July Update #2: We're Meeeelting....& More Production Samples!
Greetings Grand Festival Backers!
We had some samples scheduled for arrival late yesterday, so we pushed the update to today. Thank you for your patience.
We've gotten our hands on them, so let's dive in!
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Gloomhaven RPG
Since our last update, all pre-production sample findings have been addressed, proofed, and implemented for mass production. We are in the manufacturing phase of the timeline!
We also had the Gloomhaven RPG: Core Card Set sample arrive, here are some photos:
With mass production underway our focus for the RPG will shift to the shipping plan. That means we will have less information while this part of the project is being manufactured, but we’ll gladly continue sharing updates, photos, insights as production moves forward!
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Miniatures of Gloomhaven
THE MINIATURES ARE MELTING!
Just kidding…well…sorta.
Our factory has let us know that over the last week they’ve been battling an intense heat wave that has led to some pausing of production due to the impact on output quality (warping, detail loss, etc). Plastic injection molding is already done at molten temperatures, but when it's too hot it leads to some engineering problems and warpage during cooling/setting. Luckily, this was all caught by quality control, but it does mean we’re delayed by ~two weeks in SOME of our production efforts. We aren’t happy about this, but waiting is much preferable to melted miniatures.
"Miniatures of Gloomhaven...so hot right now."
Onto the positive, trays for Gloomhaven: Core Set came in this week, so here is how these models look all nested in their spots, along with the work-in-progress tray maps Layne has been building for us:
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #1
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #1 Map
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #2
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #2 Map
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #3
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #3 Map
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #4
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #4 Map
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set next to Gloomhaven (board game). It's not quite as big...but it's close!
With trays largely out of our way, we also now know our final box dimensions so are completing in fuller confidence our packaging. Below is a "work-in-progress" side by side of each of the spines and how they'll roughly look on your shelf! (fits1.5 Kallax shelf cubes)
Short side of Gloomhaven/Frosthaven. Long side of Forgotten Circles & Jaws of the Lion. Fits 1.5 Kallax shelf cubes.
Finally, we thought you might appreciate an in-depth look at the Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set now that we have 100% of the production samples in and approved:
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Gen Con
GEN CON - Indianapolis, IN (JUL 30 - AUG 2)
Just a reminder that Julie, Chris, Aaron, myself, and our amazing team of supporters will be out at Gen Con next week (Booth 351) showing off the Gloomhaven RPG and selling advanced copies of our Buttons & Bugs expansion PUB CRAWLERS! (you can pre-order for Gen Con pickup HERE).
We’ll be running official Gen Con events for Gloomhaven, Buttons & Bugs, and the Gloomhaven RPG as well, you can sign up for those registered events HERE.
Swing by the booth and you may also catch me showcasing a brand new title we’re planning to release at PAX: Unplugged later this year! (Don’t miss the reveal— SUBSCRIBE to our Insider Newsletter today!)
Can't make it to Gen Con?Don't worry! We've got a fun little activity planned for Gloomhaven fans to participate in at home so keep your eyes on our newsletter and socials above next week.
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End of Update
That’ll be it for this week.
We’ll be back on Aug 5th with a small post-Gen Con update for you.
Until then, have a great week and we hope you’re staying cool!
"Mighty" Max Johnson says "Stay cool and don't melt!"
We have a LOT of production samples to show off in today’s update, and a pledge manager that will be reopening THIS FRIDAY, so let’s jump right in!
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-FINAL PLEDGE MANAGER OPENING
With Gloomhaven RPG and Miniatures of Gloomhaven projects entering mass production, we will be reopening this FINAL WAVE pledge manager on Friday, July 10th, and these will remain open for approximately one month (closing date to be announced in a following update).
Some important notes on this final wave of pledge manager:
Address: If your shipping address has changed please make sure your address is current and up to date now. To avoid any re-shipping fees or lost pledges, don’t wait until fulfillment is about to start!
Add-ons: This is your last chance to add any additional add-ons to your pledge
Pricing: The pricing for add-ons will be updated to reflect final production costs and retail pricing. This does NOT impact prior pledge discounts.
Deadline: We will be leaving the pledge manager open for at least the next 30 days and will give at least 2 weeks prior notice to closure in an upcoming backerkit update.
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GLOOMHAVEN RPG
The pre-production copy (PPC) is in!
The Gloomhaven RPG pre-production copy has arrived!
This is our final sample that includes full color printing and assembly to our specifications before we set the factory in motion for mass production and assembly.
We’re really glad to report that any findings we had in the white sample review have been addressed here and this is one of the most dialed in pre-production samples we’ve received to-date! Quality is on point, and assembly is accurate down to the last deck of cards.
Our internal production team will be taking this final opportunity to collaborate with the factory and fine-tune the color saturation and contrast of the components.
Gloomhaven RPG Deluxe Box Set
Here you can take a look at part of our component review process, which involves inspecting every deck of cards and their accompanying tuckbox:
GLOOMHAVEN PLAYING CARDS GIFT
As a special “Thank You” gift, we will be including a FREE deck of Gloomhaven: Playing cards in all orders containing the Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box Set! (A $12.99 value!)
Gloomhaven: Playing Cards - compatible with Gloomhaven RPG, or on their own!
You will receive this free gift if:
You pledged at the “RPG Deluxe Box Set” level
You pledged at the “Ultimate Gloomhaven Set” level
You pledged at the "The Big One" level
You add(ed) Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box Set to your existing pledge.
This will include any NEW backers of the Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box set so please take that into consideration when the pledge manager re-opens later this week. No action will be required on your part other than making sure you have a copy of the Deluxe Box Set secured.
Any additional decks of Gloomhaven: Playing Cards added to your cart will be charged accordingly. The FREE copy will be added automatically at fulfillment and will not reflect in your cart.
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MINIATURES OF GLOOMHAVEN
This last week we received our white box sample for the Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set and our first round of mass production samples as well!
Jekserah and her guard.
