Frosthaven's narrative structure is more coherent than Gloomhaven's in ways that took me a while to appreciate. Gloomhaven's story is present but episodic — you complete scenarios and unlock new ones, but the through-line requires effort to follow. Frosthaven's town building and seasonal structure creates a narrative container that makes the campaign feel like a single story.

The character diversity in Frosthaven is exceptional. The Geminate — which plays as two different forms — is one of the most mechanically innovative character designs in dungeon crawlers. The Deathwalker's shadow mechanic creates spatial puzzle decisions in combat that the base Gloomhaven classes rarely achieve.

For groups deciding between starting with Gloomhaven or Frosthaven: Jaws of the Lion first, then Frosthaven. The narrative and mechanical sophistication of Frosthaven are better appreciated by players who already understand the system.