HeroQuest expansion leans into replayability, giving players more characters to explore

polygon.com:

Originally launched in 1989, HeroQuest — the cult-classic dungeon-crawling board game — is back. The latest edition arrived at retail in 2021 after a successful crowdfunding campaign. Now the designers at Avalon Hill are expanding the line, adding a new hero with unique and powerful abilities. Called the Rogue Heir of Elethorn, the swashbuckling hero will be available at retail starting in October. Pre-orders begin Wednesday.

HeroQuest made a name for itself by being among the first campaigns-in-a-box, a model that is now among the most successful board game genres around. From its humble beginnings on the shelves of the local Toys R Us, it is the template for modern masterpieces like Gloomhaven, Descent: Legends of the Dark, and the upcoming ISS Vanguard. The original also featured several popular (and hard-to-find) expansions that added additional monster miniatures, bits of terrain, and even rules. But the franchise never did branch out beyond the original four heroes — the melee-focused barbarian, the spellcasting mage, the versatile elf, and the handy dwarf.

The reboot changed all that, adding additional female-presenting sculpts to the game along with additional character classes, like the bard, the druid, and the warlock. Now Hasbro’s board game imprint is adding another class, the rogue, who’s described as “a nimble skirmisher deadly with small blades.”

Anyone who has played HeroQuest knows that daggers are pretty much useless beyond the opening few missions. Maybe you’ll carry one or two around for a handy ranged weapon, but they’re basically trash. A rogue character could change that. The new class will also increase your need to manage mobility, a difficult prospect when you’re rolling dice for movement.