Good day! The time has finally come! As we reach the halfway point of this grand festival, the announcement I've been teasing for the past few days has arrived!

We've added a new game to the lineup - Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs!

This is a compact, faster way to play Gloomhaven by yourself - a micro-Gloomhaven, if you will, and it's only $15.

You see, a while back, Joe Klipfel released an 18-card print-and-play game called Gloomholdin', and the community got very excited about the prospect of a tiny version of Gloomhaven. So we decided, yeah, that's do that officially. We licensed Gloomholdin' and brought in Nikki Valens (Legacy of Dragonholt, Artisans of Splendent Vale) to co-design and develop the game further.

The components have expanded a ways beyond the 18 cards (it's more like 100 now), because our chief goal was to provide people with a simpler, streamlined version of the game. This is for people curious about the Gloomhaven system who want the least amount of commitment possible, or it is for anyone who has ever wanted to just sit down and play Gloomhaven for 20 minutes without all the hassle of setup, teardown, or other people.

If you're at all interested and want to know more, well, that's great because that's what our streams are dedicated to today. We've got a gameplay video going on right now on the main page, which will be followed by a Watch It Played playthrough by Paula Deming and Matthew Jude, which starts at 8:30am PST. And then we'll have the design and production team jump into a round table at 10am PST to discuss the development of the game and answer any questions you have.

It's going to be a fun day, so hang out with us and learn more about our newest and smallest offering! You can read the full press release below, and also remember there are new polls and puzzles today. Catch you later!

Bugs & Buttons is a solo play game, with an all new original campaign story written by Isaac Childres, that gives the player a play style similar to Gloomhaven with its deep, strategic combat, but in a fraction of the size. 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.

Designed and developed by Joe Klipfel (Designer, Gloomholdin’) and Nikki Valens (Designer, Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition, Artisans of Splendent Vale), Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs provides a wonderful addition to the Cephalofair Games line. Their teamwork and co-design partnership has been a critical part of translating the original Gloomholdin’ into what would become Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs. 

If you are looking for a version of Gloomhaven you can play on a plane or during your half hour lunch break, this is it. 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. The story is light, the rules are minimal, and setup and teardown is a breeze.

Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs is set after the events of Gloomhaven and Forgotten Circles. The aesther recluse Hail has earned a reputation for being highly instrumental in saving the city from recurring disasters, and she absolutely hates it. Wannabe heroes are constantly barging in on her studies at the Crooked Bone, looking for help on becoming famous themselves. Not to mention all the demons that come by looking for vengeance. She briefly considered moving, but as that would require effort, she instead just placed an enchantment on her front door: anyone who attempts to open it becomes miniaturized and therefore no longer a problem. 

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.

Featuring a whole new art design and look for the miniaturized world of Gloomhaven, Buttons & Bugs includes all new illustrations from Mofei Wang with art direction from Cephalofair Games Art Director BJ Hensley. 

Price Johnson, COO, Cephalofair Games - 

“Upon Gloomholdin's original community release, Cephalofair was bombarded with positive press, licensing inquiries, and most importantly, community excitement. It was clear immediately to the Cephalofair team that Joe has opened up a new window of accessibility that should be explored!”

Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs includes:

Components