When comparing HeroQuest vs Dead of Winter Crossroads, the Slant community recommends Dead of Winter Crossroads for most people. In the question“What are the best board games?” Dead of Winter Crossroads is ranked 16th while HeroQuest is ranked 20th. The most important reason people chose Dead of Winter Crossroads is:
Sometimes performing an action can be risky. Typically, when moving or attacking you need to roll the 'exposure die' (you could get frostbite, receive a zombie bite, or have nothing happen). This means that it can be risky moving around to different locations. Each location has its own strengths and weaknesses, with some being very rewarding. Deciding whether or not the move is worth the risk makes it a very exciting system where you'll always be weighing the benefits and drawbacks of every single movement.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Easy to grasp
The game is teachable to players in a matter of minutes due to the simple rules. It’s also simple enough for children, as the game is made for ages 10 and over.
After the gamemaster has introduced the players to the scenario and readied the board, the game starts with the player to the left of the gamemaster. During the player’s turn the player can perform two actions – move and either attack, cast a spell, search for traps and secret entrances, or search for treasure. On the gamemaster’s turn the gamemaster can attack the heroes with the currently visible monsters.
Movement is done by rolling two regular dice, which show the amount of squares the player can move in their turn. Combat is done by the player and the gamemaster rolling special dice with 3 skull sides, 2 hero shield sides and 1 monster shield side. The number of dice rolled in combat is determined by the statistics of the monster or the hero, specified in the character cards. Each skull is a hit and each shield can block one skull. When “body count” reaches zero, the character is removed from the game.
Pro Easy to set up
Since most of the actual dungeon construction is done by the gamemaster as the game progresses and more rooms are revealed, all you need to do before the game can properly start is bring out the board, let the players choose their heroes and introduce the quest.
Pro Interactive figurines
It's not just a story, you're uncovering a dungeon as the dungeonmaster allows your character to see and discover new areas.
Pro Beautiful visual design
While the game board is not particularly big, it’s quite colorful and aesthetic. The game also manages to catch the eye due to the figurines and the small furniture.
The game features a big variety of remarkably detailed miniature figures - orcs, skeletons, zombies, goblins, etc. All the figures are originally single-colored, the heroes are bright red, whereas the various monsters come in white, dark blue, dark green and light blue.
The box also packs some beautiful and detailed pieces of colored cardboard furniture that add a lot of aesthetic value to the game by filling up the emptier places on the playing space.
Pro Great for parties
HeroQuest is a perfect activity for a small gettogether. The game is meant for 2-5 players, a quest takes up to 90 minutes.
Not only is it simple to learn and easy to set up, but it requires good teamwork and communication between players. There’s also always room for roleplay, which can lead to some humorous and memorable moments. Moreover, the playing surface is not too big, so there should be plenty of room for snacks and drinks on the table.
Pro Customizable
HeroQuest encourages creativity. The quest book has a blank scenario, so players can design and play their own quests. Moreover, since the miniature figures are single-colored, many people choose to color them, creating some beautiful pieces.
On top of that, the 3D furniture in the game doesn’t serve a different purpose other than the aesthetic one, so you can craft your own pieces or use small furniture from different games.
If you lack ideas, then the HeroQuest fan site Ye Olde Inn has some great fan-made content – quests, cards, printable furniture, etc.
Pro Active community
Despite being a game released in 1989, it still has a decently active online community both on reddit and on the fan site Ye Olde Inn. The sites feature all the fan content you’d expect – custom creations, stories and pictures of game nights, discussions, and games happening in your area.
Pro Exciting risk-reward system
Sometimes performing an action can be risky. Typically, when moving or attacking you need to roll the 'exposure die' (you could get frostbite, receive a zombie bite, or have nothing happen). This means that it can be risky moving around to different locations. Each location has its own strengths and weaknesses, with some being very rewarding. Deciding whether or not the move is worth the risk makes it a very exciting system where you'll always be weighing the benefits and drawbacks of every single movement.
