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An AI-powered podcast by Gold Dragon Investments, helping you win the game of passive investing. For more information, visit GotTheGold.com. I'm your host, Justin 2.0.
This is Game Theory — Gloomhaven: The Board Game That Revolutionized Tactical Combat What Makes Gloomhaven Special • 20-pound box of strategic depth with 100+ hour campaign • #1 game on BoardGameGeek for years • Campaign-based dungeon crawler with no dungeon master • Branching story with persistent characters and evolving world map The Brilliant Combat System • Card-driven combat instead of dice rolling • Each character has unique ability deck • Every card has top action and bottom action • Play two cards per turn: use top of one, bottom of other • Deck building meets tactical positioning Resource Management Puzzle • Limited hand size creates constant tension • When you run out of cards, your character exhausts • Burn cards permanently for powerful effects vs. conserving for longevity • Every turn is a puzzle with no perfect answer Wildly Asymmetric Classes • Brute: Straightforward tank • Spellweaver: Glass cannon mage • Scoundrel: Melee rogue requiring advantageous positioning • Cragheart: Ranged bruiser who damages allies and enemies • 17 classes in base game, most hidden until specific conditions met • Unlock new classes by retiring characters or completing scenarios Living Campaign System • Your choices permanently affect the world • Completed scenarios unlock new scenarios • City events change the world state • Personal quests determine character retirement and class unlocks • Legacy elements: stickers on map, sealed envelopes, global achievements Tactical Depth • Deterministic enemy AI allows prediction and planning • Combat becomes chess match of positioning • Set up combos with allies • Manipulate enemy movement • Avoid damage through smart positioning The Gloomhaven Ecosystem • Frosthaven: The sequel with expanded content • Jaws of the Lion: Streamlined entry point • Buttons and Bugs: Solo variant • Digital version on Steam for learning rules Why Gloomhaven Matters • Proved board games could deliver video game-level depth without screens • Showed deterministic combat can be as engaging as dice-based • Demonstrated players will commit to 100-hour campaigns for quality gameplay • Spawned an entire genre of tactical campaign games The Reality Check • Dense rulebook • 15-minute setup time • 90-120 minute scenarios • Major commitment, but unmatched for deep tactical gameplay
That's Game Theory. Subscribe if you haven't already. Visit GotTheGold.com. Stay sharp.
29 episodes