Frosthaven, the long-awaited sequel to Gloomhaven, is getting a digital adaptation—and it’s closer than you think! HUGE NEWS!
Developed by Snapshot Games, with Isaac Childres—the original tabletop creator of Gloomhaven and Frosthaven—consulting. This version blends tactical RPG combat with outpost-building, multiplayer support, and an accessible campaign structure.
A closed beta kicks off March 27, and if it’s anything like Gloomhaven’s digital release, we’re in for something special. Frosthaven’s digital release, in the form of early access, is slated for later in the year.
Digital Convenience
I’ve played Gloomhaven for years—both as a physical board game and through a complete playthrough of the digital version. As much as I love the tabletop experience—and trust me, I do. Because the tabletop experience for me consists of an extended weekend away from family and responsibilities. It involves good friends, some dogs, a cabin in the woods, and enormous amounts of “supplies” consisting of junk food and beer.
The digital version of Gloomhaven just made it easier to play. No setup, organizing, or sorting through decks. No second table with all the monsters. No cheating with the modifier deck—how come this one dude gets x2 so frequently? With the digital adaptation, we could just start up a session and run a scenario or two in an evening. It kept the same magic, without the overhead.
That’s why this Frosthaven digital news hit hard—in the best possible way. Living remote makes organizing regular sessions difficult, especially with something as involved as Frosthaven. So a good digital version? That’s not just convenient—it’s necessary.
Photo from playfrosthaven.com
Studio History
Snapshot Games was founded in 2013 by Julian Gollop, the original creator of X-COM: UFO Defense (1994), and they have released two games: Chaos Reborn in 2015 and Phoenix Point in 2019.
Snapshot Games are not the studio behind Gloomhaven’s digital version. Flaming Fowl Studios developed Gloomhaven Digital, which launched in Early Access in 2019 and had its full release in 2021.
It was widely praised for being a faithful, well-designed adaptation of the original board game. The studio worked closely with Cephalofair Games (Isaac Childres’ company) throughout development. It was a standout success for Flaming Fowl, especially considering they’re a small team—founded by ex-Fable developers from Lionhead Studios.
In early 2024, Cephalofair announced that it was ending its relationship with Flaming Fowl. They pulled the plug on any further content updates for Gloomhaven Digital, including a planned console release and modding support. The decision surprised fans and even the devs themselves, who publicly expressed disappointment.
However, it gives me confidence that Cephalofair and Isaac Childres are involved. I am confident that this IP is under the best care possible, and looking forward to a release.
And There’s a BETA!
The Frosthaven beta runs from March 27 at 9am PT through April 24, and includes:
- Six playable classes: Banner Spear, Boneshaper, Drifter, Geminate, Blinkblade, and Deathwalker
- 20 quests, tutorial and intro story content
- Base-building mechanics to unlock new game features
You can sign up here for a chance to join the beta and help shape the game before it launches in Early Access later this year.
For anyone new to the franchise, there’ll be onboarding tools—tutorials, difficulty modes, and quality-of-life tweaks. For those of us familiar with Gloomhaven’s systems, it sounds like this picks up right where things left off—just colder, more complex, and more punishing.
Conclusion
Frosthaven is one of the best board games around—if you can find time, space, and a group to play it. A digital version removes those blockers. And if it lands with the same care and clarity that Gloomhaven Digital did, it’ll be a must-play. I’ll be watching the news cycle closely.
More importantly, I’ll be playing the upcoming beta if I get invited.