One of the original dungeon-crawling board games that sought to recreate the excitement and danger of tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, HeroQuest was first released more than 30 years ago. Putting players into roles like the mighty Barbarian and spell-slinging Elf, HeroQuest let a group of friends play out their heroic fantasies right at the kitchen table in a matter of only a couple hours compared to the afternoon-long sessions a traditional TTRPG may take. With its massive amounts of plastic miniatures that came packed in its iconic box and multi-quest long story, HeroQuest established a passionate fan base that would continue to sing its praises decades later and rally behind it when Hasbro asked if folks wanted it to return through its HasLab crowdfunding platform.

And here we sit, several years after the campaign, and new and old fans alike have plenty of HeroQuest to enjoy in the form of the new release and all of its expansions! To help folks who may be interested in working together to slay the evil Zargon and stop his machinations in their tracks, this buyer's guide will help you plan adventures!

HeroQuest Game System

MSRP: $134.99 USD

• 1-5 players (solo play requires the free HeroQuest companion app)
• Ages 14+

Contents

• Quest book w/ 14 new quests
• 65+ miniatures (31 monsters, 4 heroes, 15 furniture pieces, 19 skull pieces, 4 rats, 21 doors,
• Gameboard
• Game Master screen
• 93 cards

Before anything else, you must secure yourself a copy of the main game, the HeroQuest Game System. Every additional piece of content released so far requires you to have this first - no stand-alone expansions here!

The App

MSRP: Free

For player groups that can’t decide/ don’t want to have a game master or adventurers that enjoy dungeon-diving solo, the official HeroQuest companion app for phones automates that roll of Zargon. With fully voiced descriptions, the app is a great way to experience the game and all of its expansion modules, too. The best part is that it’s free, so no harm in checking it out.

The Online Quests

MSRP: Free

Avalon Hill has released online a number of free to download special quests that add the lore and backstory on the world of HeroQuest and your heroes such as the prequel quest, “A New Beginning”. These special one-off quests are fun little bonuses that utilize the resources from different HeroQuest products and are great ways to get a little extra HeroQuest goodness.

These free quests can be found over on HasbroPulse’s website.

The Boxed Expansions

Kellar’s Keep

MSRP: $33.99 USD

• 1-5 players (solo play requires the free HeroQuest companion app)
• Ages 14+

Contents

• Quest book w/ 10 new quests
• 19 miniatures ( 8 orcs, 6 goblins, 3 abominations, 2 doors)
• Sheet of cardboard tiles
• 14 cards

As the first of the expansions for HeroQuest, Kellar’s Keep is one of the lighter offerings among the options available today and its a faithful rerelease of the Kellar’s Keep expansion for the original HeroQuest from the 90s. Kellar’s Keep feels very much like a continuation and extension of the base HeroQuest, thanks in part to a lot of similar monster minis being included. It’s still a fun time and an easy way to understand how expansions work. Kellar’s Keep is the perfect offering for anyone who isn’t necessarily looking for a spike in difficulty but just more HeroQuest.

Return of the Witch Lord

MSRP: $33.99 USD

• 1-5 players (solo play requires the free HeroQuest companion app)
• Ages 14+

Contents

• Quest book w/ 10 new quests
• 18 miniatures (8 skeletons, 4 mummies, 4 zombies, 2 doors)
• Sheet of cardboard tiles
• 14 cards

That dastardly Witch Lord you dealt with in the base Game System is back with his armies of the undead! Return of the Witch Lord is very similar to the Kellar’s Keep expansion, giving players more miniatures from found in the base game, but this pack also includes some pretty cool looking new tiles that are used in over the course of its 10 quests - including the menacing skull on the ground! Return of the Witch Lord is a classic quest that longtime players of the game will recognize and brings about a nice feeling of conclusion carried over from the Game System an Kellar’s Keep storylines. The three together really feel like the beginning trilogy of the HeroQuest series.

Prophecy of Telor

MSRP: $33.99 USD

• 1-5 players (solo play requires the free HeroQuest companion app)
• Ages 14+

Contents

• Quest book w/ 13 new quests
• New Warlock class
• 15 miniatures (13 translucent orange enemy minis, 2 warlock character minis)
• Set of 6 translucent orange D6 Dice
• 14 cards

Previously one of the two expansions exclusive to the Mythic tier during its crowdfunding phase on Haslab, Prophecy of Telor is now available to everyone in this new premium release. With a menacing set of translucent orange monsters, dice and a brand new character class in the Warlock to play as, the Prophecy of Telor expansion give all players a chance to experience this story. The new Warlock class is particularly fun, being able to change into a demonic form to do battle, making for some wonderful new party composition options for all of your HeroQuest adventures.

