Info about Gloomhaven - Jaws of the Lion:

Official game description:
  
The Jaws of the Lion DLC is the digital adaptation of the eponymous board game and expansion to Gloomhaven, the critically acclaimed grim Tactical RPG. Recruit four new mercenaries with unique gameplay and explore a previously hidden side of the city of Gloomhaven through an arching storyline filled with a plethora of new enemies and bosses.  
You can play with the four new mercenaries and items in both the Guildmaster and existing Gloomhaven game modes. Jaws of the Lion can be played Solo or in Co-op mode with up to four players.  
You are one of the most infamous mercenary groups in this run-down backwater city of Gloomhaven. When a sinister cabal starts disappearing the less fortunate of the city, it somehow falls to you to get to the bottom of it....so long as you get paid for your trouble.  
You will lead the stalwart Red Guard, the fearsome Hatchet, the explosive Demolitionist or the mysterious Voidwarden, each with their own unique and fully enhanceable ability and attack modifier decks. May your aim strike true but be prepared or you will face a grim fate.  
**
CONTENT
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**  
*   **25 new scenarios**, linked in a compelling and dark storyline leading you to the undercity of Gloomhaven.  
*   **4 unique mercenaries**, with widely differing playstyles.  
*   **10 new enemies and bosses**, from Zealots to Chaos Demons, test your mettle against their blades and teeth.  
*   **22 road events** full of tough choices.  
*   **10 new items** to help you survive a little longer against your foes.  
*   **24 extra Battle Goals** rewarding a wider range of mercenary behavior.
**To access The Jaws of the Lion content in multiplayer co-op, every player will need to own the DLC.**

Release date: May 17, 2022

Categories: Tactical RPG, Digital Board Game Adaptation, Cooperative Multiplayer, Character Progression, Deckbuilding, Turn-based Tactical Combat, Board Game