Pro Lots of tough choices to make on a personal level
All players attempt to survive together, fending off zombies, gathering supplies, and working towards a common goal. However, each player also has their own secret side-objective ranging from saving the most survivors to hoarding certain items and even betraying the group. Playing for the survival of the group while also juggling your own secret goals can result in many tough personal choices. Do you share resources with the group or keep them for yourself? Do you go off and scavenge supplies for personal gains even it means leaving the group weakened? Do you save that survivor or just let them die because it's one more mouth to feed?
Pro Survivalist theme of the game is very well integrated
The survivalist theme shines through in each and every tough decision, gameplay system, and objective the game throws at you. Most of the world is dead, the environment is extremely hostile, there are zombies everywhere, and one wrong move can be the difference between survival and death for you and/or your group. Do you work towards the goal of the group, or do you sabotage them for personal gains? Do you hoard resources or share? There is an endless list of choices that have to be made. Overall, it really feels like a true survival situation that sucks you in.
Pro Random scenarios and decisions add replayability
There are a couple of gameplay mechanics that add a very random and deadly element to the game that really affect how the game plays out. Since they are completely random card draws, each game session will be unique its own way.
At the start of each player's turn, another player draws a 'crossroads' card for that player. Each crossroads card has a trigger - sometimes it is triggered by an action that they player could take, where they are located, or which players are in the game. These cards typically offer a choice between two options, and can drastically sway the game for better or worse.
Also, each turn a 'crisis card' is flipped, showing the current crisis for that turn. If the players can't work together to overcome the crisis (or the betrayer sabotages it) really bad things happen which put the whole group in immediate danger.
Pro Unpredictable actions help keep things exciting
Most actions (searching, moving, etc) are based on a random dice roll, making it very difficult to plan ahead. Instead of a set number of actions per turn, you get one dice plus one additional dice for each character you control. Based on what you roll on the dice, you will be able to perform various actions. Since you're working within the constraints of each roll, each turn will present new opportunities or setbacks. This helps things stay exciting throughout.
Pro Great for quick games
Each game lasts about one to two hours, making it a great game for when you want to get involved in deep game that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Cons
Con May be hard to get
It's a somewhat older tabletop RPG, with a decent number of expansions. You may end up paying a high price on ebay or other sites to get yourself a copy.
It’s also worth noting that you can’t always be sure about the physical quality of the game. The 3D furniture is made from cardboard and if the copy you’re buying has been used then it’s a bit of a risk.
Con Rules overly simple
Gets dull after some hours, good for children though
Con Requires a good gamemaster
If the gamemaster doesn’t know what he’s doing then the game will be more frustrating and take much longer than usual, and it’s already a long game. The gamemaster is the only player with access to what the quest is supposed to look like and is solely responsible for creating the dungeon as the game goes on – spawning monsters, revealing objects, etc., so the players need to trust that the gamemaster isn’t cheating.
Con Doesn’t scale well
The game is at its best when played in a full group of 4 heroes and a gamemaster. Otherwise the odds are more on the gamemaster’s side and it’s a lot more difficult to complete the quest. To counter this, it’s recommend for a player to control more than one hero, but that also adds unnecessary difficulty.
Con A lot of first-time setup
When you first open the box the amount of work can seem overwhelming. You have to de-peg your pieces and assemble all the furniture, which is quite tedious and inconvenient due to the relatively small size. Furthermore, your first games might take a longer while until the gamemaster gets the hang of the process.
Con It may be long and slow, with unexperienced players
As with many board games, new players may have trouble comprehending all the rules. Additionally, sometimes tough decisions need to be made. Newer players won't be aware of the nuances behind every choice and may need things explained to them.
Con Limited actions, especially towards end game
Some of the rules and effects completely discourage movement, such as an unlucky exposure roll that could cost you the game. Near the end game, zombies may fill up in an area and make it very difficult to clear them out, effectively reducing the map size and your access to resources.
Con Predictable enemies
The zombies are very predictable. You know when and where they will spawn, as well as who they will attack.