Polygon’s recent interview with the Frosthaven director had one line that stuck with our team: everyone is playing the board game wrong. The Frosthaven digital adaptation is still years off, which leaves a very specific kind of tabletop fan stranded. If you already own the Frosthaven box but want a screen version to shortcut the upkeep, or you finished Gloomhaven’s digital campaign and want more of that turn-based, party-driven, tactical-card feel, the closest thing on desktop right now is Gloomhaven itself (Flaming Fowl Studios, Steam app 780290) plus a small pack of games that borrow different pieces of its formula.
We put together this list of Gloomhaven alternatives for the two audiences that always ask us the same question: Frosthaven owners hunting for a digital fix, and Gloomhaven digital players deciding what to install next. Every pick below is on Windows, and where it also ships on macOS we say so. Prices are Steam list prices, which regularly drop in seasonal sales.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Cost | Standout | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slay the Spire | Deckbuilding purity | $24.99 | Card synergy per run | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Wildermyth | Emergent story arcs | $24.99 | Legacy-style character deaths | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Solasta: Crown of the Magister | 5e rules on a grid | $39.99 | Verticality in tactical combat | Windows |
| Roguebook | Hex-grid deckbuilder | $24.99 | Two-hero synergy and map exploration | Windows |
| XCOM 2 | Squad tactics with permadeath | $59.99 | Timers force real decisions | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Battle Brothers | Long-campaign mercenary strategy | $29.99 | Injury and morale systems | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Divinity: Original Sin 2 | Party co-op RPG combat | $44.99 | Environmental combos | Windows, macOS |
Why this article exists
Two problems keep coming up in the Gloomhaven and Frosthaven subreddits. Both point to the same shopping list.
- Frosthaven’s box is beautiful and huge, and the upkeep between sessions is exactly what the director’s Polygon quote gestured at. A digital version would fix that, but there is no shipping product yet.
- Gloomhaven digital finished its Jaws of the Lion DLC content years ago. Players who cleared the full campaign want the same tactical-card, party-progression feel elsewhere.
- The Gloomhaven digital campaign length (60 plus hours) sets a high bar; a lot of “similar games” lists on the web recommend things that share only the aesthetic, not the mechanical loop.
- Local co-op and online multiplayer coverage is patchy. Gloomhaven digital supports online co-op, but many nominal alternatives are single-player only.
Each pick below solves at least one of those gaps. None is a one-for-one Gloomhaven replacement, because there isn’t one. Played as a rotation they cover most of the tactical-turn-based-with-progression territory that Gloomhaven and Frosthaven fans want.
The 7 best Gloomhaven alternatives on desktop
Slay the Spire, best deckbuilding purity
Slay the Spire is the deckbuilder every Gloomhaven fan should already have installed. The core loop (draft cards, manage a limited energy budget, build synergy across a run) is the same instinct that makes Gloomhaven’s ability-card hand feel so tight. Four characters (Ironclad, Silent, Defect, Watcher) each play like a different Gloomhaven mercenary archetype, and daily climbs plus Ascension difficulty levels give the game hundreds of hours of replay.
For Gloomhaven digital players who liked the “what if I paired this ability with that one” moments, Slay the Spire is that thought at 60 frames per second.
Where it falls short: Combat is single-file duels, not grid tactics. No party, no movement, no line-of-sight, no environmental play. Gloomhaven vs Slay the Spire is a fair fight on card feel and a clear split on tactical positioning.
Pricing:
- Base: $24.99, regularly discounted to $6.24 in seasonal Steam sales
- vs Gloomhaven: cheaper, tighter loop, no party
Download: Slay the Spire on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Slay the Spire when the deck-tuning half of Gloomhaven is the part you want on demand.
Wildermyth, best emergent story arcs
Wildermyth by Worldwalker Games is the closest thing on desktop to a legacy board game in software. Characters age, form relationships, get transformed by mythic events, lose limbs, and eventually retire or die permanently. Tactical combat on hex maps handles the moment-to-moment (with real cover, flanking, and interactive terrain), while a narrative engine stitches procedural chapters into a five-act campaign that keeps producing stories worth telling.
