As a general rule of thumb, the Gloomhaven Board Game can be played in two modes: campaign and casual.
Campaign mode[]
The campaign mode is the way the game has been intended to be played. An official party It allows full unlockable content as well as scenario and story progression. In campaign mode, you need to fulfill certain requirements in order to play a scenario and each scenario can only be played once. See the table below for comparison.
Casual mode[]
The casual mode allows any scenario to be played, no matter the requirements, as long as they have been revealed. When the scenario objective is met, the scenario is successful, but the conclusion and scenario rewards are not obtained.
Random variant[]
A game rule variant is called the Random Dungeon. It allows to play a randomly generated scenario by drawing from the random dungeon pack. For more details, see Random Dungeon.
Table of comparisons[]
| Game Mechanics | Campaign mode | Casual mode |
|---|---|---|
| Road event drawn and played on the way to scenario. | Yes | No |
| Scenario must be revealed (sticker on board map) to play mode. | Yes | Yes |
| Party location is modified to reflect the scenario location. | Yes | No |
| Scenario requirements must be met for the scenario to be played. | Yes | No |
| The Scenario objective determines how the scenario is successful. | Yes | Yes |
| The introduction flavor text is read. | Yes | Yes |
| A battle goal is drawn and can be completed. | Yes | Yes |
| Scenario negative effects and triggers apply. | Yes | Yes |
| Money token can be looted and earned. | Yes | Yes |
| Scenario treasure tiles can be looted if not previously looted. | Yes | Yes |
| Personal Quests progression achieved. | Yes | Yes |
| XP earned for ability cards. | Yes | Yes |
| Upon success | ||
| The scenario conclusion is read. | Yes | No |
| The scenario reward is obtained. | Yes | No |
| The scenario achievements are gained. | Yes | No |
| The scenario unlocks other scenarios. | Yes | No |
| Characters receives additional XP for scenario completion. | Yes | Yes |
| Characters can access linked scenario right away. | Yes | No |
| Returning to Gloomhaven, characters can donate to the Sanctuary. | Yes | No |
| Returning to Gloomhaven, characters can play a City Event. | Yes | No |
FAQ[]
Questions related to the subject from the official game FAQ.
How are sanctuary donations, road and city events handled when playing scenarios in casual mode? Sanctuary donations and city events can only be done if the last scenario played was in campaign mode. Road events can only be done if the next scenario is being played in campaign mode.
Does playing a scenario in casual mode change the party's location? No. The party remains at their previous location - either at their last campaign mode scenario or Gloomhaven.