Disclosure: Meeple Mountain received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This review is not intended to be an endorsement.
Gloomhaven is a giant game with loads of bits and bobs to manage and sort. While the included insert isn’t terrible, it has some significant deficiencies. The plastic trays containing the smaller tokens, (damage counters, status tokens) terrain tiles, items, event cards, and standee bases are entirely functional.
However, there are two major gripes with the included box insert for Gloomhaven, both of which make setup incredibly tedious. The first of which is the map tiles. Map tiles are the foundation for any scenario, each individual tile labeled with a number and letter. Every scenario contains at least two of these to set up, replete with the aforementioned terrain tiles and a smattering of various monsters specific to the particular scenario. Here is the out-of-the-box way to “organize” those map tiles:
Any time you want to play a game, you’ll be spending extra time sorting through the giant tile stack. Not to mention that when you pack the game up, the included recommendation for storing those in the box is to just chuck them all on top of the other components. Gloomhaven already takes a relatively long time to play a scenario. Adding extra setup time on the front end means that even the fastest of experienced gloomers likely won’t be able to play more than one scenario in one sitting unless they’ve dedicated themselves to an extended time frame.
The second issue with the included insert has to deal with the organization of the monsters. Gloomhaven comes with nearly 40 different types of monster standees, along with its own initiative token and AI deck. The recommended way to organize these is to pack each monster set into its own plastic bag, mercifully included. Then, just like the map tiles you’ll be haphazardly chucking them on top of the boxed components, underneath the map tiles. Since each scenario has its own specific smattering of monsters, you’ll be spending even more time trying to find the right baddies. Not for nothing, some of the monsters look pretty similar. You may have to double-check the small initiative token to make sure you have the right ones. What a mess.
Enter Folded Space to the rescue. Folded Space is a company specializing in board game inserts, made from a type of memory foam called Evacore. The Evacore is light, mercifully adding minimal extra weight to an already heavy box. Their newest insert–FS-GLOSE–which costs €55, or about $65 USD at the time of this review, is designed specifically for the 2nd edition, although it is backwards compatible with the original as well. The insert consists of a flat pack of 14 Evacore sheets. Assembly is required, but the pieces are precut and easily punchable. Detailed instructions are included. They are designed to be relatively easy to assemble, using standard PVA craft glue. (not included)
The insert is designed to be paired with their Gloomhaven Map Archive–FS GLOMAP–sold separately for €22.50, or about $27 USD at the time of this review. The Gloomhaven Map Archive is an accordion-style folder made from cardboard, with labeled tabs to organize the map tiles by number.
While it would be nice if every single number had its own section, combining multiple numbers into fewer tabs allows it to easily close, using the attached velcro, without any noticeable bulge.
Pros:
First of all, assembly was relatively straightforward. It recommends constructing them without glue initially, which I tend to agree with. Seeing how everything fits together without permanently attaching the pieces was very beneficial when I went back to glue it. I’m not exactly a crafting savant, so it took me a few hours to dry-assemble, then another 30-45 minutes to go back and glue it all together.
The second pro is that it all fits nicely into the box with minimal box lift.
I will say that due to the specificity of how everything fits, you’ll want to hang onto those instruction sheets. I unfortunately learned this the hard way, although with a bit of kajiggering I was able to figure it all out.
Thirdly, I really appreciate that with the Evacore, as opposed to other plywood or fiberboard insert offerings, they are able to come preprinted with officially licensed artwork. This is particularly useful when sorting the monsters. Each monster bay is specifically labeled and illustrated so you won’t be mixing up your baddies. (looking at you, Flame and Sun Demons) This is a major quality of life upgrade compared to the Frosthaven and previous Gloomhaven sets.
Let’s be real, though: the biggest thing by far this insert has going for it is how it cuts down the setup and teardown time. This easily shaves at least 15 minutes off of the otherwise laborious chore. It comes with four designated player trays with labeled spaces for your character miniature, ability and modifier cards, and any player-specific tokens or standees.
You can easily just hand each player their tray, grab the card holders, terrain tiles, and status token tray and be good to go. Combine that with the map tile archive and you’re cooking with grease. You may even be able to fit in two games in an evening if you’re lucky.
Cons:
Obviously, one con for the insert is that it requires you to put it together, although that’s pretty standard so I’m not knocking the product for my inherent aversion to crafts. I do wish there was a video demonstrating assembly and how it fits. The printed instructions weren’t that hard to parse, but it would’ve been nice to see someone else do it, particularly when it comes to gluing.
One big concern is in regards to its ongoing stability, especially for the frequently used trays. The monster trays in particular have come apart on the edges so often that I’ve had to tape all of the corners. I guess if you were careful enough to lift every piece by its base and not the sides it wouldn’t come apart as easily, but it’s disappointing given the amount of effort that went into its assembly. It would be different, I suppose, if Gloomhaven was smaller in scope. With a game so large and comprehensive as Gloomhaven, the amount of times you’ll be loading and unloading the game content naturally means more wear and tear. I would have liked for the insert trays to hold up for at least a while without any additional intervention.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the price. While not unreasonable for the obvious amount of effort put into design, construction, and licensing, paying the equivalent price of a new board game just to organize this one is a tough ask. I also wish that the map tile organizer came packaged with the insert, since they are clearly designed to work in tandem.
One more thing to note, and it’s a doozy. At the time of this review, shipping is currently not available to the USA, based on the current economic tariff situation. Folded Space gives a more detailed explanation here. Until conditions change, you’ll either need to live in or visit one of the other designated world zones to get it shipped to you or purchase at retail.
Overall, I’m very pleased with this insert and would highly recommend it, with the aforementioned caveats.
4.5/5
