Avalon Hill and parent company Hasbro establishes HeroQuest Day, celebrating the iconic fantasy board game’s rich history, as well as looking towards the future with the release of the Rise of the Dread Moon expansion set.
Back in 2020, Hasbro and Avalon Hill announced a new edition of the classic HeroQuest tabletop board game, as well as reprinting its various expansion packs. While it was briefly delayed due to the pandemic and controversies affecting Hasbro and its popular IPs, the official reprints of HeroQuest and its quest packs were finally released on December 2021. However, the company also hinted that there would be new material and products for HeroQuest forthcoming.
The release of Rise of the Dread Moon expansion adventure set for HeroQuest was shared by Avalon Hill and Hasbro on their official social media channels.
It's #HeroQuest Day! We decided that such a momentous occasion was deserving of celebration, which is why we’re announcing that the day Rise of the Dread Moon is released – July 15th, 2023 – will be the very first ever HeroQuest Day! Available to order on #HasbroPulse! pic.twitter.com/gyEO0Z9DHG
— Hasbro Pulse (@HasbroPulse) July 15, 2023
A trailer was also released via the Hasbro Pulse YouTube channel on July 14, 2023, which was narrated by HeroQuest designer Stephen Baker (playing the character Mentor).
Rise of the Dread Moon – the first HeroQuest expansion in 30 years – arrives on shelves TOMORROW! If you've been wondering what Zargon is up to this time, here's a look at the events unfolding in Rise of the Dread Moon: https://t.co/T3r84osgj8 pic.twitter.com/wsIKFcY3Hb
— Avalon Hill Games (@AvalonHill) July 14, 2023
The marketing text for Rise of the Dread Moon HeroQuest expansion pack reads:
The dramatic story of treachery and unrest in the elven kingdom continues in this HeroQuest Rise of the Dread Moon expansion! As a brave knight, you’re challenged to finally free Elethorn from the clutches of Zargorn. Embark on dangerous quests, as you seek the aid of the Cadre of the Raven’s Veil to help stop Zargorn’s forces of Dread from destroying the kingdom. Navigate through a dark labyrinth of waterways, an underground city, and more perilous locations. But be wary—for Zargon’s forces grow ever stronger with the rise of the Dread Moon!
Rise of the Dread Moon is the first original adventure pack for the HeroQuest board game since 1992. It also serves as a sequel to the last official HeroQuest expansion The Mage of the Mirror (originally titled Elf Quest Pack).
Originally published by Milton Bradley and Games Workshop (of Warhammer 40K fame), the original HeroQuest debuted in 1989. In that first game, players took on the roles of the Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf, and Wizard to explore the dungeon of the former apprentice of Mentor named Zargon (or Morcar in the UK).
HeroQuest was a smash hit for tabletop gaming, as well as becoming a gateway to tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons for millions of players. The game also influenced later tabletop board games that came after, including Games Workshop’s own Warhammer Quest, board games based on D&D, and recent games such as Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.
Just like previous expansions for the HeroQuest game system, the Rise of the Dread Moon Quest Pack includes a boatload of content. The boxed set comes with 29 miniatures with new versions of furniture as well as Elven Warriors, Dread Cultists, Specters, the Dread Wraith, and more enemies to challenge the heroes.
The pack also adds 10 new quests to the HeroQuest rules. Plus, there are new full-color map tiles, a set of 58 new game cards that represent monster encounters, treasure, traps, and magic spells unique to the Rise of the Dread Moon expansion. These new HeroQuest game elements further enhance the near-endless replayability that has become a hallmark of the iconic fantasy board game. On that note, Rise of the Dread Moon is not a stand-alone game and requires the base HeroQuest set to play.
But will Rise of the Dread Moon be the best thing about HeroQuest in 2023? YouTube content creator The Bard (@BardicBroadcasts) may need to do an update to his popular video about why “HeroQuest is the best game ever made.”
The MSRP for Rise of the Dread Moon expansion for HeroQuest is $44.99 and recommended for players age 14 and up. You can check the official Avalon Hill Games website for availability.