The Gloomhaven: Core Set is the largest in the line as you can see in the photo below. It includes all the enemy miniatures you’ll need for Gloomhaven (both first and second editions). It also serves as a starting point for the Forgotten Circles, Jaws of the Lion, and Frosthaven miniatures sets, providing all of the returning monsters for those titles as well.
Miniatures Sets Left to Right: Gloomhaven Core Set, Forgotten Circles, Jaws of the Lion, Gloomhaven Summons, Frosthaven, Frosthaven Summons
This shipment also contained our first mass production samples of the miniature BASE RINGS and FLIGHT STANDS.
Here is a preview of the models we received this week:
Our review and testing at this stage (mass production samples) includes the following:
Quality Assurance: Review and call out any unintentional errors with the models such as warpage, deformation, and/or faulty assembly.
Adjustments: Advocate for any adjustments in plastics used or plastic injection process including temperature, pressure, assembly, etc. In more extreme cases pursue fine adjustments to the mold tooling.
Base Rings: Test fit all base rings to all model bases
Flight Stands: Test fit all flight stands to all models
Ice, Flame, Sun, Wind, and Night Demons in their full six-count enemy groups.
Miniature Mass Production Findings:
The Yay:
The models look really great!
They feel solid and firm, without being brittle.
Quantities were correct.
Base rings fit 100% of models; also fit flight stand bases
Flight stands (that fit) fit securely and do not fall out even when shaken.
A smattering of demons.
The Meh:
Thus far, 2 models have had issues with flight stands falling out unintentionally when picked up. These have been reported and are being adjusted on their molds.
A number of “flying” models (4 thus far) don’t yet fit their flight stand. The hole on their underside will be increased slightly on their mold to allow the flight stand to fit securely.
Still awaiting more Gloomhaven: Core Set models
The Nay
It was our intent for the identification numbers on the base rings to be both embossed and painted. Unfortunately, the factory was not able to produce these with the numbers raised high enough to be read on their own. Furthermore, they were not able to line the painted numbers up with the raised numbers, resulting in legibility issues. For this reason, we will be removing the raised numbers on the base rings and using a paint-only approach. This will allow us to keep the base ring material soft and flexible for ease of use while also ensuring that their numbering is helpful and legible.
What’s Next?
We have more mass production samples on their way to us for the Miniatures of Gloomhaven Core Set as well as the Frosthaven expansion set, as well as trays for test fit & review. We’re also locking in our final mass production run quantities. .
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INTRODUCING BUTTONS & BUGS: PUB CRAWLERS!
Grand Festival backers of Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs may be excited to know that we recently announced a NEW EXPANSION coming this fall… BUTTONS & BUGS: PUB CRAWLERS!
This tiny little expansion includes two new playable micro mercenaries (micro, NOT shrunken!): the Shaper Whistlecry and the Psyllium Fungal Monk, as well as a brand new mutli-path campaign.
Buttons & Bugs: Pub Crawlers is AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW on cephalofair.com(including advanced Gen Con pickup options). Order now and receive “The Flames of Ashtar” prequel micro-campaign FREE with your purchase when you add it to your cart!
Flames of Ashtar Micro-Campaign - FREE w/ pre-order of Buttons & Bugs: Pub Crawlers
We’ll be sharing more game insights and information as we inch closer to Gen Con, you can catch the latest tidbits in advance by subscribing to our new Insider Newsletter HERE, which gets the scoop at least one week before our main newsletter.
Pub Crawlers comes with two new playable classes, new enemies, new dice, new status tokens, and a brand new optional Challenge Deck!
GEN CON 2026
Find Cephalofair at Gen Con Booth #351
As a reminder, our team will be attending Gen Con 2026 (Booth 351) at the end of this month so come say hello!
We’ll have the above mentioned Gloomhaven RPG set on full display, a limited amount of advance copies of Buttons & Bugs: Pub Crawlers for sale, and restocks of last year’s Mercenary Packs.
Keen observers may also spot an “early preview” of a new type of Gloomhaven game in the Cephalofair Booth #351....
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END OF UPDATE
That’s it for this week. It’s incredibly exciting having so much physically in hand to share with you and hope you enjoyed diving in alongside us. We’ll be back on July 21st with even more!
June Update #2: Updating RPG & Miniature Timelines
Greetings Grand Festival Backers!
As promised, we’re back this week with timeline updates for the Gloomhaven RPG and Miniatures of Gloomhaven projects.
We’ve spent the last two weeks working closely with our factories to align expectations, confirm current and next steps, and build out realistic timelines we feel good about.
What we are presenting today is a conservative estimate based on those mass production dates provided to us, our past experiences with logistical time frames, and dependencies on mass production hitting its projected milestones.
We will be taking every step to make sure our remaining steps between here and fulfillment are completed in a timely manner and with quality in mind.
Before we get into the timeline, I’d like to give an updated commitment to our backer community:
Our Commitment:
With our final two Grand Festival projects officially entering mass production, our primary job and commitment from here is to:
Update you twice a month!
Communicate with both factories, multiple times per week, every week.
Book freight in advance once guaranteed factory pickup dates are provided to us.
Track containers as they cross land and sea. (We’ll provide you with the boat info to track along!)
Coordinate with regional fulfillment centers so they know exactly when your pledges are estimated to arrive and plan for fulfillment start/completion dates.
Provide daily backer support through fulfillment completion.
These are our top most internal priorities for 2026.
We know our original timelines were overly ambitious and development of these projects more complex than we estimated. We own that, and appreciate your patience immensely. We have an obligation to do better in the future when estimating delivery timelines. Thankfully, we’ve also learned a lot of lessons about “sharing the load” and leaning on more talented minds/hands than fewer, so staffing up has been a major initiative of 2026.
While we don’t have any crowdfunding campaigns planned for the immediate future, we hope you start seeing these changes manifest through the remainder of this project and as we launch other non-crowdfunding releases.
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Important Disclosures:
Additionally, there are some important disclosures and context to provide generally to these timelines:
Timelines:
These timelines are estimates and subject to change.
Any real or potential timeline changes will be communicated in our twice-monthly project updates as we identify them.
