Shelf of Shame Rescue: Gloomhaven
Let’s address the enormous box in the room. Gloomhaven is ranked #4 on BGG with an 8.54 average across nearly 67,000 ratings. It has a weight of 3.92, plays 1–4 (best with 3), and runs 60–120 minutes per scenario. It was designed by Isaac Childres and published by Cephalofair Games in 2017. Over 104,000 people own it. It’s also the single game I see mentioned most often in “what’s on your shelf of shame?” threads. Not because it’s bad — it wouldn’t be #4 if it were — but because everything about it conspires to keep it in the box. The weight. The setup. The sheer volume of cardboard. The feeling that you need a dedicated gaming group, a permanent table, and a PhD in logistics to get started. ...
