[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":471},["ShallowReactive",2],{"game-en-heroquest":3,"overlays-en-heroquest":470},{"id":4,"title":5,"accent":6,"age":7,"backdrop":8,"bggUrl":9,"body":10,"categories":27,"components":8,"cover":31,"deepDive":32,"description":16,"duration":169,"extension":172,"faq":173,"industryLegend":8,"lastReviewed":209,"leaders":8,"locale":210,"manualUrl":211,"mechanics":212,"meta":217,"navigation":218,"path":219,"players":220,"publisher":224,"quickStart":225,"resourceLegend":8,"rulesVersion":429,"seo":430,"sourceFiles":431,"sourceNotes":433,"stem":434,"strategies":435,"summary":466,"videoLanguage":8,"videoUrl":8,"weight":467,"year":468,"__hash__":469},"games\u002Fen\u002Fheroquest.md","HeroQuest","#C89B3C","14",null,"https:\u002F\u002Fboardgamegeek.com\u002Fboardgame\u002F699\u002Fheroquest",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":23},"minimark",[13,17,20],[14,15,16],"p",{},"HeroQuest runs on a clean asymmetry: one player knows the map and the secrets, and\neveryone else only sees what they uncover. That gap is what turns a closed door into a\ndecision and an empty room into an opportunity.",[14,18,19],{},"The heroes play against the dungeon, not against each other. Every quest is an expedition\nwith two clocks: Body Points, which do not come back until the end, and spells, which are\nspent once. That is why the order of decisions matters as much as the dice.",[14,21,22],{},"Zargon, meanwhile, does not need to win: managing what is hidden is enough. A corridor\nwith a single guard orc can cost more than a room full of monsters, and a well-placed\ntrap stops the group without spending a single miniature.",{"title":24,"searchDepth":25,"depth":25,"links":26},"",2,[],[28,29,30],"Fantasy","Adventure","Dungeon crawler","\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fcover.webp",{"title":33,"intro":34,"phases":35},"One action, two dice and a storyteller","You can already move and attack. The dungeon is played in how actions are shared, in the order doors are opened and in understanding that Zargon is not trying to beat you: he is trying to make the adventure tense.",[36,87,137],{"id":37,"label":38,"steps":39},"explore","Exploring costs actions",[40,59,73],{"title":41,"text":42,"images":43,"check":52},"Each hero does one thing","Moving and acting are separate: you roll dice to move and then take a single action. That means searching for treasure, hunting secret doors or disarming a trap competes with attacking. A party that searches every room reaches the end without resources; one that runs arrives wounded. When to stop and search is the first decision the group makes in every quest.",[44,48],{"src":45,"alt":46,"label":47},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fheroe.webp","HeroQuest elf illustration in a yellow tunic, blue cloak and golden staff.","One of the heroes",{"src":49,"alt":50,"label":51},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-dados-2.webp","Dice in the foreground with the relevant face showing.","Dice",{"question":53,"options":54,"answer":57,"explanation":58},"How many actions can a hero take per turn?",[55,56],"One, besides moving","Two, besides moving",0,"Heroes move with two dice and take a single action per turn.",{"title":60,"text":61,"images":62,"check":67},"Doors are information and funnels","Opening a door reveals the room and usually wakes the monsters inside. Order matters: open a door when the party is grouped, not when the wizard is alone across the corridor. A door is also a funnel: if monsters have to come through it, only one can attack you per turn. Standing in the doorway is the best free defence in the game.",[63],{"src":64,"alt":65,"label":66},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fcomponentes.webp","Open and closed doors, dungeon furniture such as a fireplace, shelves and a chest.","Doors and furniture",{"question":68,"options":69,"answer":57,"explanation":72},"Why is standing in a doorway useful?",[70,71],"Because enemies can only come through one at a time","Because it heals the hero standing there","The doorway limits how many enemies can attack you at once.",{"title":74,"text":75,"images":76,"check":81},"The wizard does not go first","The wizard and the elf have less body and rely on spells that are spent: each is used once per quest. That gives them a clear job: support from behind, open rooms with magic and save healing for the critical moment. If