Buttons & Bugs is officially getting its first expansion, and it looks like Cephalofair Games is keeping the small-scale dungeon crawling chaos going strong!
The new expansion, Buttons & Bugs: Pub Crawlers, adds fresh scenarios, new classes, extra enemies and more when it launches later this year. For a game that was originally designed as a compact, travel-sized take on Gloomhaven, this is a pretty big sign that the spinoff has found a solid audience of its own.
And honestly, a pub crawl feels like a very fitting direction for this weird little world.
More Scenarios
The expansion adds 17 brand-new scenario cards, giving players a completely new standalone adventure to work through.
Cephalofair is also introducing two new mercenary classes, both with miniatures matching the game’s tiny art style and oversized-world aesthetic.
The first is the Fungal Monk, which appears to be some kind of mushroom-covered fighter carrying a bone staff. The second class, Whistlecry, looks somewhere between a flying squirrel and a fairy creature.
Which is exactly the sort of design energy Buttons & Bugs has leaned into since launch!
New Enemies
Alongside the new classes and scenarios, Pub Crawlers also adds fresh enemies plus a new Struggle/Ease Difficulty Deck.
That extra deck should give players more flexibility when adjusting the challenge level, especially if the base game occasionally felt too harsh or too easy depending on the group.
For a smaller dungeon crawler like this, that kind of adjustment option actually makes a lot of sense. Shorter games usually benefit from letting players tune difficulty quickly without needing loads of extra setup.
Small Box, Big Success
When Buttons & Bugs originally launched, it stood out because it took the tactical combat systems of Gloomhaven and shrunk them into something far more portable and manageable.
Instead of massive campaigns and table-filling setup, the idea was to create something players could carry around easily and finish in short sessions.
That approach clearly worked.
This expansion feels like confirmation that Buttons & Bugs has become more than just a novelty side project for existing Gloomhaven fans. There is obviously enough interest there for Cephalofair to continue building on the system without losing what made it appealing in the first place.
Importantly, Pub Crawlers also seems careful not to overcomplicate things.
Adding a couple of classes, some scenarios and a few new mechanics feels like the right amount of content for a game built around simplicity and portability. Trying to turn it into another giant box experience would probably miss the point entirely.
Gen Con Early Access
Players attending Gen Con 2026 will be able to grab the expansion early through pre-orders directly from Cephalofair.
The wider retail launch is currently planned for September, with the expansion priced at $17.99.
That keeps it fairly affordable, especially considering the amount of new content included in the box.
One important thing to note though is that Pub Crawlers does require the original Buttons & Bugs base game to play. Fortunately, the core game is still widely available and relatively inexpensive compared to most dungeon crawlers.
A Good Fit For Smaller Game Nights
One reason Buttons & Bugs has worked so well is because it fills a very different role from larger Gloomhaven releases like Jaws of the Lion.
While those games still ask for a decent amount of time, table space and commitment, Buttons & Bugs is much easier to bring out for shorter sessions or travel gaming.
This expansion looks set to continue that approach rather than moving away from it.
And for players who enjoy compact strategy games with quick setup and a bit of dungeon-crawling flavour, that is probably exactly what they wanted to hear!