Factors that can impact these timelines:
Factory delays
Pre-production/master production copy errors/correction
Ocean freight delays due to weather, politics, piracy, etc.
Port delays/congestion
Holidays
Fulfillment partner congestion based on other project fulfillment operations.
U.S. tariffs & trade policy changes
Factors that do not impact Grand Festival timelines:
Restock/reprints of existing titles
Announcements of new/future titles/projects
Pre-order campaigns for new/future titles/projects
Mass Production
RPG & Miniatures projects are being produced by two different manufacturers overseas.
RPG & Miniatures projects are projected to arrive and fulfill separately from one another.
Fulfillment
We will be working with regional fulfillment partners in the U.S.A, Canada, Australia, China, and UK (UK/EU/Rest of World).
Regions will be fulfilled independently and ASAP once pledges hit their respective warehouses.
December is typically “no-man’s land” for project fulfillment, so as indicated above and below, we’ve added an additional buffer to account for uncertainty between Black Friday and Christmas.
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Timeline Estimations
JUNE
RPG: Pre-production efforts between factory and Cephalofair completed. PPC approved.
Minis: Pre-production efforts between factory and Cephalofair completed, molds completed.
RPG: Arrives for land freight to fulfillment centers.
Minis: Ocean freight continues.
DECEMBER:
RPG: Arrives at fulfillment centers, begins fulfillment.
Minis: Arrives for land freight to fulfillment centers.
JANUARY:
RPG: Fulfillment completion.
Minis: Arrives at fulfillment centers, begins fulfillment.
FEBRUARY:
Minis: Fulfillment completion.
We’re doing our best to realistically plan for the “longest” case scenarios here and especially recognize how hectic ocean/fulfillment operations are during Nov/Dec. If we are fortunate enough that things progress faster, you’ll be the first to know!
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In the meantime…we’re still cooking!
It is a major internal milestone here at Cephalofair knowing that our portion of production work for RPG and Miniatures is finally coming to a completion. Shout out to our production team for all their hard work getting these fantastic new entries over the final hurdles and into the hands of our factory.
These projects remain our primary focus internally at Cephalofair. We are coordinating and planning logistics and support prep for the final two pieces of the Grand Festival while production begins. Please keep an eye out for the Pledge Manager to open sometime in the coming month. We will provide those specific dates in our next update.
With the RPG and Miniatures headed to production, members of our production, sales, and marketing teams will start to spend more time on other projects that have been brewing behind the scenes. We’ve hired literally dozens of new contractors in the last six months alone to support the team with finishing the Grand Festival and moving our other projects forward.
This week we will be formally announcing an upcoming release that will be available for Gen Con pre-order. Similar to last year’s Gen Con release, we were fortunate enough to lean on external developers to help get this project completed while keeping our core team on the outstanding Grand Festival projects.
Gen Con 2025
In an ideal world, I’d prefer to see us fulfill these two Grand Festival projects to you first. But smaller projects are quintessential from a business perspective and for us as a publisher. They help us cover overhead in between larger releases, support our game designers & staff, and drive ongoing retailer interest in our backlog catalogue. This is why, as a publisher, we have projects in all stages of development, even if they’re not the things on our immediate internal plates.
And why can you excitedly expect more things from us in the future.
Thank you for your understanding, your support, and your trust. We can’t wait to get Gloomhaven RPG and Miniatures of Gloomhaven onto your porches and tables!
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Gen Con is Coming!
As mentioned above, our team will be out at Gen Con next month (Booth #351) displaying our factory copies of the Gloomhaven RPG, running demo events of all sorts, and showcasing a couple new things we’ve been cooking up behind the scenes.
You can sign up for our official Gen Con events HERE.
We’re still also looking for a few good booth “mercs” as well, so if you are already attending Gen Con and are interested in helping run some demos please consider applying!
June Update: Returning to Bi-Monthly Updates ; RPG Digital Proofs Approved For Print!
Greetings Grand Festival Backers!
Today we have some production updates for you on the Gloomhaven Role Playing Game and Miniatures of Gloomhaven projects.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, we’d like to briefly address project updates & timelines.
Project Tracker - June 2, 2026
Project Updates & Timelines
As physical production of these final projects ramp up, we will begin to once again provide updates twice a month to clarify timelines and share production progress until project completion.
Which means we’ll be back in two weeks (June 16th, 2026) with a dedicated update on where things stand and what the timeline for mass manufacturing is looking like.
We’ve made great progress this last month in white box samples and digital file submission and proofing—enough progress that we can now confidently start getting estimates from our multiple factories of when their production runs are estimated to complete, when our freight partners can pick up, and when our fulfillment centers will begin distributing orders.
So please check back in a couple weeks, and in the meantime thank you all for your continued patience and enthusiasm!
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Gloomhaven: The Roleplaying Game-
White box samples are approved and digital files are approved! (with the exception of the outer box)
Last week we received our updated white box sample for the Deluxe RPG Set (which got our approval). This means that our production team has what they need to complete the external packaging design and submit it to our manufacturer this week.
RPG Deluxe Box Set - approved white box sample. (final)
Gloomhaven RPG - Card Tome 1 white box sample (final)
Gloomhaven RPG: Card Tome I design layout
Gloomhaven RPG - Card Tome 2 white box sample (final)
Gloomhaven RPG - Card Tome II design layout
We were able to solve our major requests and refine some elements of the box. We had tried thumb slots and ribbons for access to the components inside before concluding that the most user-friendly option was access holes in the back for pushing the card tomes and core book out of their shelves.
The top most access hole will be removed (was too small to be valuable)
Deluxe Box Card Tome removal
The missing cubby was also added back in for the GM screen and character/company sheet pads.
All other RPG component files have been submitted, laid out into printing sheets by our factory, and digitally reviewed & approved by our team.
Gloomhaven RPG: Ability Cards - digital layout for print
Gloomhaven RPG: Ability Deck tuckbox - digital layout for print
From here, the factory will take our approved digital proofs and begin making our pre-production copy (PPC).