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 15; verdict: Fair / Traditional DLC; summary: The reviews describe a traditional paid DLC expansion for Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. Users praise its content and value at $18, with only minor complaints about DLC ownership requirements for multiplayer and pricing for using DLC characters in a normal campaign. There is no evidence of in-game purchases, real-money gacha, loot boxes, pay-to-win, or a cash shop. Under the traditional DLC rule, the monetization remains in the fair range.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $18.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews describe the base game as already awesome and a good value, but repeatedly suggest waiting for a sale or buying at a discount. This indicates the community accepts the current $17.99 price as reasonable only at the upper end, while a fair base-game price would likely sit lower, around $10-$18.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 30.0h
  - Story completion: 30.0h
  - Session length: 3.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The completion reports for the Jaws of the Lion DLC cluster around 20-40 hours, with one review explicitly stating about 30 hours of content. I therefore set gameCompletion to 30 hours as a central estimate for finishing the DLC. Because Jaws of the Lion is played as a campaign and the reviews describe completing its playthrough/campaign, the same evidence supports storyCompletion at 30 hours. The only session-length evidence is that endgame missions can take about 3 hours, so sessionLength is set to 3. No evidence gives total hours spent in a distinct endgame for this DLC, so endgame is null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The DLC becomes enjoyable mainly through gradual character progression and playing with friends, but early tedium, scenario design, bugs, and multiplayer ownership restrictions create friction. No review gives a clear minute-based time to fun.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Starting new characters at level 1 and leveling them up every two missions
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: New characters are extremely tedious to use; Scenarios are tedious and uninteresting compared with the base game; DLC introduces new bugs; Multiplayer use requires both players to own the DLC; Tutorial scenarios are as challenging as full scenarios
  - Unlock drivers: Reworked tutorial missions into actual scenarios; New Mercs changed to integrate into the base Gloomhaven campaign; New Mercs went from mediocre to amazing with the changes; Playing new characters from level 1 and upgrading one level every two missions to enjoy progression
  - Conditions: If you like tactical squad based combat and character progression; Playing with friends; Both players own the DLC for multiplayer use; Starting new characters from level 1 and upgrading one level every two missions
- Player Archetypes:
  - Solo Gloomhaven Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Continue Gloomhaven campaigns solo with new characters and scenarios without requiring friends to buy DLC.
    - Playstyle: Solo campaign play with tactical combat and character progression.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: solo players
    - Reference games: Gloomhaven; Jaws of the Lion
  - Co-op Group Player (no buy)
    - Motivation: Play shared Gloomhaven campaigns with friends without each player rebuying DLC content.
    - Playstyle: Multiplayer co-op campaign play with friends.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Gloomhaven Franchise Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Experience more Gloomhaven content and tactical squad-based progression as an existing fan.
    - Playstyle: Campaign play focused on tactical squad combat and character progression.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Gloomhaven
  - Bug-Aware Value Seeker (sale)
    - Motivation: Get a stable, bug-free Gloomhaven DLC at a lower price after fixes.
    - Playstyle: Campaign play, but waits for patches and discounts before buying.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- New scenarios and content (weight 0.95): The DLC adds a wealth of new scenarios, enemies, items, and battle goals, greatly expanding the game's content. Many scenarios have unique mechanics and are well-designed.
- Characters integrate well (weight 0.68): The new characters are smoothly integrated into the base game, with tweaks to balance them for both campaign and Guildmaster modes. This allows for flexible party compositions.
- New characters are fun (weight 0.62): The four new JOTL characters are widely praised as fun, cool, and interesting to play. They add variety and excitement to the game.
- Great addition to base game (weight 0.58): Players consistently report that the DLC is a worthy and fantastic addition to Gloomhaven, especially for those who enjoy the base game. It integrates well and enhances the overall experience.
- Excellent board game adaptation (weight 0.54): The digital version faithfully adapts the Jaws of the Lion board game, capturing its mechanics and content. Many appreciate the seamless transition to digital.
- Digital version advantages (weight 0.5): The digital version eliminates setup time, physical space requirements, and monster tracking, making it more convenient. Multiplayer drop-in/drop-out is also a plus.
- DLC is fun and well done (weight 0.48): Overall, the DLC is considered fun and remarkably well done, providing an enjoyable experience for players.
- Developers are responsive (weight 0.38): The developers actively listen to community feedback and implement sensible requests, often fixing bugs quickly. They are also reachable and communicative on Discord.
- Additional campaign and quests (weight 0.37): The DLC adds a whole new campaign and quest line, providing a fresh adventure for players. The story is focused and well-received.
- Four new mercenaries added (weight 0.33): The DLC brings four new playable mercenaries with great art and animations, available from the start. They are well-designed and add significant value.
- Modifications to new mercenaries (weight 0.31): The developers have tweaked the new mercenaries, such as the Demolitionist, to better fit into the base Gloomhaven campaign. These changes are appreciated for balance.
- Faithful adaptation of JOTL (weight 0.28): The DLC faithfully recreates the Jaws of the Lion board game expansion, including classes, scenarios, and battle goals. This authenticity is highly valued.
- Improved tutorial scenarios (weight 0.27): Tutorial scenarios from JOTL have been remade into full-fledged challenging scenarios, offering a better experience. This revamp enhances the overall gameplay.
- Adds variety to game (weight 0.27): The expansion brings much-needed variety to Gloomhaven, with new characters, mechanics, and scenarios that refresh the experience. This is especially welcomed by veterans.
- No setup time and convenience (weight 0.27): The digital version removes the need for physical setup and tear down, making it easier to play. This convenience is a major advantage.
- More difficult but rewarding (weight 0.22): The DLC is often noted as more difficult than the base game, but in a fun and rewarding way. The challenge is appreciated by many players.
- Great value for price (weight 0.21): Many players find the DLC to be a bargain, offering dozens of hours of content and enhancing the base game significantly. It is considered well worth the price.
- New characters balanced well (weight 0.16): The new characters are noted to be better balanced than the originals, with careful tweaks to fit the Gloomhaven campaign. This improves overall gameplay.
- Replayability (weight 0.16): The DLC offers good replayability with different characters and harder difficulties, triggering new encounters. This extends the game's lifespan.

