Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs – 2024 Promo Pack
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Four scenarios you weren't meant to have. Four conventions, four cities, four stories that expand the smallest Gloomhaven universe. And now they're all here.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
The stories that weren't in the base game
This is not a rulebook. It is a collection of four promotional scenarios distributed by Cephalofair Games during major conventions in 2024: Origins in Columbus, Gen Con in Indianapolis, Essen Spiel in Germany, PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia. Designed by Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens, the same authors as Buttons & Bugs, with illustrations by Yanis Cardin and Mofei Wang. Four cities, four events, four exclusive stories.
Each card adds an optional scenario to the Buttons & Bugs campaign. Narrow Escape, Arena Challenge, The Beast Tamer, Another Tale: these are numbered insertions (2.5, 5.5, 12.5, 20.5) that fit between the main missions. They don't revolutionize the plot, but enrich it with challenges designed for those who want to explore every corner of the miniature Gloomhaven universe.
What they say abroad
Four scenarios that add depth without weighing down the campaign. For collectors and completionists.
— FroGames
Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs – 2024 Promo Pack
Buttons & Bugs is designed as a pure solo experience. These scenarios follow the same structure: action cards, system-managed enemies, tactical decisions without the need for an opponent. The experience is identical to the base game, just longer.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsThe four stories
What you'll find in the pack
2.5 - Narrow Escape
The Gen Con 2024 scenario. An escape that forces you to choose between speed and preparation. What you leave behind might be useful later.
5.5 - Arena Challenge
The Origins 2024 scenario. An arena where you fight for entertainment. The rules change, the audience is fickle, and you have to adapt turn after turn.
12.5 - The Beast Tamer
The Essen Spiel 2024 scenario. You meet someone who controls beasts. You can choose whether to confront them or learn from them. Both choices have consequences.
20.5 - Another Tale
The PAX Unplugged 2024 scenario. A story within a story. It's designed to come towards the end of the campaign, when you think you've seen everything.
Four cards. Four detours. Four moments that Buttons & Bugs hadn't told you yet. Now you have them all.
An expansion in five moments
What happens when you add promos
Not just rules. The experience.
The collector's purchase
You already have Buttons & Bugs. Maybe you've finished it, maybe you're halfway through. You see this pack and wonder: is it worth it? It's only four scenarios, but they're the ones you couldn't get without traveling to four conventions. Now you have them all together.
The first scenario inserted
You're playing the campaign. You reach scenario 2, finish it, and before moving on to 3, you insert 2.5 - Narrow Escape. It's a detour, not mandatory but consistent. It changes the pace, adds an unexpected challenge. Suddenly the campaign feels richer.
The arena that breaks the rules
Arena Challenge puts you in a situation that Buttons & Bugs hadn't yet made you experience. The rules are the same, but the context changes everything. You fight for show, not for survival. It's strange, and that's precisely why it works.
The tamer and the consequences
The Beast Tamer arrives halfway through the campaign. It offers you a choice: confront or collaborate. Both options make sense, both leave traces on your experience. It's the kind of scenario you remember afterward because it made you decide something that mattered.
The last story
Another Tale arrives near the end. You think you've seen everything in Buttons & Bugs, and then this scenario reminds you that the Gloomhaven universe is bigger than your campaign. It doesn't change the ending, but it changes how you get there. And in the end, that's what you were looking for.
How they integrate
The flow of promotional scenarios
They are not a standalone expansion. They are optional insertions into the Buttons & Bugs campaign.
Each scenario has a number (2.5, 5.5, 12.5, 20.5). You play the standard one, finish it, and then decide whether to insert the promo. It's not mandatory, but it's there if you want it.
Each card describes the initial situation, enemies, objectives. The rules are those of Buttons & Bugs: action cards, movement, attack, enemy management via the AI system.
Follow the mechanics of the base game. Scenarios don't add new components, only new situations. You have to adapt your cards to the context, find the right sequence.
