Let me start by saying that it is not for everyone. Those looking for a board game to play occasionally, without it tying them down beyond the actual time they spend playing, should look elsewhere. This one needs a group and a steady frequency, as it takes at least 50 sessions to complete.

For everyone else, I will say the following. It has not been in the BGG top 5 for so many years by chance. It is a complex and deep game, but its content will reward you. It is like DnD without a game master and it eliminates the luck factor. Players initially choose classes, which can change along the way, from a pool of 18 classes in total, each with distinct actions. The main part of the game is the dungeons you go through with your friends and try to complete the missions in order to gain loot, experience, etc. All of this allows the character to progress both in levels and in the items they can buy, while at the same time other missions are completed that unlock hidden content, which I will not go into so as not to spoil anything.

In conclusion, it is an apparently expensive game, but the content, the time, and what it offers you, I don't think exist in many other board games.

My purchases started with Jaws of the Lion, where I truly fell in love with the game.

I hoped that my family would play with me, but so far I haven’t found much interest. It’s a little intimidating to look at the cards, scenarios, and rules and think that you have to learn them. It isn’t easy unless you commit the time it requires.

So I started playing solo (it gives you the option) and really enjoyed it.

Then I moved on to Buttons & Bugs. Small, of comparable difficulty (though not when it comes to setup... that’s a major advantage), and I enjoy it everywhere!

When it was on sale through Skroutz, I saw the price of the big Gloomhaven drop to €121!!! And I couldn’t resist... I bought it... and it sits on display like a jewel in my bookcase. Still sealed... waiting for me to finish Jaws of the Lion.

I’m 47 years old, with countless hobbies, exercise, family, and work, but for some reason, this game relaxes me and takes me somewhere else...

Whenever I can find the time to play.

For this kind of game, it’s ideal to have a fairly large table permanently set aside, so you don’t have to set it up and take it down. It’s one thing to have an hour to play and devote it to the game, and another to have that same hour but spend 30 minutes setting up.