Common complaints:
- DLC bugs render content unplayable (weight 0.86): Numerous bugs in the DLC make large portions unplayable, including broken missions and abilities. The bug count is high and persistent, affecting overall enjoyment.
- Unbalanced and frustrating missions (weight 0.84): Missions range from trivial to impossibly difficult, with some requiring multiple attempts due to bugs or unfair mechanics. This uneven difficulty leads to frustration and tedium.
- Multiplayer DLC ownership requirement (weight 0.49): In multiplayer, every player must own the DLC for it to be used, regardless of who hosts. This restriction causes issues and is a significant downside for cooperative play.
- Jaws of the Lion integration issues (weight 0.44): The digital adaptation of Jaws of the Lion has problems, such as not being standalone, requiring replay of base scenarios, and mechanics that cause balance issues. It also has multiplayer ownership restrictions.
- Tainted Blood scenario overly luck-based (weight 0.43): The Tainted Blood scenario is heavily dependent on luck, even with optimal strategy, and introduces excessive enemies that curse, muddle, and poison. It is considered the hardest and most cruel scenario.
- Voidwarden cards severely bugged (weight 0.38): The Voidwarden class has multiple non-functional cards, such as Master Influence and Resigned Frenzy, which break the game. These bugs make the class essentially unusable.
- Bugs and desyncs in multiplayer (weight 0.32): Multiplayer sessions suffer from desyncs and other bugs, requiring restarts of rounds or sessions. This makes cooperative play unstable and frustrating.
- Enemies are bland reskins (weight 0.31): New enemies are largely re-skins of existing ones with more health, described as meat shields. They lack variety and interesting mechanics.
- Items and battle goals underwhelming (weight 0.31): New items are terrible and do not add to the base game, while battle goals are worthless. Most items are underwhelming and rarely used.
- New characters tedious and weak (weight 0.27): The new characters, particularly Demolitionist and Voidwarden, are often tedious to use and underpowered compared to base game classes. This makes them less enjoyable to play.
- Story and lore feel lacking (weight 0.26): The narrative is criticized as one-note, lazy, and disconnected from Gloomhaven lore, with uninteresting choices. The plot does not deepen the world and feels forced.
- Poor value for price (weight 0.22): Many reviewers feel the DLC does not justify its price, citing lack of content, bugs, and overall disappointment. The cost is considered too high for what is offered.
- Corrupted save recovery difficult (weight 0.15): The game only makes one easily accessible backup, and recovering a corrupted save requires manual file renaming and replacement. This process is cumbersome and not user-friendly.
- Inability to revert campaign after DLC (weight 0.09): Once DLC is added to a campaign, it cannot be reverted. This limitation frustrates players who want to undo the addition.
- Content access confusing from 'continue' (weight 0.08): It is not obvious how to add the DLC content when using the 'continue' button; players must click 'load' to see the option. This interface issue causes confusion.
- DLC characters affected by Wealth level (weight 0.08): New DLC characters are affected by Wealth level, allowing them to start at higher levels instead of level 1. This can disrupt intended progression.
- Side quest achievement bug (weight 0.08): A side quest did not appear despite meeting all requirements, preventing an achievement unlock. This is a specific bug that blocks completion.
- Interface downgraded in update (weight 0.08): The interface was downgraded and swapped in a recent update for no apparent reason. This change was poorly received.

Gameplay feedback:
- DLC Expansion Content (weight 0.9): The DLC is an expansion that adds new content to the base game, such as characters, scenarios, and items. It is integrated into the base game rather than being standalone.
- Four New Characters (weight 0.58): The expansion introduces four new playable characters, sometimes called mercenaries or classes. These characters can be used in both the regular campaign and the Guildmaster campaign.
- Scenario Variety (weight 0.43): The game includes multiple scenarios with varying difficulty, from very easy to very hard. Some scenarios are specifically mentioned, like Scenario 15.
- Multiplayer Support (weight 0.33): The game supports multiplayer sessions with friends. However, all players must own the DLC to participate in co-op play.
- Digital Board Game Adaptation (weight 0.26): It is a digital adaptation of a board game, faithfully converting the board game's mechanisms to a digital format. The expansion is also adapted from a board game expansion.
- Main Campaign Mode (weight 0.22): The game features a main campaign mode. The DLC integrates into this campaign, adding new content.
- Character Integration (weight 0.16): Players can bring JotL characters into the base Gloomhaven campaign and use unlocked Gloomhaven characters in the JotL story.
- Ability Cards (weight 0.15): The game includes ability cards such as Master Influence. These cards are part of the gameplay mechanics.
- Unlock Requirements (weight 0.15): To access JotL content, players must complete the first two base game scenarios (Black Barrow and Barrow Lair) on a fresh save. This requires progression in the base game.