the wizard goes first, they burn body and spells in the same corridor, and the party reaches the final chamber without its best cards.",[77],{"src":78,"alt":79,"label":80},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-cartas-1.webp","Game cards face up in a fan, none covering another.","Cards",{"question":82,"options":83,"answer":57,"explanation":86},"How many times can a spell be used per quest?",[84,85],"Once","As many times as you like","Spells are spent when used and do not return until the next quest.",{"id":88,"label":89,"steps":90},"combat","Dice and priorities",[91,107,125],{"title":92,"text":93,"images":94,"check":101},"Attack one enemy with everyone","Combat is resolved with dice: the attacker counts skulls and the defender counts shields. A monster that survives keeps attacking, so spreading hits across several enemies is usually worse than concentrating on one until it falls. The party should pick a target each turn and coordinate so it dies before acting; monsters with more attack dice are the priority.",[95,99],{"src":96,"alt":97,"label":98},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fgargola.webp","HeroQuest gargoyle illustration, a winged stone creature with claws.","The gargoyle",{"src":100,"alt":50,"label":51},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-dados-3.webp",{"question":102,"options":103,"answer":57,"explanation":106},"What should the party do with its attacks?",[104,105],"Focus them on one enemy until it dies","Spread them to weaken everyone","A dead enemy stops attacking; several wounded ones keep acting.",{"title":108,"text":109,"images":110,"check":119},"Healing is an action, not a reflex","Potions and healing spend resources that do not come back. Using them when a hero is one hit from death is too late: if the monster attacks first, body reaches zero and the hero falls. The practical rule is to heal when the hero can take two more hits, not at the last point. And do not heal someone who is not in the front line: that body will not take damage again until they move up.",[111,115],{"src":112,"alt":113,"label":114},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-recursos-1.webp","A separate pile for each resource, all clearly visible.","Resources",{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-figuras-1.webp","Standing figures beside the board area the step describes.","Figures",{"question":120,"options":121,"answer":57,"explanation":124},"When is it best to heal?",[122,123],"Before the hero is one hit from falling","Only when body reaches zero","Healing in time prevents the hero from falling before you can react.",{"title":126,"text":127,"images":128,"check":131},"Searching for treasure has a cost","The treasure deck does not only give gold: it can also produce traps, wandering monsters or cards that complicate the room. Searching is therefore not free even if it costs no movement. Search when the party is safe and there is a concrete reason — you need a potion or gold for the armoury — not as a routine in every room.",[129,130],{"src":64,"alt":65,"label":66},{"src":78,"alt":79,"label":80},{"question":132,"options":133,"answer":57,"explanation":136},"What can come out of a treasure search?",[134,135],"Traps and monsters too, not only gold","Always clean gold","The treasure deck includes dangers as well as rewards.",{"id":138,"label":139,"steps":140},"zargon","Playing as Zargon",[141,155],{"title":142,"text":143,"images":144,"check":149},"Zargon does not win: he makes the adventure work","The Zargon player controls the monsters, but the goal is not to wipe out the party: it is to present a credible threat and let the heroes earn the victory. Playing to kill can succeed almost every time; playing for an interesting game means using monsters to pressure, traps to punish haste and corridors to split the group. That is the difference between running a game and competing in one.",[145],{"src":146,"alt":147,"label":148},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fmesa.webp","HeroQuest box open with the hero miniatures, the gargoyle and Mentor at the back.","The box and miniatures",{"question":150,"options":151,"answer":57,"explanation":154},"What is Zargon's role?",[152,153],"Present a credible threat without playing to wipe the party","Win at all costs","Zargon runs the adventure: the job is tension, not destruction.",{"title":156,"text":157,"images":158,"check":163},"Monsters have limits too","Monsters