For Frosthaven owners who love the campaign-legacy layer, Wildermyth captures the “our party had a story we could tell over drinks” feeling that Gloomhaven’s item and enhancement system reaches for.
Where it falls short: Combat depth caps out earlier than Solasta or XCOM 2. Story generation can occasionally serve up a beat that clashes with a character you had built up. The visual style is intentionally papery, which some players bounce off.
Pricing:
- Base: $24.99, sales drop to about $12.49
- vs Gloomhaven: cheaper, faster runs, deeper narrative surface
Download: Wildermyth on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Wildermyth when campaign storytelling matters more than combat crunch.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister, best 5e rules on a grid
Solasta: Crown of the Magister by Tactical Adventures is what a lot of Baldur’s Gate 3 players wished BG3 had committed to fully: strict Dungeons and Dragons 5e rules on a proper grid, with real verticality (elevation, climbing, ranged bonuses from higher ground) and clean initiative order. Party of four, deep character creation with a 5e-flavored ruleset, and modding support that lets you crank the tactical depth further.
For Gloomhaven vs Solasta the honest read is: Gloomhaven is deeper on ability chaining, Solasta is deeper on positioning and cover. Frosthaven owners who like the hex-and-terrain layer will feel at home.
Where it falls short: Windows only, no macOS build. Voice acting and writing are workmanlike rather than memorable. Story is functional, not the reason to install.
Pricing:
- Base: $39.99, sales drop to about $9.99
- vs Gloomhaven: pricier at list, comparable in a sale
Download: Solasta: Crown of the Magister on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Solasta when grid tactics and 5e rules matter more than story polish.
Roguebook, best hex-grid deckbuilder
Roguebook by Abrakam Entertainment (with Richard Garfield as designer) is a two-hero deckbuilder played on a hex-based overworld you paint into being with ink. The two-character system means every deck is really two synergized halves that share a turn, which feels closer to Gloomhaven’s paired-mercenary combat pacing than any pure card game on this list. Elite fights, page-turning progression, and permanent unlocks give it a long tail.
For Slay the Spire graduates who want a spatial layer on top of the deck, Roguebook adds map exploration and a co-op-of-one hero pairing that plays like a mini party.
Where it falls short: Windows only. Runs are shorter than a Gloomhaven session, so the “one more scenario before bed” instinct plays differently. Some hero pairings feel weaker than others until you unlock the wider roster.
Pricing:
- Base: $24.99, sales drop to about $9.99
- vs Gloomhaven: cheaper, faster loop, no full party
Download: Roguebook on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Roguebook when hex-map exploration plus deckbuilding is the specific combo you want.
XCOM 2, best squad tactics with permadeath
XCOM 2 by Firaxis is the tactical squad game most Gloomhaven digital players will already know by reputation. Permadeath, meaningful class trees, base management between missions, and the pressure of the Avatar timer make every mission feel weighty. War of the Chosen expands the roster with three faction heroes and dozens of hours of extra content that most players consider mandatory.
For Frosthaven fans who like the “our party could actually lose people” tension, XCOM 2 is the ruthless version of that promise.
Where it falls short: Modern setting and gun-based combat rather than the fantasy of Gloomhaven. Steep difficulty on Commander and Legend can wall newer players. Load times were rough at launch and remain uneven on older hardware.
Pricing:
- Base: $59.99, sales drop to about $9.89 (War of the Chosen bundle discounts further)
- vs Gloomhaven: pricier at list, dramatically cheaper in sales, comparable campaign length
Download: XCOM 2 on Steam
Bottom line: Pick XCOM 2 when squad-level tactics with real stakes is the itch.
Battle Brothers, best long-campaign mercenary strategy
Battle Brothers by Overhype Studios runs a mercenary company across a procedurally generated medieval world with an economy of contracts, injuries, and morale that punishes every misstep. Combat is turn-based on hex maps with a granular armor and injury system (broken arms take fighters out of action for weeks), and the three DLC arcs (Beasts and Exploration, Warriors of the North, Blazing Deserts, Legends of the North) each give the base game a different late-campaign shape.
