Founders of Gloomhaven

Founders of Gloomhaven is a game that definitely lives up to its Gloomhaven heritage in terms of complexity and depth. It's a standalone game set hundreds of years before the events of Gloomhaven, depicting the city's original construction. The game is essentially a competitive city-building game where you use action cards to place resource buildings on the map, create advanced resources, and deliver them to building sites to earn prestige. This is where the game gets interesting because while you can do things independently, you'll need to collaborate with other players to create more advanced resources. The game also includes an auction mechanism to determine which new buildings get proposed and placed on the board.

I've found Founders of Gloomhaven to be a very engaging game, even if it can feel a little overwhelming at first. I've played it with a few different groups now, and the learning curve is definitely there. It takes a couple of games to get a solid grasp of the rules and strategies, but once you do, it's a very rewarding experience. One thing I really like about the game is that it encourages strategic thinking. The way you manage your resources and build your city has a huge impact on your score, so it's always a fun challenge to try and find the most efficient way to do things. The components are high-quality, and the game itself is very well-produced. I've even been impressed with the organization, which is something I've noticed many people mention in reviews.

However, I understand why some people find it too complicated or frustrating. The scoring system, in particular, can be a bit confusing, and it's easy to make mistakes. I'd definitely recommend watching a tutorial or two to get a good understanding of how everything works. As for the complexity, I think it depends on what you're looking for in a game. If you're a hardcore strategy gamer who enjoys a challenge, I think you'll enjoy this game. But if you're looking for something more casual, you might want to look elsewhere.

Overall, I would say Founders of Gloomhaven is a great game for people who like complex strategy games with a high degree of player interaction. It's not for everyone, but if you're a fan of city building games or the Gloomhaven universe, I think you'll definitely want to give it a try.