move and attack according to their stats, not according to what suits the narrator. A Zargon who ignores dice, moves enemies beyond their movement or spawns monsters out of nowhere breaks the game's contract. Tension comes from geography and resources, not arbitrary traps. If the party is struggling, a difficult and fair quest is better than an impossible, arbitrary one.",[159,160,161],{"src":96,"alt":97,"label":98},{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"src":162,"alt":50,"label":51},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-dados-1.webp",{"question":164,"options":165,"answer":57,"explanation":168},"What makes a hard quest fair?",[166,167],"Respecting the rules and the map's geography","Letting Zargon choose when it ends","Difficulty should come from the scenario and resources, not arbitrary decisions.",{"min":170,"max":171},60,120,"md",[174,178,181,185,188,192,195,198,202,205],{"category":175,"question":176,"answer":177},"setup","How many players can play?","Two to five: one Zargon and up to four heroes. With two, one person runs Zargon and the other controls all four heroes; the game warns that fewer heroes make each quest harder.",{"category":175,"question":179,"answer":180},"Must the quests be played in order?","Yes, the fourteen quests in the book are designed as a campaign and the difficulty climbs. You can also play individual quests, especially once the group knows the game.",{"category":182,"question":183,"answer":184},"turn","Can heroes hand equipment to each other?","Yes, on your turn you may give artifacts to another hero. You may also give a potion, but only on your turn: that is why a companion at zero Body Points cannot always be saved.",{"category":182,"question":186,"answer":187},"Can you open a door and keep moving?","Yes. Looking and opening doors are not actions: you may open a door during your move and carry on. Keep in mind that Zargon then places whatever lies beyond, possibly a monster right in front of you.",{"category":189,"question":190,"answer":191},"special","How do wandering monsters work?","They are treasure cards that spawn a monster next to the searching hero. It attacks immediately, and that turn can only attack the searcher; afterwards it stays on the board like any other monster.",{"category":189,"question":193,"answer":194},"Can Zargon use a dead hero's gear?","Zargon may claim it if no other hero remains in the room or corridor, but cannot use it: it is removed from the game. If the dead hero carried an artifact, Zargon must include that artifact as a special treasure early in the next quest.",{"category":189,"question":196,"answer":197},"What are artifacts?","Special treasures with their own rules: weapons, armor and items with powers. They are described on their cards, and some are the objective of a specific quest.",{"category":199,"question":200,"answer":201},"scoring","Do you get anything for killing monsters?","There are no points per monster. The reward is treasure, gold and progress in the quest. Killing more than you need only spends resources you will miss later.",{"category":199,"question":203,"answer":204},"What is gold for?","Buying weapons and armor at the armory between quests. Each equipment card lists its price and its attack or defense dice, and purchased items carry over from quest to quest.",{"category":206,"question":207,"answer":208},"end","What if every hero dies?","The quest fails. The Quest Book suggests Zargon modify it before it is replayed, for instance by reducing the monsters or changing the goal, so the group does not get stuck in the same place.","2026-10-24","en","https:\u002F\u002Finstructions.hasbro.com\u002Fen-us\u002Finstruction\u002Fheroquest-game-instructions-rulebook",[213,214,215,216],"Roleplaying","Dungeon exploration","Dice combat","Character progression",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fheroquest",{"min":25,"max":221,"best":222},5,[223,221],4,"Avalon Hill \u002F Hasbro",{"pitch":226,"pitchCheck":227,"setup":233,"turn":324,"mistakes":395,"winning":422,"winningCheck":423},"HeroQuest is a dungeon adventure for 2 to 5 players. One plays Zargon, the evil sorcerer, controlling monsters, traps and secret doors; the others play a barbarian, a dwarf, an elf and a wizard. On a hero's turn you roll two red dice to move and take a single action: attack, cast a spell, search for treasure, search for secret doors, search for traps or disarm a trap. The goal is to