For Gloomhaven players who liked the sense of a persistent company that changes over time, Battle Brothers is that idea taken to a strategy layer.
Where it falls short: Presentation is deliberately austere and can look off-putting in screenshots. Learning curve is real: the first campaign often ends with a wipe. No party dialogue or story to speak of.
Pricing:
- Base: $29.99, sales drop to about $8.99
- vs Gloomhaven: cheaper base, comparable hours per dollar
Download: Battle Brothers on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Battle Brothers when you want a mercenary company as a living system, not a story.
Divinity: Original Sin 2, best party co-op RPG combat
Divinity: Original Sin 2 by Larian Studios ships the deepest party-based turn-based combat on the list. Environmental interactions (fire on oil, poison clouds ignited into explosions, teleport-and-fall damage) turn every fight into a chained puzzle, and four-player co-op works both online and split-screen on the same machine. The Definitive Edition is the version that ships now, with reworked act four content and full voice acting.
For Frosthaven groups who want a four-player digital campaign to actually finish, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the one that runs to credits without hitting a content wall.
Where it falls short: Very long (60 to 100 hours) which is a feature or a wall depending on your schedule. Systems density punishes casual play: builds can silently underscale by act two. Story tone shifts across acts and some players find act four uneven.
Pricing:
- Base: $44.99, sales drop to about $11.24
- vs Gloomhaven: pricier at list, cheaper in sales, comparable campaign length
Download: Divinity: Original Sin 2 on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Divinity: Original Sin 2 when your group wants a full digital campaign with real party synergy.
How to pick the right one
If you want the deckbuilding half of Gloomhaven on demand, install Slay the Spire. It is the cleanest version of that loop that exists.
If campaign storytelling and legacy-style character arcs matter to you more than combat crunch, Wildermyth is the pick, and its runs are short enough to actually finish.
For strict tactical rules and vertical terrain, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is closest to a 5e Gloomhaven feel, and modders keep extending it.
If your ideal is a hex map with deckbuilding on top, Roguebook is the one no other pick on this list covers.
For a squad game where losing a favorite character stings, XCOM 2 with War of the Chosen is the standard, and the sale price makes it the best hours-per-dollar bet.
If you want a mercenary company as a persistent system rather than a scripted story, Battle Brothers is unique on desktop and has the longest tail.
If four friends want a full turn-based RPG campaign they can actually complete online or in the same room, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is still the answer in 2026.
Stay with Gloomhaven digital when its specific mercenary-and-ability-card loop is the thing you want. Nothing else on desktop replicates it exactly, which is why Frosthaven fans are still waiting for a digital port worth the box price.
FAQ
Is there a digital version of Frosthaven?
Not at the time of writing. Flaming Fowl Studios has not shipped a Frosthaven digital adaptation, and the Polygon interview with the Frosthaven director focused on the physical game rather than announcing a video port. Gloomhaven’s digital adaptation on Steam is the closest existing experience.
What is the closest game to Gloomhaven digital?
Roguebook is the closest on the deckbuilding and hex-map axis, and Wildermyth is closest on the party campaign and legacy-character axis. For grid tactics, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is the strongest single pick.
Is Slay the Spire like Gloomhaven?
Only on the deckbuilding loop. Both games ask you to build a synergized hand and manage a limited action budget per turn. Slay the Spire has no party, no grid, and no movement, so treat it as one half of Gloomhaven rather than a substitute.
What is the cheapest Gloomhaven alternative on Steam?
XCOM 2 and Battle Brothers both drop below $10 during seasonal Steam sales. Slay the Spire and Wildermyth sit around $12 at their typical sale prices. All four are the strongest hours-per-dollar bets on this list.
Can I play Gloomhaven digital co-op with friends?
Yes, Gloomhaven digital supports online co-op with the Guildmaster campaign and Jaws of the Lion. For a four-player experience that runs to a full RPG credits sequence, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the pick with the best modern netcode.
Does XCOM 2 work on macOS?
Yes, XCOM 2 has a native macOS build on Steam alongside Windows and Linux. Solasta: Crown of the Magister, Roguebook, and Battle Brothers ship Windows-only builds; check each store page before committing on a Mac.