You finish the scenario, get rewards or penalties, and return to the main campaign. What you did in the promo scenario might influence subsequent missions.
Why it's different from other promo packs
Six features that make a difference
Four conventions in one pack
Normally you'd have to travel to Origins, Gen Con, Essen, and PAX Unplugged to collect these scenarios. This pack brings them all together. An official collection that didn't exist in retail format before.
Intermediate numbering
The scenarios are 2.5, 5.5, 12.5, 20.5. They don't overlap with the main campaign, they fit between missions. You can play them or skip them without breaking the narrative progression.
Expanded lore
Each scenario adds a piece of the world. It's not filler: The Beast Tamer introduces a character who controls beasts, Another Tale tells a parallel story to your campaign. Gloomhaven gets bigger.
Optional, not essential
You can finish Buttons & Bugs without these scenarios. But if you play them, the experience is more complete. It's the kind of content that rewards those who want to explore every corner, without punishing those who prefer the linear campaign.
Dedicated illustrations
Yanis Cardin and Mofei Wang designed the cards specifically for these conventions. Each scenario has its own visual identity. They are not generic cards with different text.
Campaign replayability
If you replay Buttons & Bugs, these scenarios can change your choices. Maybe the first time you skipped The Beast Tamer, the second time you face it. The campaign becomes modular, with different paths.
How it ends
What you gain and what you risk
Each scenario has its own conditions. They are not tutorials, they are challenges.
Objectives completed
- You complete the scenario and get rewards (experience, items, narrative unlocks)
- You gain information or allies that might help you in subsequent scenarios
- You add a piece to your completion of the Buttons & Bugs campaign
Failure or consequences
- You fail the scenario and lose the opportunity to get the rewards linked to that story
- Some choices in the scenario might close narrative paths or create enemies
- You can always replay the scenario, but the campaign continues anyway
A pack for those who truly live Gloomhaven. It doesn't change the game, but it completes it. And in the end, that's exactly what a promo pack should do.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs – 2024 Promo Pack
Are they essential for playing Buttons & Bugs?
No. The base campaign is complete and works perfectly without these scenarios. They are optional content designed for those who want to expand the experience with extra stories. If you enjoy Buttons & Bugs and want to explore more, this pack adds value. If you prefer the linear campaign, you can ignore it.
Can I play them at any time?
They have a recommended numbering (2.5, 5.5, 12.5, 20.5) which indicates when to insert them into the campaign. Technically you can play them whenever you want, but the narrative context works better if you tackle them in the suggested order. Some scenarios refer to events in the main campaign.
Were these scenarios really convention exclusives?
Yes. Narrow Escape was distributed at Gen Con 2024, Arena Challenge at Origins, The Beast Tamer at Essen Spiel, Another Tale at PAX Unplugged. This retail pack is the only way to get them all together without having to search the secondary market or travel to conventions.
Do they add new mechanics or components?
No. They are just scenario cards. They use the components and mechanics of Buttons & Bugs. You won't find new miniatures, tokens, or rules. Only new situations, objectives, and tactical challenges. It's narrative and gameplay content, not extra physical material.
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English. Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs and its promotional content are published by Cephalofair Games in their original language. A good understanding of English is required to read the scenario texts and action cards.
Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs – 2024 Promo Pack collects four official promotional scenarios distributed during the main conventions of 2024: Origins, Gen Con, Essen Spiel, and PAX Unplugged. Designed by Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens for 1 player, this pack expands the base game campaign with optional missions numbered 2.5, 5.5, 12.5, and 20.5, designed to fit between the main scenarios. Narrow Escape, Arena Challenge, The Beast Tamer, and Another Tale add narrative depth and tactical challenges without modifying the mechanics of Buttons & Bugs. English edition, published by Cephalofair Games. Available on FroGames.it.
Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs – 2024 Promo Pack
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