Quick answer
Start with Gloomhaven if you want the foundational co-op campaign and the deepest pool of expansions. Choose Frosthaven if your group prefers a colder, settlement-focused follow-up with its own standalone campaign. Add small packs and expansions only after you have played enough to know your table's appetite for more scenarios and classes.
Frosthaven
Cephalofair board games share a world, but they are not interchangeable. Gloomhaven and Frosthaven are both large cooperative campaigns, yet they differ in setting, scope, and what they ask of your group. The smaller expansions and mercenary packs sit at different points in that timeline and serve different purposes.
This guide gives you decision rules rather than a ranking. It covers the base games, the Forgotten Circles expansion, the Class Upgrade Pack, and two small add-ons so you can match a purchase to your table's actual habits.
Start with the base game that matches your group
Gloomhaven is the entry point for most tables. It is a 1 to 4 player cooperative campaign with over 90 sessions built in, and it includes everything needed for a GM-less experience, including player miniatures. If your group wants the original story and the widest set of later add-ons, this is the box to buy first.
Frosthaven is a separate campaign in the same broader world, not a small sequel. If your group has already played through Gloomhaven and wants a fresh settlement and a new set of scenarios, Frosthaven is the natural next step. If you are brand new, Gloomhaven is still the safer first purchase because it establishes the systems your group will use.
- Buy Gloomhaven first if no one in your group has played a Cephalofair campaign.
- Buy Frosthaven next if your group finished Gloomhaven and wants more without repeating content.
Know which expansions require which base game
Not every expansion works with every box. Gloomhaven: Forgotten Circles is the first expansion for Gloomhaven 1st Edition and adds twenty new scenarios set after the original campaign, plus the Aesther Diviner class. It requires the original Gloomhaven campaign to play, so it is not a starting point.
The Gloomhaven (1st Edition): Class Upgrade Pack to 2nd Edition is a different kind of product. It contains 18 Class Envelopes with updated ability cards, modifier decks, character mats, and tokens. It lets you replace 1st Edition characters in Gloomhaven 1E or bring the newest version of those mercenaries into Jaws of the Lion and Frosthaven. That makes it a compatibility purchase, not a campaign.
- Check the required base game before buying any expansion.
- The Class Upgrade Pack is about updating components you already own, not adding new scenarios.
Small packs fill specific gaps
Anaphi: Fallen Lion - Mercenary Pack adds a single mercenary character to your games. Anaphi is a vermling who once ran with the Jaws of the Lion crew and now works the city sewers, using augments and summoning pests. If your group enjoys trying new character builds without committing to a full campaign box, this is a low-cost way to add variety.
Gloomhaven ConQuests (2025) is a set of four new Personal Quests released at GenCon 2025, designed for use with Gloomhaven and Frosthaven. It requires one of those base games to play. If your group has already burned through the personal quests in your box and wants new retirement goals, this is a direct fix.
- Buy a mercenary pack when you want a new character, not a new campaign.
- Buy ConQuests when your group needs fresh personal quests for an ongoing campaign.
Match the purchase to your play rhythm
A large campaign box is a commitment measured in months. If your group meets weekly and finishes long games, Gloomhaven or Frosthaven will pay off. If your group meets rarely or rotates players, a full campaign can stall. In that case, a small pack like Anaphi or ConQuests adds value to a campaign you already have without demanding a new start.
Consider storage and table space too. The base games are large, and expansions add cards, tokens, and envelopes. If you already struggle to fit your current box on the table, adding more components will not fix that. Plan where the new pieces will live before you buy.
- Weekly groups can justify a full campaign box.
- Irregular groups should add small packs to an existing game instead of starting a new campaign.
Decision rules for buying into the Cephalofair universe
- No one in your group has played a Cephalofair campaign: Buy Gloomhaven first. It includes everything for 1 to 4 players and over 90 sessions, so it establishes the rules and world before you branch out. Start with the base game, not an expansion.
- Your group finished Gloomhaven and wants more story: Choose Frosthaven for a separate campaign, or Gloomhaven Forgotten Circles if you specifically want to continue the Gloomhaven 1E storyline with the Aesther Diviner. Frosthaven is a new campaign; Forgotten Circles is a continuation.
- You already own a base game and want more variety: Add Gloomhaven ConQuests for new personal quests, or Anaphi: Fallen Lion - Mercenary Pack for a new character. Both require a base game to use. Small packs extend a campaign you already have.
- You own Gloomhaven 1st Edition and want updated components: The Class Upgrade Pack to 2nd Edition replaces 1st Edition class contents with new artwork and design, and can also be used with Jaws of the Lion and Frosthaven. This is a compatibility upgrade, not new scenarios.
Key products in the Cephalofair universe
- Gloomhaven: Award-winning cooperative board game for 1 to 4 players with over 90 sessions built in, including player miniatures and a GM-less experience. This is the foundational campaign and the safest first purchase for a new group.
- Gloomhaven Forgotten Circles (3rd Printing): First expansion for Gloomhaven 1st Edition with twenty new scenarios set after the original campaign and one new character class, the Aesther Diviner. Only buy this after finishing the Gloomhaven 1E campaign, since it continues that story.
- Gloomhaven (1st Edition): Class Upgrade Pack to 2nd Edition: Contains 18 Class Envelopes with updated ability cards, modifier decks, character mats, and tokens, usable in Gloomhaven 1E, Jaws of the Lion, and Frosthaven. This updates characters you already own rather than adding a new campaign, so it suits existing owners.
- Anaphi: Fallen Lion - Mercenary Pack: Adds Anaphi, a vermling mercenary from the Jaws of the Lion crew who uses augments and summons pests. A low-cost way to add a new playable character to your existing games.
Who should buy which box
Best for
- New groups who want the foundational cooperative campaign and the widest expansion path
- Players who finished Gloomhaven and want a separate settlement-focused campaign in Frosthaven
- Existing owners who want to add a single character or fresh personal quests to an ongoing game
Not for
- Groups that meet rarely and cannot commit to a long campaign, who should choose small add-ons instead
- Players looking for a quick standalone game, since the base boxes are long-form campaigns
- Anyone who has not finished Gloomhaven 1E and is considering Forgotten Circles, which continues that story
Buy the base game that matches your group's commitment level, then add expansions only when you know what your table is missing. Gloomhaven and Frosthaven anchor the Cephalofair universe; the smaller packs and upgrade kits are there to extend or update what you already play.
