As Snapshot Games took on the ambitious challenge of adapting Isaac Childres’ acclaimed dungeon crawler Frosthaven for a digital audience, game director Hristo Petkov implemented a rigorous internal process. He divided his team into squads of four, tasking them with playing through a Frosthaven campaign for several days each week. This deep-dive period lasted three to six months, requiring developers to master the game’s intricate mechanics while maintaining a direct line of communication with Childres for clarification.
“We weren’t just playing to win; we were playing to fully grasp the design philosophy behind the game,” Petkov explained in an exclusive interview with Polygon. “While it was certainly engaging, it was, at its core, dedicated work.”
Following its entry into early access in July 2025, Frosthaven is set for a full release on October 15. Although critical reception has been largely favorable, some players have voiced concerns regarding the game’s demanding difficulty curve.
“The digital iteration feels more punishing precisely because it adheres strictly to the board game’s rules,” Petkov noted. “Many physical tabletop players have inadvertently been playing with house rules or misinterpreting guidelines for years. Consequently, we see feedback on Steam claiming we’ve implemented something incorrectly. We haven’t; we’ve remained faithful to the source material—the difference is that the digital version enforces the rules consistently, exposing where players previously went wrong in their physical sessions.”
To improve accessibility, Snapshot has integrated an undo function and is developing “house rule” toggles to offer players more flexibility. “The challenge lies in balance,” Petkov said. “We don’t want to offer so many customizations that it compromises the core experience, but we do want to provide a spectrum—from a pure, faithful tabletop simulation to a more fluid, forgiving experience.”
Leveraging the foundation laid by Flaming Fowl Studios’ Gloomhaven adaptation, Petkov’s team aimed to elevate the complexity for veterans while ensuring the game remained approachable for newcomers to tactical RPGs. To facilitate this, CEO Julian Gollop and the team collaborated with Childres on “The Road to Frosthaven,” a four-mission introductory campaign provided as a free demo to acclimate players to the game’s expanded mechanics.
A notable departure from standard play is the optional story mode, which removes the card-exhaustion mechanic—a core tension in the original game. According to Petkov, this serves as an effective “training wheels” feature, allowing players to learn tactical positioning without the immediate pressure of resource attrition. Once comfortable, they can graduate to the standard difficulty settings.
Petkov also cautions against the common temptation for solo players to command a full party of four. With 10 cards per character and two action options each, a four-character setup creates an overwhelming 80-action decision space. This leads to slow play and high rates of tactical error. He recommends starting with two characters and expanding only as skill levels improve.
Looking ahead, Snapshot is focusing on features that make multiplayer more intuitive, including matchmaking and save editors that allow players to sync their digital progress with their physical tabletop campaigns. The developers are also in talks with Childres regarding potential post-launch content, such as incorporating additional mercenary packs or content from Gloomhaven: Second Edition. “The potential for expansion is immense,” Petkov concluded.
Source: Polygon
