Gloomhaven Solo Scenarios: Mercenary Challenges is a tactical RPG expansion for the digital version of the acclaimed board game Gloomhaven. Released as downloadable content for PC, it adds 17 standalone missions designed by the original creator to test individual mercenaries in highly specialized encounters. Players control one character at a time in scenarios built around that mercenary's unique abilities, strengths, and limitations, with each mission delivering a custom reward item upon completion.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around turn-based tactical combat where each mercenary uses a hand of action cards to move, attack, and apply effects on a grid-based map. Scenarios emphasize careful positioning, resource management, and adapting to enemy behaviors that exploit the chosen character's weaknesses. New unique enemies appear in these missions, requiring players to learn fresh patterns and counters tailored to the specific mercenary in play.
Progression ties directly to the main story campaign. A mercenary must reach level five before its dedicated scenario unlocks, allowing time to build familiarity with the class through regular play. Rewards include new items that integrate into the broader inventory system, and these items can also become available through the Guildmaster mode when earned via the character's story scenarios. Combat remains punishing by design, with higher difficulty than standard missions and no option to switch characters mid-scenario.
Save compatibility adds flexibility. Players can load an existing multiplayer campaign save into a solo scenario, complete the mission alone, and then import the results back into the shared file for continued group sessions. Real-time spectating lets others watch attempts without direct control.
Game Modes
The primary mode is the Story Campaign, where players advance through the main narrative while unlocking access to the new solo content at the appropriate character levels. Solo Scenarios function as a separate challenge track, with each of the 17 missions locked to one base-game mercenary and featuring its own tailored objectives and rewards.
Multiplayer co-op remains available for the base game and integrates the DLC content when all participants own the expansion. In this setup, the solo scenarios can still be attempted within the shared campaign environment, though every player must possess the DLC to access them. No additional modes such as competitive play or endless dungeons are included in this release.
Character Focus and Rewards
Each scenario forces mastery of a single mercenary by designing encounters that highlight both its optimal strategies and its vulnerabilities. Rewards consist of one new item per mercenary, balanced specifically for digital play and created to complement that character's playstyle. These items expand options in future campaigns without altering the base ruleset.
Unlock conditions ensure players have sufficient experience before tackling the content. The level-five requirement in the story campaign provides a natural progression gate, while the option to import progress from multiplayer saves supports ongoing campaigns without forcing restarts.
Is It Worth Playing?
This DLC targets experienced players who have progressed through the story campaign and seek additional tactical challenges with individual characters. The scenarios are notably harder than standard content, rewarding precise card play and adaptation to character-specific constraints. Reception on Steam shows mostly negative overall reviews from a modest number of users, with some praising the memorable difficulty and others noting frustration with the increased challenge level.
Those who enjoy deep tactical RPG systems and appreciate content that forces experimentation with every mercenary will find value in the tailored missions and new items. The integration with existing saves and multiplayer sessions makes it a practical addition for groups that want optional solo extensions. Players still working through early campaign levels or preferring lighter difficulty may prefer to complete the base game first before considering this expansion.