Our team physically reviewing the PPC is the last step in the pre-production phase before mass manufacturing officially begins! With our approval, the factory will get started making all books, cards, boxes, etc. and assembling them for ocean freight.
Miniatures of Gloomhaven
We received additional white box samples this last week for both of the Summons expansion sets (Gloomhaven/Frosthaven). Each of these sets will be fitting a single-tray box that shares the same face dimensions of the Gloomhaven/Frosthaven game boxes.
Gloomhaven: Summons Miniature Expansion Set white box sample
Gloomhaven: Summons Miniatures Expansion Set white box sample - side profile
While not reflected in this photo, we are working with the factory to make sure that summons are grouped by class in the final layout:
Gloomhaven: Miniatures Expansion Set tray proposal V1 (not final)
Additionally, each tray will come with an accompanying storage map of which models go where to aid in setup/tear down. The image below is not final.
Finally, more tray proposals were received and audited by our team for the Gloomhaven Core Set and the Frosthaven Expansion Set. For context, the base rings are just placeholders for the model quantities:
Gloomhaven: Miniatures Core Expansion Set - Tray V1 (Not Final)
Frosthaven Miniatures Expansion Set - Tray V1 (Not final)
According to our factory, final molds are all in production and expected to finalize this month. As those round the corner, we’re finalizing our box designs and the above mentioned tray maps.
All that to say, we should be in mass production this July, and we look forward to having more concrete timelines in a couple of weeks for you, so stay tuned!
Community Spotlight
This month, we’re shining the community spotlight on Jeff over at Solo Strategic Playthroughs. Jeff has made a series of excellent videos on Youtube playing through a campaign of the new edition of Gloomhaven. The videos are well edited with clear explanations of what is going on, which is always appreciated! And the channel also has playthroughs of some other campaign games, if you are looking for more content. Keep up the great work!
May Update: Prototypes for Gloomhaven: RPG and Jaws of the Lion/Forgotten Circles Miniature Sets
Hello Grand Festival Backers!
Price here. Today we’ve got….RPG & MINIATURE PROTOTYPES AND WHITE BOX SAMPLES!
Let’s jump in.
Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box Set white box sample next to Gloomhaven & Reference Banana
Gloomhaven RPG
Arriving this week from Panda is a white box sample and prototype of the Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box set. Please note: This is not the final design. Changes are still being made, physical testing is still underway, and final design must first meet our strict quality and usability requirements before we approve and put into mass production.
The Good:
-It’s really real! Panda did a great job bringing our rendered-only vision to physical life, and this is one of the most important steps before we make final design decisions.
-Card Tomes: We didn’t know how feasible this concept would be, and Panda tackled it head-on. Our original pitch was something like “Clamshell card insert, reminiscent of Disney VHS cases.” The tome feels both thematic and sturdy.
-Elemental Bookmarks: These look and feel great! They’ve got good weight and size, and we can’t wait to see them in their full-color majesty.
-Storage Vault: We successfully ran tests storing a myriad of Gloomhaven board game components, map tiles, and accessories we can see GM’s using for their RPG sessions.
-The Core Book: This is our first time seeing/holding the book in person…and MAN…is this thing thick! The final book will of course not only have full color, but embossed title treatment, foiled cover detailing, and two ribbons (red and gold).
-Kallax Compatible: So far, we’re still Kallax (shelf) compatible!
-Card Sleeve Compatible: Every tuckbox has been designed to fit sleeved cards and decks! The only exception is the “Ancestry Deck” which only holds non-used cards until you are ready to build them into your character’s “Ability Deck” tuckbox. That tuckbox does have room.
RPG Card Tome #1 - Class Ability Decks & Perk Decks
RPG Card Tome #2 - Modifier Decks, Element Trackers, Ancestry Deck, & Ability Deck
The Meh: -Missing Shelf: The factory unfortunately overlooked one of our requirements in this first prototype attempt: a dedicated drawer for accessories such as the GM screen, character sheet pad, and mercenary company sheet pad. We’ve already informed them of this oversight and are correcting it in our next iteration.
-Open Back: The factory included a lid that folds all the way off the reverse side, revealing a back with holes for which they intended the card tomes and books to be pushed out of the shelves. This was counter to our requirements and original design request. We’d hoped to explore other options first and will be continuing to work with them to perfect the best way to remove components from the shelves without difficulty; including finger cutouts, ribbons, and/or inset shelves to support removal from the box’s front side. We’ll report back!
-Card Tome Lids: The factory took a stab at designing an innovative plastic lid that could service both sides of the card tome sides at once. While a neat design, it gives us concern. Our original intent was to have one lid per side. Since the tuckboxes rest in wells, and cover the smaller perk deck wells underneath, this approach means you run a higher risk of multiple components falling out upon opening. We’d very much like to avoid that. They’ve taken our feedback and are going to return to our original request on the next iteration.
-Book Size: The sample we got of the Core Rulebook was slightly larger (taller & wider) than our specifications for the designed/layed out the book, so we’ll be correcting this on the next sample.
The Gloomhaven RPG Core Book contains just over 350 pages; this reference banana contains high levels of potassium.
Gloom Master Storage Vault with x5 map tiles, the Gloomhaven (boardgame) removable token trays, and a variety of Gloomhaven Miniatures.
Gloomhaven Miniatures
We’ve finally received white box samples for Forgotten Circles and Jaws of the Lion Miniature Sets, including production miniature samples, trays, lids, and base rings.
Let’s take a look: (featuring my corgi, Max, drinking water in the background)
Forgotten Circles Expansion Set - White Box Sample
Jaws of the Lion Expansion Set - White Box Sample
Jaws of the Lion Model Lineup:
Forgotten Circles Model Lineup:
Miniature Sample Findings:
The boxes came out great, and to our requested dimensions. Same "footprint" as their respective games, but thinner.
Our factory was able to implement our requested "view windows" in the front facing cover (lid).
The trays are thick and durable, and the lids fit nicely.
Production miniatures are secure but do not get stuck when removed from trays.