Performance notes:
- Slow multiplayer and enemy lag (weight 0.14): Players report slow multiplayer performance and enemy lag when a teammate has a slow computer. These latency issues disrupt gameplay flow.

Recommendations:
- Strong Overall Recommendation (weight 0.49): Most reviewers highly recommend the game, with many using emphatic language such as 'highly recommend', 'buy this', and '10/10'. This indicates broad satisfaction and a positive general reception.
- Wait for Sale or Discount (weight 0.48): A recurring sentiment is to buy only on sale or at a discount, suggesting that the price may be too high for the amount or quality of content. Some reviewers specifically mention waiting for a price drop.
- Recommended for Gloomhaven Fans (weight 0.44): Multiple reviewers state that the DLC is a natural purchase for those who enjoy the base Gloomhaven game. It is seen as more of the same content and a no-brainer for fans.
- Mixed Feelings on DLC Value (weight 0.27): Opinions are divided on whether the DLC is worth it, with some saying it's mandatory while others say do not bother or it's not worth it even for free. This indicates a split in perceived value.
- Bugs and Ability Cards Issue (weight 0.23): Several reviewers mention bugs, particularly with ability cards, and recommend waiting until these are fixed before purchasing. This is a specific technical concern that affects the buying decision.
- Solo or Willing Friends Needed (weight 0.09): The DLC is noted as being mainly useful for solo players or those whose friends are willing to pay for it, highlighting a potential limitation for multiplayer groups.
- Good for Tactical Combat Fans (weight 0.09): Reviewers recommend the game for those who enjoy tactical squad-based combat and character progression, appealing to a specific niche of players.
- Not Enough to Deter JOTL (weight 0.08): One reviewer notes that the issues are not enough to make Jaws of the Lion (JOTL) not worth playing, suggesting that the core experience remains enjoyable despite flaws.
- Wealth Level Suggestion (weight 0.08): A specific suggestion is made that new DLC characters should start at level 1 regardless of Wealth level by default, with an option to enable Wealth affecting them. This is a niche gameplay tweak.
- Recommendation for Specific Preferences (weight 0.08): One reviewer recommends the game for those who avoid micromanagement and value intuitive AI, multiplayer drop in/out, and a welcoming community, indicating that these features are present and appreciated.