complete the quest in the Quest Book and get back to the stairway. A hero at zero Body Points dies, and the others may carry their gear.",{"question":228,"options":229,"answer":57,"explanation":232},"When is a quest considered complete?",[230,231],"When the goal is achieved and the heroes are back at the stairway","When the last monster is killed","The stairway is the only safe exit: you must achieve the goal and return.",[234,251,272,288,301,314],{"text":235,"images":236,"check":245},"Choose who plays Zargon: they sit behind the Game Master's screen, run every monster and are the only one who reads the Quest Book. The others take the four heroes; with fewer players, someone controls two.",[237,240,241],{"src":64,"alt":238,"label":239},"Open and closed doors, dungeon furniture such as a fireplace, bookcases and chests, and the combat dice showing skulls and shields.","Doors, furniture and dice",{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"src":242,"alt":243,"label":244},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-pantalla-1.webp","Game master screen standing up, with what stays visible in front.","Screen",{"question":246,"options":247,"answer":57,"explanation":250},"Who may read the Quest Book?",[248,249],"Only Zargon","Every player","The book is the game master's secret information: heroes never see maps or notes.",{"text":252,"images":253,"check":266},"Zargon opens the book at the first quest, \"The Trial\", and reads the parchment text aloud. Then place the gameboard and the stairway tile in the starting room, but reveal nothing else until the heroes see it.",[254,257,261,265],{"src":31,"alt":255,"label":256},"Cover of the 2021 HeroQuest rulebook showing Mentor the wizard reading a glowing book.","The rulebook",{"src":258,"alt":259,"label":260},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-tablero-1.webp","Whole board from above, edges included.","Board",{"src":262,"alt":263,"label":264},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-losetas-1.webp","Tiles laid out and legible, artwork and number visible.","Tiles",{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"question":267,"options":268,"answer":57,"explanation":271},"What goes on the table at the start?",[269,270],"The gameboard and the stairway tile","The whole quest map","The dungeon is revealed room by room; only Zargon sees the full map.",{"text":273,"images":274,"check":282},"Hand out the character sheets and hero cards: barbarian with a broadsword, dwarf and elf with shortswords, wizard with a dagger. Note starting Body and Mind Points on the sheet.",[275,277,278],{"src":45,"alt":276,"label":47},"Illustration of HeroQuest's elf in a yellow tunic, blue cloak and golden staff.",{"src":78,"alt":79,"label":80},{"src":279,"alt":280,"label":281},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-personaje-1.webp","Whole character card, name and artwork visible.","Character",{"question":283,"options":284,"answer":57,"explanation":287},"Which weapon does the wizard start with?",[285,286],"A dagger","A shortsword","The wizard is the weakest in combat but starts with nine spells.",{"text":289,"images":290,"check":295},"Deal the spells: the wizard picks one of the four groups (air, fire, water or earth), the elf picks one of the three remaining and the wizard keeps the last two. Each group holds three spells.",[291],{"src":292,"alt":293,"label":294},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fheroquest\u002Fguia-cenital-1.webp","Top-down view of the table at the setup point the step describes.","Table from above",{"question":296,"options":297,"answer":57,"explanation":300},"How many spells does the wizard start with?",[298,299],"Nine, three groups","Three, one group","The wizard collects three groups of three spells; the elf only one group.",{"text":302,"images":303,"check":308},"Zargon sorts the treasure, equipment, artifact, monster and Dread spell cards behind the screen. The combat dice and the two red dice stay within everyone's reach.",[304,305,306,307],{"src":78,"alt":79,"label":80},{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"src":242,"alt":243,"label":244},{"src":162,"alt":50,"label":51},{"question":309,"options":310,"answer":57,"explanation":313},"Which dice are used for movement?",[311,312],"Two red dice","The white combat dice","Movement is rolled on two red dice, one per square you advance.",{"text":315,"images":316,"check":318},"Remember the split in