Production quality is high, no detail loss, and multi-part models feel secure and strong.
Base rings have a nice fit, click, and do not fall out off the models when lifted.
Forgotten Circles Expansion Set - Tray 1 of 1. Missing: Aesther Ashblades & Flight Stands.
Jaws of the Lion Expansion Set - Tray 1 of 2. Missing: Vermling Raiders.
Jaws of the Lion Expansion Set 2 of 2.
Base Ring Samples. Non-final bezel shape. Missing: Embossed and numbers (i.e. 1-10)
Miniatures Next Steps:
With these first two miniature boxes approved, we are confidently continuing work on packaging design and layout for FORGOTTEN CIRCLES & JAWS OF THE LION. Design and layout choices here will directly flow into the other remaining box sets. According to our factory partner tray samples for GLOOMHAVEN SUMMONS and FROSTHAVEN SUMMONS should be wrapping up this week so we're expecting those to be the next two sets ready to share with you.
We're also continuing to check in multiple times per week to make sure mold completion is progressing without delay and are asking for their assistance dialing in ETA's for mass production. Below is our updated Progress Tracker. Once we have all molds confirmed as approved all products in the "Mass Production" phase will be able to move forward together.
Miniatires of Gloomhaven Progress - 5.5.26
Community Spotlight
With the release of the third and final major content update for Frosthaven Digital before it leaves early access later this year, I thought it appropriate to give a shout-out to Youtuber High_on_Hopeium, who has been posting videos of his playthrough of Frosthaven Digital since it entered early access last year. He just posted his 50th video this week, which is some serious dedication. We wish him the best of luck as he works towards finishing the entire campaign.
And that will do it for this month. A big thank you to our whole Cephalofair team for their collaborative eyes and hands on these samples helping ensure all requirements are met and findings are found.
And thank YOU for reading and sharing your thoughts! We look forward to sharing with you more progress and updates next month.
April update: All sculpts final and beginning of RPG file submission
Good day! It’s the first Tuesday of the month, and I am excited to bring you our progress on the miniature and RPG waves. It has been a flurry of activity with lots of communication back and forth with the factories on both fronts, as we work out pre-production issues and finalize the sculpts. Below, you’ll find the usual updates on both projects.
Minis
Hey Backers, Price here with this month’s Miniatures of Gloomhaven update!
Thank you all for your patience last month as our production team was in Kentucky meeting with our manufacturing partners, aligning in-person over this year’s projects, and making sure no production stones were left unturned. Being a fully remote company, it is really important to occasionally work face-to-face and power through outstanding creative direction.
On the miniatures side, I’m excited to share that meaningful progress has and is currently underway across ALL miniature sets.
ALL MODELS ARE MODIFIED & APPROVED FOR PRODUCTION!
We completed our final round of approvals for digital modification, which means Gloomhaven, Gloomhaven: Summons, Frosthaven, & Frosthaven: Summons are all officially entering steel mold production.
JAWS OF THE LION & FORGOTTEN CIRCLES MOLDS ARE COMPLETE! I’ve excitedly gotten confirmation that steel molds are complete for both of these upgrade sets and mold-testing copies will be sent to us next week along with “white-box” samples (packaging and tray samples without artwork).
BOXES & BASE RINGS With these production samples underway, we are now confidently starting on final packaging direction, copy writing, and tray map reference sheets. It’s a fun endeavor that makes us feel a little bit like chocolatiers figuring out which delicious morsels go next to which and how you identify them. Equally important, that you know where they fit back into their packaging when you’re done!
With final modified files on all models, we’re re-exporting 3D renders of each for production-accurate representations on the packaging and reference map sheets.
Each miniature will have a reference number under them that indicates which Miniature Upgrade Set they belong to (see image below). These will be cross referenced inside each set with a visual reference map (like the sheet that tells you which chocolate is which inside a box of chocolate) to make setup and teardown easier for players.
We’ve also confirmed final base ring counts you’ll get with each product, based on campaign-specific scenario requirements, monster group quantities, etc.
With each campaign upgrade set, will include the optimal number of numbered base ring (#1-6, #1-10) in the appropriate colors (white = basic; yellow = elite) to accurately track miniatures to their respective monster stat cards and HP trackers.
They are as follows for those interested:
Gloomhaven Miniatures
White: 4 sets of #1-6; 2 sets of #1-10
Yellow: 4 sets of #1-6; 2 sets of #1-10
Red: 1 set of #1-2
Gloomhaven Summons
Blue: 4 sets of #1-2, 1 set of #1-3, 5 unnumbered
Forgotten Circles
White: 2 Sets of #1-6; Yellow: 2 Sets of #1-6
Red: 2 unnumbered
Blue: 1 set of #1-2, 2 unnumbered
Jaws of the Lion
White: 1 set of #1-6; 3 sets #1-10
Yellow: 1 set of #1-6; 3 sets #1-10
Red: 2 unnumbered
Frosthaven Miniatures
White: 4 Sets of #1-6; 2 Sets pf #1-10
Yellow: 4 Sets of #1-6; 2 Sets of #1-10
Red: 1 set of #1-2
Frosthaven Summons
Blue: 1 set of #1-2, 1 set of #1-6, 8 unnumbered
We anticipate a lot of continued progress this month and look forward to sharing next steps with you in the month ahead!
RPG
Moving on to RPG efforts, we are working out some production elements of the deluxe box with the factory and organizing everything to begin sending over our files for all the various elements of the project. The main thing we wanted to share with you this month, though, was our final cover art for the book, illustrated by Phan Tuấn Đạt and designed by Arch Anderson, using filagree designed by Francesca Baerald.
Our original vision for the core rulebook called for a standard-issue full-color cover and an upgraded deluxe version with premium detail treatments. After some discussion with our manufacturing partners, we are pleased to share that the deluxe cover will be sent out to all backers who ordered a physical book at any tier.
As we take our final steps toward sending the book to print, we wanted to share some more spreads featuring the full art treatment. Our graphic design and art teams have been working hard to make sure that this book is visually stunning.
