If you have been finding the digital version of Frosthaven punishingly difficult, you are not alone—but according to the game’s director, the challenge might be that you have been playing by the wrong rules all along.
Hristo Petkov, the game director at Snapshot Games, recently explained that the digital adaptation is designed to adhere strictly to the mechanics established by designer Isaac Childres in the original board game. The team at Snapshot spent months playing through the campaign in groups of four to ensure they fully grasped the intent behind every rule. According to Petkov, many of the complaints regarding the game's difficulty on Steam stem from players who have been incorrectly interpreting the physical board game's rulebook.
"It is exactly like it is in the board game, but they played it wrong in their physical game," Petkov said in an interview. "That is why we are getting a lot of comments on Steam that we did something wrong. It is not wrong."
New Features and Accessibility Options
To assist players who find the strict adherence to the rules overwhelming, Snapshot Games has introduced several quality-of-life adjustments. The digital version now includes an undo function and is working on implementing "house rules" options. This allows users to choose between a strictly faithful experience or a more fluid gameplay style.
Furthermore, the team has introduced a "story mode" with the permission of Isaac Childres. This mode removes the core mechanic where characters lose ability cards during rests, allowing players to learn the game's mechanics without the constant time pressure. Petkov noted that this is intended as a "stepping stone" for new players, rather than a way to play the entire campaign.
The Pitfalls of Solo Play
One of the most common mistakes identified by the development team is solo players attempting to manage a full party of four characters. With each character starting with 10 cards and two potential actions per turn, a four-player party results in 80 possible actions. Petkov warned that this can lead to turns taking up to 30 minutes, often ending in tactical errors.
"This is so overwhelming that we really need to put some disclaimers," Petkov said. "What I normally recommend is just start on either the easier or the second difficulty and start with two characters. Gradually, if you feel confident with controlling two, you can add a third and maybe a fourth later."
As the game approaches its full launch on October 15, 2026, Snapshot Games is also looking toward a post-launch roadmap. This includes potential integrations for characters from the board game's Mercenary Packs and Gloomhaven: Second Edition, as well as improved matchmaking to make multiplayer more accessible for those who prefer to share the tactical load.