goals: the heroes cooperate and win or lose together; Zargon does not compete, they run the adventure. Monsters shown on the map are placed when the heroes can see them.",[317],{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"question":319,"options":320,"answer":57,"explanation":323},"Do the heroes compete with each other?",[321,322],"No, they win or lose as a team","Yes, whoever gathers the most treasure wins","HeroQuest has no individual winner among heroes: the game is won or lost as a group.",[325,336,348,361,373,384],{"title":326,"text":327,"images":328,"check":330},"Turn order","The hero seated to Zargon's left goes first, then play continues clockwise. Once all four heroes have acted, Zargon moves and attacks with every monster on the board.",[329],{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"question":331,"options":332,"answer":57,"explanation":335},"Who acts first?",[333,334],"The hero to Zargon's left","Zargon","Heroes act first, clockwise, and Zargon follows.",{"title":337,"text":338,"images":339,"check":342},"Movement","Roll two red dice and move up to that many squares. You cannot move diagonally, cross walls or monsters, or share a square with another figure except on the stairway or in a pit. You may pass over other heroes.",[340,341],{"src":49,"alt":50,"label":51},{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"question":343,"options":344,"answer":57,"explanation":347},"Can you move through a monster?",[345,346],"No, you have to go around it or kill it","Yes, if you have squares left","Monsters block the way; heroes do not.",{"title":349,"text":350,"images":351,"check":355},"One action only","You may move and then act, or act and then move, but you cannot split your movement. The six actions are: attack, cast a spell, search for treasure, search for secret doors, search for traps and disarm a trap.",[352],{"src":96,"alt":353,"label":354},"Illustration of HeroQuest's gargoyle, a winged stone creature with claws.","Zargon's monsters",{"question":356,"options":357,"answer":57,"explanation":360},"How many actions do you get per turn?",[358,359],"One","Two, if you do not move","One move and one action, in whichever order you like, but only one action.",{"title":362,"text":363,"images":364,"check":367},"Attacking","You attack an adjacent monster by rolling the white dice your weapon allows. Every skull is a hit; the monster defends with its dice and each black shield blocks one. Monsters with more than one Body Point keep skull tiles under the miniature as a counter.",[365,366],{"src":100,"alt":50,"label":51},{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"question":368,"options":369,"answer":57,"explanation":372},"Which symbol counts as a hit when attacking?",[370,371],"The skull","The white shield","Skull to attack, shields to defend: white shields block for heroes, black shields for monsters.",{"title":374,"text":375,"images":376,"check":378},"Searching a room","You may only search for treasure, secret doors or traps if no monsters are visible. Each hero may search a room once, and only on their own turn. Treasure is found only in rooms, never in corridors.",[377],{"src":116,"alt":117,"label":118},{"question":379,"options":380,"answer":57,"explanation":383},"Can you search for treasure with a monster in sight?",[381,382],"No, the room must be clear first","Yes, but you lose your next turn","Searching requires no visible monsters, which stops desperate looting mid-fight.",{"title":385,"text":386,"images":387,"check":389},"Traps","There are four kinds: pit traps, falling blocks, spears, and traps in chests or furniture. Step on one you have not found and you suffer it. Once found, you may jump it (two squares of movement and a die with no skull) or disarm it with an action and a tool kit; the dwarf needs no toolkit.",[388],{"src":162,"alt":50,"label":51},{"question":390,"options":391,"answer":57,"explanation":394},"Who can disarm traps without a toolkit?",[392,393],"The dwarf","The wizard","The dwarf has a knack for traps: one action and one die are enough.",[396,405,414],{"title":397,"text":398,"check":399},"Running without searching","Opening a door and charging in without checking for traps or secret doors leaves the group without treasure and with the way back cut off. Half the treasure cards are wandering monsters or hazards, so it pays to know what is there first.",{"question":400,"options":401,"answer":57,"explanation":404},"Where