Spirit Queen’s Torment

MSRP: $33.99 USD

• 1-5 players (solo play requires the free HeroQuest companion app)
• Ages 14+

Contents

• Quest book w/ 14 new quests
• New Bard class
• 15 miniatures (14 translucent teal enemy minis, 1 bard character mini)
• Set of 6 translucent teal D6 Dice
• 15 cards

Spirit Queen’s torment is very much similar to the Prophecy of Telor - both being premium mass market releases of previously mythic tier exclusives, awesome translucent monsters and die (this time in an icy teal), and a brand new character class with the Bard. You will deal with dark magics and explore mysterious locations like the Wyvern Keep over the course of the 15 adventures included. And now, at long last, you can play out all your greatest bard fantasies in HeroQuest, singing your magical tunes that will put your enemies to sleep, heal your friends, and grant bonus attack dice to your friends. You will need to homebrew rules to try and seduce monsters though, so be sure to work with your Zargon for all your flirty needs.

Against the Ogre Horde

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• 1-5 players (solo play requires the free HeroQuest companion app)
• Ages 14+

Contents

• Quest book w/ 10 new quests
• New Druids class
• 28 miniatures
• 2 sheets of cardboard tiles
• 29 cards

For the group that likes to fight and kill a lot of enemies, Against the Ogre Horde will be right up your alley. This latest expansion to release is also a remaster of one the classic modules released for the original HeroQuest back in the day. For fans of the original, much of it will feel incredibly familiar, but there have been slight tweaks and adjustments to account for modern tastes. The miniatures included are some of my favorite offerings so far, with the giant Ogres and massive throne that are included. The new enemies help make this a fun box to snag if you enjoy creating homebrew quests to send your friends on too.

The Mage in the Mirror

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• 1-5 players (solo play requires the free HeroQuest companion app)
• Ages 14+

Contents

• Quest book w/ 10 new quests
• 33 miniatures
• Sheet of cardboard tiles
• 35 cards

With the Realm of Reflection to explore, the Mage in the Mirror expansions tasks your heroic group of heroes with saving a princess, finding a legendary sword, and contending with an evil archmage - basically some good ol’ classic high fantasy goodness. Mage in the Mirror includes a new body type and set of cards for the Elf class that comes with the base Game System in addition to a number of highly detailed environment objects, new tiles, and monster minis. This expansion tells the first part of a story that concludes in the Rise of the Dread Moon set, so it may be worthwhile to get both at once.

Rise of the Dread Moon

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• 1-5 players (solo play requires the free HeroQuest companion app)
• Ages 14+

Contents

• Quest book w/ 10 new quests
• New Knight class
• 29 miniatures
• Sheet of cardboard tiles
• 58 cards

Picking up where The Mage in the Mirror questline left off, Rise of the Dread Moon brings with it a number of brand new mechanics like the Elven mercenaries but also a new character class as well with the sword-and-board wielding Knight. With a bunch of cool new tiles, objects and monster minis, Rise of the Dread Moon is great for fans that like to make their own quests too. However, if you plan to playthrough the story and not just utilize the pieces the come in the box, be sure to get and playthrough the Mage in the Mirror expansion first to get the best experience!

Character Packs

Hero Collection: Rogue Heir of Elethorn

MSRP: $14.99 USD

Contents

• New Rogue class
• 2 miniatures (2 different body sculpts for the Rogue)
• 13 cards (12 game cards, 1 story card)

Every good adventuring party needs the sneaky stabbing rouge character, and with the Rouge Heir of Elethorn character pack, that’s exactly what you get. This box comes complete with models and cards featuring two different body types and has skills that utilize throwing daggers, attacking multiple times, and dealing more damage when a foe is already engaged with a teammate. The only downside is the lack of any real story or quests that explore more of the character.

Hero Collection: Path of the Wandering Monk

MSRP: $14.99 USD

Contents

• New Monk class
• 2 miniatures (2 different body sculpts for the Monk)
• 8 game cards
• 1 scroll prop

One with the elements and with fists as deadly as any blade, the Monk is one of the more unique classes you can pick from in HeroQuest. By utilizing the elements of wind, water, earth and fire - each with two special effects associated with each element - the monk has a lot of utility that can prove helpful in a pitch. From sailing over traps with the power of the wind to blasting a energy blast from their hands with the power of fire which can hit a large number of enemies at once, the Monk could fill that spot as a last-ditch trump card. In order to use those powerful Fire attacks though, will have required you to have the other three elements expended first. As a master of unarmed combat, the monk doesn’t come with starting armor or a weapon, but with three defend dice and getting two attack dice when attacking unarmed, doesn’t mean they are a pushover. Much like the the Rogue Heir, the main downside to this small character pack is that it doesn’t come with a quest or two that dives into their story.

The End

Hasbro and Avalon Hill show no signs of slowing down their support for the heroes and their questing anytime soon. A whole new generation of players are getting to dungeon dive and learn from the wise Mentor, creating memories they will cherish for the rest of their lives. While HeroQuest may be a bit light on mechanics for an older and more experienced crowd trying out this legacy for the first time, the community has created a wealth of custom rules and unique quests that may help with that.

HeroQuest remains a classic in the board gaming hobby, and it’s future looks bright.

For more, check out our picks for the best escape room board games, as well as the best board games for teens. And if you have a sizable group for game night, also see the best board games for 6 players.