-inspired dungeon-crawler from designer Isaac Childres that spent many months as BoardGameGeek’s highest rated board game of all time. With over 100 new scenarios, a party of new playable classes, and plenty of minis, it’s a very big, very exciting game. This guide tracks the Frosthaven release date and other key info.
With this giant dungeon crawler board game finally in our hands, we poured weeks of our life into it and weren’t disappointed – read more in our full Frosthaven review.
Rejoice, though: the game may still not be in plentiful supply, but it’s out, it’s available, and it’s great.
Here’s what you should know about Frosthaven’s release:
Frosthaven release date
As a crowdfunded board game that shipped out to private backers and retail stores alike, Frosthaven has not yet had an official retail release date.
The game’s first printing finished production and began freight shipping on August 31, 2022, with publisher Cephalofair setting out to have every box shipped out by Christmas.
However, due to what the firm cited as “consistent port and rail congestion” and “brokerage delays on international shipping channels”, fulfilment of those first-printing Kickstarter pledge copies didn’t finish until June 2022.
Cephalofair crowdfunded a second printing of Frosthaven via Backerkit in June 2023, which began shipping out to backers in February 2024.
Frosthaven delays
It’s worth noting that Frosthaven hasn’t had a straightforward road to release. The initial hype was enormous; the Kickstarter campaign raised nearly $13 million / £12 million, making it one of the most successful Kickstarter board game campaigns ever.
We are, however, talking about the Kickstarter campaign that was funded in May 2020. The global Covid-19 pandemic brought the game’s manufacture and shipping to a standstill, and Frosthaven boxes took around three years to actually hit hobby store shelves.
Ever since the 2020 Kickstarter, Cephalofair has been very transparent about the potential for further delays. Factory output, quality control, freight problems, and even more unexpected world events held up fulfilment multiple times, and continue to hold back the final retail release date.
With the second printing now shipping out to retailers worldwide, however, your chance of finding a copy online or at your local game store should improve soon.
Frosthaven price
The final RRP of the game’s first printing was $250 (£191) – bumped up from the original $160 (£125) price point to account for additional components and shipping costs.
Frosthaven’s second printing – funded via Backerkit crowdfunding in Summer 2023 – will be significantly cheaper, at $180.
Frosthaven gameplay
Frosthaven’s gameplay is largely the same as Gloomhaven, but some extra mechanics are thrown in. Firstly, looting works a bit differently in Frosthaven – rather than collecting coins from the dungeons you crawl, you trade loot tokens for a card from a customised scenario deck. You could find raw resources instead of money – or even a random item.
Secondly, you can construct buildings in Frosthaven. Adding to the infrastructure of this icy town gives you bonuses, opportunities, resources, or even new character classes. Frosthaven also has summer and winter seasons that change how the game is played – and how challenging it can be.
Lastly, Frosthaven offers a puzzle book. Decipher this, and you’ll discover clues to help you unlock the secrets of the game’s setting. “Only by searching every last nook of the game will you reach the end of your journey”, the Kickstarter page says.
Frosthaven classes
Frosthaven includes 16 new character classes, plus one extra from a completed stretch goal. The original Gloomhaven classes will be compatible with Frosthaven, and new characters can also be used with the original game.
Six of these will be starting characters, and the rest can be unlocked as the game progresses. Given the original Kickstarter page showed off six characters, we knew pretty early who our starting options would be.
They are:
- Inox Drifter
- Quatryl Blink Blade
- Human Banner Spear
- Valrath Deathwalker
- Aesther Necromancer
- Harrower Germinate
Inox Drifter
The Inox are horned goliaths who are blessed with incredible strength. This wasn’t enough to prevent their settlements from being destroyed or absorbed by humans, though. Those who aren’t part of human society are known as the Drifters, as they choose to wander and rely on only themselves to survive.
The Inox Drifter mini looks absolutely armed to the teeth. We’ve spotted a spiked club, dagger, and bow and arrow, so there should be plenty of combat options for this class.
Quatryl Blink Blade
Quatryls have always been known for their affinity with machinery, but Quatryl Blink Blades are particularly skilled assassins. They don’t waste their natural talents, though – it seems they’ve devised temporal drives that let them use the flow of time to their advantage.
Human Banner Spear
Banner Spears never stop looking for glory and honour, even when the going gets tough (and the weather gets cold). Frosthaven isn’t as welcoming as the capital city of White Oak, but humans have always been a hardy race. The mini Banner Spear has brought plenty of spears, swords, and a hawk – so they’re clearly ready for anything.
Valrath Deathwalker
Like the Inox Drifter, the Valrath Deathwalker knows solitude well. Their main role is to help the dead find peace. The mini sports plenty of potions, a dagger, and a particularly imposing spellcasting staff – and we’re very interested to see what kind of necromantic nonsense the Deathwalker’s action deck will get up to.
Aesther Necromancer
While the Valrath Deathwalker sounds kind of necromanc-y, the inter-planar Aesther have been sending actual, literal Necromancers to Frosthaven. This class restores life by imbuing a body with energy from the planes, but the Aesther loses some of their own life force in doing so. The mini’s hair and robes are seen flying wildly about the place – no doubt as the Necromancer sacrifices some of themselves to pull off a particularly powerful stunt.
Harrower Germinate
The hive mind of insects that make up a Harrower creates a Germinate when its collective consciousness cannot agree on a single mind-state. The Germinate looks like a two-headed humanoid on top, and its mini shows some particularly horrifying insectile legs poking out from under a cloak.