can treasure be found?",[402,403],"In rooms, not in corridors","On any square of the board","Treasure is only found in rooms.",{"title":406,"text":407,"check":408},"Ignoring Mind Points","Zargon's Dread spells and some events attack the mind. Reaching zero takes a hero out of the quest just like Body Points do. The wizard, with six, is the most exposed and needs to keep their distance.",{"question":409,"options":410,"answer":57,"explanation":413},"What happens when a hero reaches zero Mind Points?",[411,412],"They are out of the quest","They only lose a turn","Body or Mind at zero: the hero falls and does not continue in that quest.",{"title":415,"text":416,"check":417},"Spending spells in the first corridor","Every spell may be cast only once per quest. Using Ball of Flame on a lone goblin leaves the wizard with nothing for the big monster. Save spells for crowded rooms or to save a companion.",{"question":418,"options":419,"answer":57,"explanation":421},"How many times can a spell be cast per quest?",[84,420],"Once per turn","Spells are one-shot: the card is discarded when used.","A quest is complete when the heroes achieve the goal set in the Quest Book and return to the stairway. They then restore Body and Mind Points, recover their spells, keep their treasures and may spend gold at the armory before the next quest. If every hero dies, or the group returns without the goal, the quest fails and Zargon may adjust it before it is replayed.",{"question":424,"options":425,"answer":57,"explanation":428},"What is restored after completing a quest?",[426,427],"Body, Mind and spells","Only the gold spent","Between quests everything spent is restored except equipment and gold, which are kept.","Reglamento EN (Avalon Hill, 2021)",{"title":5,"description":16},[432],"reglamentos-pdf\u002FHeroQuest_Rulebook_EN.pdf","The 2021 rulebook covers setup, the hero turn, the six actions, combat, the four trap types, Zargon's turn, dead heroes and what happens between quests. The illustrations come from the rulebook itself and from the BGG gallery.","en\u002Fheroquest",[436,440,443,446,450,453,456,460,463],{"level":437,"title":438,"text":439},"beginner","Search before you fight","A room without monsters is a room you can search. Check for traps before entering and for treasure once it is clear; that rhythm costs the fewest Body Points.",{"level":437,"title":441,"text":442},"Never open a door alone","Opening a door can fill the room with monsters. Do it with the group close, the barbarian or dwarf in front and the wizard at range so they can attack without being exposed.",{"level":437,"title":444,"text":445},"Protect the wizard","The wizard has four Body Points and six Mind Points: any hit hurts. Their job is to attack from a distance and cast spells, not open doors or hold the front line.",{"level":447,"title":448,"text":449},"intermediate","Set up at the doorway","Two heroes with melee weapons block the opening, the elf attacks diagonally from the second rank and the wizard casts from behind. That way only one monster can attack per turn.",{"level":447,"title":451,"text":452},"Always search for secret doors","It costs nothing and may open shortcuts, treasure or the way out. Do it in every room with no visible monsters before moving on.",{"level":447,"title":454,"text":455},"Hold spells for the boss","Ball of Flame, Genie and friends are your heavy artillery and each works once. Against a pack of orcs or the final monster they are worth far more than against a stray goblin.",{"level":457,"title":458,"text":459},"advanced","As Zargon, play the information","Do not reveal more than the heroes can see: let them open doors blind. And use monsters with purpose; blocking a corridor is worth more than attacking without a plan.",{"level":457,"title":461,"text":462},"As a hero, own the corridor","One-square corridors are the best defense in the game: one monster per turn, attacked by three heroes at once. Fighting in the open is giving away free attacks.",{"level":457,"title":464,"text":465},"Spend gold with a plan","Bought equipment carries over between quests, so the first purchase matters. Armor for whoever takes the hits and a ranged weapon for the wizard change the campaign more than scattering gold on small upgrades.","Classic dungeon crawling with one player as Zargon: four heroes, fourteen quests and a door that hides anything.",2.3,"2021","KUG1MdRfNwtNTDJwiKFrPOGM96Ed5Ded3ZojP0Qrug4",[],1792930450469]