Other player notes:
- Developer support and updates (weight 0.4): The developers actively support the game with constant tweaks and updates, and are reachable on Discord. They have worked with the original creator on balance changes.
- Expansion offers substantial content (weight 0.38): The DLC adds about 30 hours of gameplay, including dozens of hours of new content such as 4 classes, quests, items, and monsters. This significantly extends the base game's 100+ hours.
- Faithful to board game (weight 0.34): The digital adaptation stays true to the original board game, with only minor tweaks and rebalances. Some changes, like the Demolitionist level 5 card, were approved by the creator.
- Integrates into base campaign (weight 0.32): Unlike the standalone board game, this DLC integrates into the base Gloomhaven campaign rather than being a separate campaign. Players must manually activate it on an existing campaign.
- DLC requires multiplayer ownership (weight 0.29): In multiplayer, all players must own the DLC for it to be used, even if they are not hosting. This means everyone in a co-op session must purchase it to play together.
- Additional cost for characters (weight 0.24): Using the new characters in a normal campaign incurs an additional cost, which some players find off-putting. This is seen as a separate purchase.
- Digital adaptation of board game (weight 0.23): This is a digital version of the Jaws of the Lion board game, providing convenience without physical setup or micromanagement. It faithfully converts board game mechanisms.
- Priced high for some (weight 0.22): Some players feel the expansion is priced too high for the content, while others find it provides significant value. Opinions on pricing are mixed.
- Includes new classes and cards (weight 0.22): The DLC introduces new playable classes such as the Voidwarden and Red Guard, along with new ability cards like Master Influence. These additions enhance the main campaign.
- Minor bugs and desyncs (weight 0.21): Some players report minor bugs that cause desyncs in multiplayer, though there are no game-breaking issues. A patch has been released to fix some problems.
- Campaign length and pacing (weight 0.2): The campaign duration is seen as just right, not too long or too short, taking around 20-40 hours depending on party size and difficulty. It provides a satisfying experience.
- Not standalone unlike board game (weight 0.2): The digital DLC is not a standalone campaign like the physical Jaws of the Lion board game; it requires the base game to play. Some players hope for a standalone option.
- Save system and backup (weight 0.15): The game automatically saves at the start of each round, so players never lose more than one round of progress. However, only one save backup is easily accessible.
- Entry point for new players (weight 0.14): Jaws of the Lion was designed to ease players into Gloomhaven and serves as an accessible entry point. The digital version maintains this approachable design.
- Expands all base game content (weight 0.14): The DLC expands on all base game content by adding more of everything, including new scenarios, items, and monsters. It enriches the overall experience.
- Scenarios compared unfavorably (weight 0.08): Some players compare the scenarios unfavorably to the base game, feeling they are not as engaging or well-designed. This is a point of criticism.
- User-friendly and accessible (weight 0.08): The game offers a user-friendly experience where players can just pick up and play. It is easy to get into and enjoy.
- Refund request denied (weight 0.08): At least one player had their refund request denied, possibly due to the DLC's requirements or other issues. This indicates dissatisfaction with the purchase.
- Localization hopes for expansion (weight 0.07): Some players hope for localization of other expansions like Forgotten Circles. This shows interest in more content for the game.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.16): Players feel satisfied because the developers delivered requested DLC, listen to feedback, and fix bugs quickly. The expansion adds substantial new content, including new characters, dungeons, equipment, and scenarios that integrate seamlessly into existing campaigns without losing progress.
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Frustration arises from technical issues such as bugs in abilities, multiplayer desyncs, and the inability to revert campaigns after adding DLC. Progression blockers, like side quests not appearing and achievements being blocked, along with unbalanced and overly difficult missions, further contribute to this frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Disappointment stems from the expansion feeling overpriced and incomplete, with persistent bugs a year later and slow fixes. Missions are uneven, too simple, and lack a sense of accomplishment, while added items are useless and the interface was downgraded.
- Appreciation (weight 0.11): Players appreciate the new mercenaries, scenarios, and events added by the DLC, as well as the improved ability cards and faithful adaptation of board game mechanisms. The DLC integrates flexibly into the base campaign, allowing character use across saves and eliminating physical setup drawbacks.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Enjoyment comes from playing the DLC maps and characters, which are fun and distinct, and from the JotL missions being more interesting than the base Gloomhaven. The digital adaptation provides a great way to get into Gloomhaven and play with friends.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.06): Enthusiasm is driven by the removal of tedious micromanagement, an intuitive AI, and multiplayer convenience. New mercenaries, scenarios, and monster patterns add fresh content, and the game stays true to the board game with responsive developers.
- Anger (weight 0.04): Anger is caused by game-breaking bugs, such as the Master Influence card with the Voidwarden, and corrupted saves that make the game impossible to play. Having to abandon and restart multiple bugged missions also incites anger.
- Concern (weight 0.04): Concern is raised by the requirement that all players own the same DLC to play together, desyncs requiring restarts, and new mission mechanics that are far more complicated and difficult than the base game.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement comes from new classes with great abilities, new mercenaries and a new quest line, and the ability to cross characters between the base game and expansion. New locations and campaigns add to the excitement.
- Love (weight 0.03): Players love the game overall, appreciating the interesting challenges and new content that made returning to the game enjoyable. They also enjoy playing both the physical and virtual versions.
- Fun (weight 0.03): Fun is derived from using the new characters, which add variety to the DLC, and from playing co-op with family members across the world. Playing the four new characters is particularly enjoyable.
- Pleasure (weight 0.03): Pleasure comes from everything being new and pleasing, and from dozens of hours of tactical enjoyment.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance is caused by the requirement that both players need to own the DLC for multiplayer.
- Welcome (weight 0.01): Players welcome the addition of more content to Gloomhaven.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is sparked by the Jaws characters having many multi-hit and move abilities.
- Caution (weight 0.01): Caution is advised due to the need to manually recover from a corrupted save.
- Disgust (weight 0.01): Disgust is caused by multiple missions bugging and being incompletable.
- Dullness (weight 0.01): Dullness is reported in scenarios closer to the end of the ark story.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom arises from scenarios being tedious and not interesting.
- Troubled (weight 0.01): Players are troubled that the game still has bugs despite being out for a while.}