Gloomhaven - Buttons & Bugs - ENG
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Knock at the door of Hail. It shrinks you to the size of a mouse. Now you must cross the city, one centimeter at a time, and convince it to restore you to your normal size. This is how it begins every time.
WHAT IT IS
Gloomhaven reduced to cards, dice, and twenty minutes
Designed by Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens for Cephalofair Games, Buttons & Bugs brings the Gloomhaven system into a pocket-sized box designed for one person. The story, written by Isaac Childres, takes place after the events of Gloomhaven and Forgotten Circles: Hail, the reclusive Aesther has had enough of being bothered by aspiring heroes and vengeful demons. The solution? A spell on the front door that miniaturizes anyone who tries to open it. This is the starting point of the campaign.
Each scenario is a single card, featuring one mercenary against a group of enemies controlled by a simplified AI. You have four double-sided cards: each can be used twice (front and back) before going into the discard pile. Attacks are resolved with a die and a modifier table that improves throughout the campaign. Level up, unlock new abilities, and advance through the story. The Gloomhaven experience condensed into tabletop games.
What they say abroad
A complete Gloomhaven experience that fits in your pocket. Narrative campaign, character growth, tactical combat: it has it all, only faster.
— FroGames
"Buttons & Bugs captures the Gloomhaven feel in a surprisingly compact package."
Buttons & Bugs captures the feel of Gloomhaven in a surprisingly compact format.
— Meeple Mountain
Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs
Designed exclusively for solo play: each scenario is a card with built-in enemy AI, featuring a narrative campaign written for a single protagonist. There is no multiplayer version: the experience is built from the ground up to be played alone.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial review · based on the rulebook, international reviews, and play sessionsYour arsenal
Four cards, eight sides, endless choices
Double-sided cards
Each mercenary has four cards, each with a front and back that can be used once each. Eight total actions per scenario: when you run out, the scenario ends.
Dice and modifiers
Attacks are resolved with a die and a modifier table. The table improves throughout the campaign: add bonuses, remove penalties, and build your own deck of luck.
Scenario card
Each scenario is a single card: hex map, enemies, objectives. A simplified AI system governs enemy movement without endless consultations.
Campaign progression
Level up, unlock abilities, and modify the attack table. The narrative campaign written by Isaac Childres takes you through the miniaturized world.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
A turn lasts two minutes: choose a card, resolve an action, activate enemies, repeat.
Take one of your double-sided cards, decide whether to play the front or back. Each side can be used only once, then the card goes to the discard pile.
Movement, attack, special ability: read the card and apply it. Attacks are resolved with a die and the modifier table. Movement takes place on the hexagonal grid printed on the scenario.
Consult the enemy AI printed on the scenario card: enemies move and attack according to fixed behaviors. No decks to consult, everything is on the card.
Scenario objective completed? Hand empty without winning? Mercenary eliminated? Check the conditions and proceed or end the scenario.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Read the scenario card
Place the scenario card on the table: hexagonal map, marked enemies, clear objective. Take the mercenary you chose for this run, read its four double-sided cards. Eight actions in total, then the hand is empty and the scenario ends. You must plan now how to distribute them.
First turn, first choice
Choose a card, decide whether to play the front or back. Move on the hexagonal grid, attack an enemy. Roll the die, consult the modifier table: critical hit or failure? The die decides, but you chose the position on the map. Enemies activate according to the AI printed on the scenario card.
Mid-scenario: resource management
You have used half of your actions. The enemies are still too many or the objective is far away. Every card you play now is a card you won't have later. Calculate: can I afford a defensive action? Do I need to push the attack? The die can save you or sink you, but you choose the sequence of cards.
Last card: all or nothing
Turn the last double-sided card. Two actions left, then game over. Is the objective within reach or did you miscalculate three turns ago? Roll the die for the final attack. The modifier table you built during the campaign can give you the bonus you need. Or not.
Victory or defeat: mark the campaign
Scenario completed: mark victory on the campaign sheet, unlock the next narrative node, add a positive modifier to the table. Or you lost: try the same scenario again or go back on the campaign map. Twenty minutes, an advanced story, desire to continue.
🐸Good to know beforeThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know before
Three things to know before buying
The die can frustrate
Resolving attacks with a die and modifier table means that an unlucky roll ruins the perfect plan. The table improves during the campaign, but the random factor remains high. If you hate luck in tactical games, you will feel it here.
Zero social interaction
It is a game exclusively for one person. There is no cooperative mode, no multiplayer variant. If you are looking for an experience to share at the table, this is not the right game.
Linear campaign, few forks
Isaac Childres' narrative story is well written but follows a fairly linear path. There are choices that change unlockable scenarios, but do not expect massive branching like in full Gloomhaven. It is a focused campaign.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How you win and how you lose
Every scenario has clear conditions: objective to complete before running out of cards.
Victory
- Complete the scenario objective (eliminate all enemies, reach a tile, survive N turns) before running out of the eight available actions.
- Mark progress on the campaign sheet, add a positive modifier to the attack table, unlock the next narrative node.
- You can choose to repeat already won scenarios to improve rewards or unlock alternative paths on the campaign map.
Defeat
- Run out of all eight actions (four cards, front and back) without completing the scenario objective.
- Your mercenary is eliminated (zero health) during combat.
- Failed scenario: you can try it again immediately or go back on the campaign map to choose a different path.
Gloomhaven in your pocket: same progression, same tactical system, one twentieth of the time. For those who love the loop but don't have free evenings.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before the cart▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ on Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs
Do I need to know Gloomhaven to play Buttons & Bugs?
No, it is a complete standalone game. The story is set after the events of Gloomhaven, but you can start here without ever having touched the base game. The system is simplified and designed to be self-sufficient.
How long does the full campaign last?
The main campaign has about 15-20 scenarios, each 20 minutes. Counting replays for failed scenarios and alternative paths, you are looking at 6-8 hours total. Much shorter than classic Gloomhaven, but structured to be completed in a reasonable amount of time.
Can I play it in multiplayer or cooperative?
No, Buttons & Bugs is designed exclusively for solo play. There is no official cooperative variant or competitive mode. If you are looking for a Gloomhaven experience to share, you need the base game or Jaws of the Lion.
What mechanics does Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs use?
Hand management (four double-sided cards), grid movement (hexagonal map), card-driven combat, dice rolling with modifier table, campaign game with permanent character progression and narrative unlocks. Simplified enemy AI system printed on scenario cards.
Is it available in Italian?
The edition for sale on FroGames is in English. Texts on ability cards, scenarios, and narrative campaign require an understanding of English. There are currently no official localized editions in Italian.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they have done.
Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs is a card-driven dungeon crawler for 1 player, 20 minutes per scenario, recommended age 10+. Designed by Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens for Cephalofair Games, it brings the tactical system of Gloomhaven in pocket format: four double-sided cards, attack resolution with improvable modifier table, narrative campaign written by Isaac Childres. Every scenario is a single card with hexagonal map and integrated enemy AI. Character progression, ability unlocks, permanent choices on the campaign map. Available on frogames.business.
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