Publisher Cephalofair Games is running a crowdfunding campaign for Gloomhaven: Second Edition, Gloomhaven miniatures, and Gloomhaven: The Role Playing Game through June 19, 2023 — and if you’re not interested in any of those items, Cephalofair has just added something new to the offerings, something far smaller than its usual fare.
Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs is a game for 1-2 players based on Joe Klipfel‘s 2021 print-and-play game Gloomholdin’ that Klipfel and developer Nikki Valens have transformed into a moderately larger game with an original campaign story written by Isaac Childres:
Your character is one such wannabe hero. In an ill-advised attempt at fame, they try to visit Hail, and poof. Now they’re the size of a mouse and have entered an entirely different realm of lawlessness and self-preservation. They must find a new way into the Crooked Bone to convince Hail to return them to their previous size.
Size comparison
Each scenario is a single card, pitting one mercenary against a handful of enemies with simplified actions and AI. Each mercenary has a hand of just four double-sided cards, but they can be used twice — both the front and the back — before they are discarded. Attacks are resolved using a die in conjunction with a modifier table, and both the table and the mercenary ability cards can be improved as you level up throughout the campaign.
This pitch line from Cephalofair focuses on an element you don’t normally see touted as a selling point: “The compact size, sleek setup, and weight of less than 1 lb. allows the player to jump in quickly and play a scenario in under 20 minutes.” (Italics added.)
