Gloomhaven vs Codenames
Side by side comparison of two top board games
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is a game of tactical combat in a persistent world of shifting motives. Players take on the role of wandering mercenaries with their own specializations, goals, and personal stories. Each scenario in Gloomhaven presents a new challenge, and players must work together to overcome enemies and obstacles. Between scenarios, players improve their characters by gaining new abilities, items, and perks. The game also features a legacy-style component where choices made in one scenario affect future scenarios.
Codenames
Codenames is a word-based party game where two teams compete to contact their agents first. Each round, a spymaster gives a one-word clue that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates must guess the correct words while avoiding the opposing team's agents and the assassin. Simple to learn but endlessly replayable.
Specification Comparison
| Spec | Gloomhaven | Codenames |
|---|---|---|
| BGG Rank | 1 ✓ | 145 |
| Rating | 8.8 ✓ | 7.6 |
| Year Published | 2017 | 2015 ✓ |
| Price | 140 | 20 ✓ |
| Min Players | 1 ✓ | 2 |
| Max Players | 4 | 8 ✓ |
| Play Time (min) | 60 | 15 ✓ |
| Min Age | 12 | 10 ✓ |
| Complexity (1-5) | 3.84 ✓ | 1.29 |
Gloomhaven wins in 4 categories, Codenames wins in 5 categories.