An extra-wide illustration by Kendal Gates welcomes readers into a fracas in the streets—but for these mercs, it was Tuesday.
Throughout the production of our games, we have gathered a whole lot of amazing illustrations of cool items you may encounter on your adventures. This book has given that artwork a chance to escape the confines of their mini euro cards. Classic artwork by Alexandr Elichev, Mates Laurentiu, and Yanis Cardin are worked in throughout the book, showing greater detail than their previous published appearances.
One of the things we’re most excited about with this system is the ability to mix and match ancestries and classes for a more customized mercenary. The first pages for each class and ancestry have been given special attention by our design team to encompass all the basics on one spread. Like many of the book’s key art illustrations, Jocelyn Sarvida’s valrath silent knife illustration gives us a glimpse of an individual from the world of Gloomhaven we’ve not seen before.
We know that many of you are eagerly awaiting shipping timelines and the re-opening of our pledge manager. We remain committed to providing that information as soon as we are able.
We’re excited to be moving forward with our next step toward full-scale production. The prepress process is underway. This means we’re starting to share production files with our manufacturing partners for final review and collaboration on any adjustments necessary to ensure high-quality production. This is the first of many waves of file submission, review, and revision, and represents our moving into another key phase of the process.
Community Spotlight
Alright, I’ve got a bit of a weird one for you this month. We at Cephalofair Games aren’t huge fans of April Fools’. In fact, I almost went through the entirety of last Wednesday not realizing it was happening, which is really an ideal situation for me. But then I ran across this April Fools’ post that made me appreciate what the day could be: an opportunity to create high-effort nonsense.
This comes from Redditor IAmPolarExpress, who decided to post an ASMR video of two Gloomhaven mercenaries becoming more than friends. It may not be for everybody, but I appreciated it. The content is all SFW, but it does feature heavy use of the words “dumb” and “idiot,” which may offend some. Looking forward to the next one where your vermling boyfriend brings home a gift for your anniversary!
And that will do it for this month. Have a great rest of the month, and we’ll catch you next time with even more progress on getting these two projects across the finish line!
Price here. Today we’ve got….RPG & MINIATURE PROTOTYPES AND WHITE BOX SAMPLES!
Let’s jump in.
Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box Set white box sample next to Gloomhaven & Reference Banana
Gloomhaven RPG
Arriving this week from Panda is a white box sample and prototype of the Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box set. Please note: This is not the final design. Changes are still being made, physical testing is still underway, and final design must first meet our strict quality and usability requirements before we approve and put into mass production.
The Good:
-It’s really real! Panda did a great job bringing our rendered-only vision to physical life, and this is one of the most important steps before we make final design decisions.
-Card Tomes: We didn’t know how feasible this concept would be, and Panda tackled it head-on. Our original pitch was something like “Clamshell card insert, reminiscent of Disney VHS cases.” The tome feels both thematic and sturdy.
-Elemental Bookmarks: These look and feel great! They’ve got good weight and size, and we can’t wait to see them in their full-color majesty.
-Storage Vault: We successfully ran tests storing a myriad of Gloomhaven board game components, map tiles, and accessories we can see GM’s using for their RPG sessions.
-The Core Book: This is our first time seeing/holding the book in person…and MAN…is this thing thick! The final book will of course not only have full color, but embossed title treatment, foiled cover detailing, and two ribbons (red and gold).
-Kallax Compatible: So far, we’re still Kallax (shelf) compatible!
-Card Sleeve Compatible: Every tuckbox has been designed to fit sleeved cards and decks! The only exception is the “Ancestry Deck” which only holds non-used cards until you are ready to build them into your character’s “Ability Deck” tuckbox. That tuckbox does have room.
RPG Card Tome #1 - Class Ability Decks & Perk Decks
RPG Card Tome #2 - Modifier Decks, Element Trackers, Ancestry Deck, & Ability Deck
The Meh: -Missing Shelf: The factory unfortunately overlooked one of our requirements in this first prototype attempt: a dedicated drawer for accessories such as the GM screen, character sheet pad, and mercenary company sheet pad. We’ve already informed them of this oversight and are correcting it in our next iteration.
-Open Back: The factory included a lid that folds all the way off the reverse side, revealing a back with holes for which they intended the card tomes and books to be pushed out of the shelves. This was counter to our requirements and original design request. We’d hoped to explore other options first and will be continuing to work with them to perfect the best way to remove components from the shelves without difficulty; including finger cutouts, ribbons, and/or inset shelves to support removal from the box’s front side. We’ll report back!
-Card Tome Lids: The factory took a stab at designing an innovative plastic lid that could service both sides of the card tome sides at once. While a neat design, it gives us concern. Our original intent was to have one lid per side. Since the tuckboxes rest in wells, and cover the smaller perk deck wells underneath, this approach means you run a higher risk of multiple components falling out upon opening. We’d very much like to avoid that. They’ve taken our feedback and are going to return to our original request on the next iteration.
-Book Size: The sample we got of the Core Rulebook was slightly larger (taller & wider) than our specifications for the designed/layed out the book, so we’ll be correcting this on the next sample.
The Gloomhaven RPG Core Book contains just over 350 pages; this reference banana contains high levels of potassium.
Gloom Master Storage Vault with x5 map tiles, the Gloomhaven (boardgame) removable token trays, and a variety of Gloomhaven Miniatures.
Gloomhaven Miniatures
We’ve finally received white box samples for Forgotten Circles and Jaws of the Lion Miniature Sets, including production miniature samples, trays, lids, and base rings.
Let’s take a look: (featuring my corgi, Max, drinking water in the background)
Forgotten Circles Expansion Set - White Box Sample
Jaws of the Lion Expansion Set - White Box Sample
Jaws of the Lion Model Lineup:
Forgotten Circles Model Lineup:
Miniature Sample Findings:
The boxes came out great, and to our requested dimensions. Same "footprint" as their respective games, but thinner.
Our factory was able to implement our requested "view windows" in the front facing cover (lid).
The trays are thick and durable, and the lids fit nicely.
Production miniatures are secure but do not get stuck when removed from trays.
Production quality is high, no detail loss, and multi-part models feel secure and strong.
Base rings have a nice fit, click, and do not fall out off the models when lifted.
Forgotten Circles Expansion Set - Tray 1 of 1. Missing: Aesther Ashblades & Flight Stands.
Jaws of the Lion Expansion Set - Tray 1 of 2. Missing: Vermling Raiders.
Jaws of the Lion Expansion Set 2 of 2.
Base Ring Samples. Non-final bezel shape. Missing: Embossed and numbers (i.e. 1-10)
Miniatures Next Steps:
With these first two miniature boxes approved, we are confidently continuing work on packaging design and layout for FORGOTTEN CIRCLES & JAWS OF THE LION. Design and layout choices here will directly flow into the other remaining box sets. According to our factory partner tray samples for GLOOMHAVEN SUMMONS and FROSTHAVEN SUMMONS should be wrapping up this week so we're expecting those to be the next two sets ready to share with you.
We're also continuing to check in multiple times per week to make sure mold completion is progressing without delay and are asking for their assistance dialing in ETA's for mass production. Below is our updated Progress Tracker. Once we have all molds confirmed as approved all products in the "Mass Production" phase will be able to move forward together.
Miniatires of Gloomhaven Progress - 5.5.26
Community Spotlight
With the release of the third and final major content update for Frosthaven Digital before it leaves early access later this year, I thought it appropriate to give a shout-out to Youtuber High_on_Hopeium, who has been posting videos of his playthrough of Frosthaven Digital since it entered early access last year. He just posted his 50th video this week, which is some serious dedication. We wish him the best of luck as he works towards finishing the entire campaign.
And that will do it for this month. A big thank you to our whole Cephalofair team for their collaborative eyes and hands on these samples helping ensure all requirements are met and findings are found.
And thank YOU for reading and sharing your thoughts! We look forward to sharing with you more progress and updates next month.
We had some samples scheduled for arrival late yesterday, so we pushed the update to today. Thank you for your patience.
We've gotten our hands on them, so let's dive in!
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Gloomhaven RPG
Since our last update, all pre-production sample findings have been addressed, proofed, and implemented for mass production. We are in the manufacturing phase of the timeline!
We also had the Gloomhaven RPG: Core Card Set sample arrive, here are some photos:
With mass production underway our focus for the RPG will shift to the shipping plan. That means we will have less information while this part of the project is being manufactured, but we’ll gladly continue sharing updates, photos, insights as production moves forward!
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Miniatures of Gloomhaven
THE MINIATURES ARE MELTING!
Just kidding…well…sorta.
Our factory has let us know that over the last week they’ve been battling an intense heat wave that has led to some pausing of production due to the impact on output quality (warping, detail loss, etc). Plastic injection molding is already done at molten temperatures, but when it's too hot it leads to some engineering problems and warpage during cooling/setting. Luckily, this was all caught by quality control, but it does mean we’re delayed by ~two weeks in SOME of our production efforts. We aren’t happy about this, but waiting is much preferable to melted miniatures.
"Miniatures of Gloomhaven...so hot right now."
Onto the positive, trays for Gloomhaven: Core Set came in this week, so here is how these models look all nested in their spots, along with the work-in-progress tray maps Layne has been building for us:
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #1
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #1 Map
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #2
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #2 Map
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #3
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #3 Map
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #4
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set - Tray #4 Map
Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set next to Gloomhaven (board game). It's not quite as big...but it's close!
With trays largely out of our way, we also now know our final box dimensions so are completing in fuller confidence our packaging. Below is a "work-in-progress" side by side of each of the spines and how they'll roughly look on your shelf! (fits1.5 Kallax shelf cubes)
Short side of Gloomhaven/Frosthaven. Long side of Forgotten Circles & Jaws of the Lion. Fits 1.5 Kallax shelf cubes.
Finally, we thought you might appreciate an in-depth look at the Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set now that we have 100% of the production samples in and approved:
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Gen Con
GEN CON - Indianapolis, IN (JUL 30 - AUG 2)
Just a reminder that Julie, Chris, Aaron, myself, and our amazing team of supporters will be out at Gen Con next week (Booth 351) showing off the Gloomhaven RPG and selling advanced copies of our Buttons & Bugs expansion PUB CRAWLERS! (you can pre-order for Gen Con pickup HERE).
We’ll be running official Gen Con events for Gloomhaven, Buttons & Bugs, and the Gloomhaven RPG as well, you can sign up for those registered events HERE.
Swing by the booth and you may also catch me showcasing a brand new title we’re planning to release at PAX: Unplugged later this year! (Don’t miss the reveal— SUBSCRIBE to our Insider Newsletter today!)
Can't make it to Gen Con?Don't worry! We've got a fun little activity planned for Gloomhaven fans to participate in at home so keep your eyes on our newsletter and socials above next week.
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End of Update
That’ll be it for this week.
We’ll be back on Aug 5th with a small post-Gen Con update for you.
Until then, have a great week and we hope you’re staying cool!
"Mighty" Max Johnson says "Stay cool and don't melt!"
We have a LOT of production samples to show off in today’s update, and a pledge manager that will be reopening THIS FRIDAY, so let’s jump right in!
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-FINAL PLEDGE MANAGER OPENING
With Gloomhaven RPG and Miniatures of Gloomhaven projects entering mass production, we will be reopening this FINAL WAVE pledge manager on Friday, July 10th, and these will remain open for approximately one month (closing date to be announced in a following update).
Some important notes on this final wave of pledge manager:
Address: If your shipping address has changed please make sure your address is current and up to date now. To avoid any re-shipping fees or lost pledges, don’t wait until fulfillment is about to start!
Add-ons: This is your last chance to add any additional add-ons to your pledge
Pricing: The pricing for add-ons will be updated to reflect final production costs and retail pricing. This does NOT impact prior pledge discounts.
Deadline: We will be leaving the pledge manager open for at least the next 30 days and will give at least 2 weeks prior notice to closure in an upcoming backerkit update.
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GLOOMHAVEN RPG
The pre-production copy (PPC) is in!
The Gloomhaven RPG pre-production copy has arrived!
This is our final sample that includes full color printing and assembly to our specifications before we set the factory in motion for mass production and assembly.
We’re really glad to report that any findings we had in the white sample review have been addressed here and this is one of the most dialed in pre-production samples we’ve received to-date! Quality is on point, and assembly is accurate down to the last deck of cards.
Our internal production team will be taking this final opportunity to collaborate with the factory and fine-tune the color saturation and contrast of the components.
Gloomhaven RPG Deluxe Box Set
Here you can take a look at part of our component review process, which involves inspecting every deck of cards and their accompanying tuckbox:
GLOOMHAVEN PLAYING CARDS GIFT
As a special “Thank You” gift, we will be including a FREE deck of Gloomhaven: Playing cards in all orders containing the Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box Set! (A $12.99 value!)
Gloomhaven: Playing Cards - compatible with Gloomhaven RPG, or on their own!
You will receive this free gift if:
You pledged at the “RPG Deluxe Box Set” level
You pledged at the “Ultimate Gloomhaven Set” level
You pledged at the "The Big One" level
You add(ed) Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box Set to your existing pledge.
This will include any NEW backers of the Gloomhaven: RPG Deluxe Box set so please take that into consideration when the pledge manager re-opens later this week. No action will be required on your part other than making sure you have a copy of the Deluxe Box Set secured.
Any additional decks of Gloomhaven: Playing Cards added to your cart will be charged accordingly. The FREE copy will be added automatically at fulfillment and will not reflect in your cart.
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MINIATURES OF GLOOMHAVEN
This last week we received our white box sample for the Miniatures of Gloomhaven: Core Set and our first round of mass production samples as well!
Jekserah and her guard.
The Gloomhaven: Core Set is the largest in the line as you can see in the photo below. It includes all the enemy miniatures you’ll need for Gloomhaven (both first and second editions). It also serves as a starting point for the Forgotten Circles, Jaws of the Lion, and Frosthaven miniatures sets, providing all of the returning monsters for those titles as well.
Miniatures Sets Left to Right: Gloomhaven Core Set, Forgotten Circles, Jaws of the Lion, Gloomhaven Summons, Frosthaven, Frosthaven Summons
This shipment also contained our first mass production samples of the miniature BASE RINGS and FLIGHT STANDS.
Here is a preview of the models we received this week:
Our review and testing at this stage (mass production samples) includes the following:
Quality Assurance: Review and call out any unintentional errors with the models such as warpage, deformation, and/or faulty assembly.
Adjustments: Advocate for any adjustments in plastics used or plastic injection process including temperature, pressure, assembly, etc. In more extreme cases pursue fine adjustments to the mold tooling.
Base Rings: Test fit all base rings to all model bases
Flight Stands: Test fit all flight stands to all models
Ice, Flame, Sun, Wind, and Night Demons in their full six-count enemy groups.
Miniature Mass Production Findings:
The Yay:
The models look really great!
They feel solid and firm, without being brittle.
Quantities were correct.
Base rings fit 100% of models; also fit flight stand bases
Flight stands (that fit) fit securely and do not fall out even when shaken.
A smattering of demons.
The Meh:
Thus far, 2 models have had issues with flight stands falling out unintentionally when picked up. These have been reported and are being adjusted on their molds.
A number of “flying” models (4 thus far) don’t yet fit their flight stand. The hole on their underside will be increased slightly on their mold to allow the flight stand to fit securely.
Still awaiting more Gloomhaven: Core Set models
The Nay
It was our intent for the identification numbers on the base rings to be both embossed and painted. Unfortunately, the factory was not able to produce these with the numbers raised high enough to be read on their own. Furthermore, they were not able to line the painted numbers up with the raised numbers, resulting in legibility issues. For this reason, we will be removing the raised numbers on the base rings and using a paint-only approach. This will allow us to keep the base ring material soft and flexible for ease of use while also ensuring that their numbering is helpful and legible.
What’s Next?
We have more mass production samples on their way to us for the Miniatures of Gloomhaven Core Set as well as the Frosthaven expansion set, as well as trays for test fit & review. We’re also locking in our final mass production run quantities. .
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INTRODUCING BUTTONS & BUGS: PUB CRAWLERS!
Grand Festival backers of Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs may be excited to know that we recently announced a NEW EXPANSION coming this fall… BUTTONS & BUGS: PUB CRAWLERS!
This tiny little expansion includes two new playable micro mercenaries (micro, NOT shrunken!): the Shaper Whistlecry and the Psyllium Fungal Monk, as well as a brand new mutli-path campaign.
Buttons & Bugs: Pub Crawlers is AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW on cephalofair.com(including advanced Gen Con pickup options). Order now and receive “The Flames of Ashtar” prequel micro-campaign FREE with your purchase when you add it to your cart!
Flames of Ashtar Micro-Campaign - FREE w/ pre-order of Buttons & Bugs: Pub Crawlers
We’ll be sharing more game insights and information as we inch closer to Gen Con, you can catch the latest tidbits in advance by subscribing to our new Insider Newsletter HERE, which gets the scoop at least one week before our main newsletter.
Pub Crawlers comes with two new playable classes, new enemies, new dice, new status tokens, and a brand new optional Challenge Deck!
GEN CON 2026
Find Cephalofair at Gen Con Booth #351
As a reminder, our team will be attending Gen Con 2026 (Booth 351) at the end of this month so come say hello!
We’ll have the above mentioned Gloomhaven RPG set on full display, a limited amount of advance copies of Buttons & Bugs: Pub Crawlers for sale, and restocks of last year’s Mercenary Packs.
Keen observers may also spot an “early preview” of a new type of Gloomhaven game in the Cephalofair Booth #351....
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END OF UPDATE
That’s it for this week. It’s incredibly exciting having so much physically in hand to share with you and hope you enjoyed diving in alongside us. We’ll be back on July 21st with even more!
