HERO QUEST returns! Again!

After their previous crowdfunded resurrection of Hero Quest floundered on the shoals of iffy legal licensing rights, Gamezone Miniatures have returned with a new attempt. This time they are using Spanish crowdfunding site Lanzanos to fund the resurrected game.

In all other aspects, this is the same deal as their previous Kickstarter attempt: a new boxed set, with all Warhammer/Games Workshop-troubling lore and design references removed. The rules, spells, characters etc all remain the same, but the new version of the game will improve on the original in some respects: the cardboard scenery and obstacle markers will be replaced by plastic miniatures.

The campaign runs for another 23 days, but the game is already funded to the tune of 402% of its original goal. As more money is raised, more features will be added to the game (including extra cards, character sheets, models and so on). Assuming no more obstacles, the game should be available to buy at the end of this year.

HERO QUEST maybe not returning after all

Just a few days into its campaign to resurrect the classic 1989 board game Hero Quest, Gamezone Miniatures have run afoul of IP laws and had the project suspended.

So far the only official word is that the Kickstarter is the subject of a copyright dispute, with no word given on what parties are involved. The most likely possibility is that Hasbro, who own the Hero Quest brand name and the original game rights, were not impressed with Gamezone's claim that they would be shipping the game outside of Spain and other countries where they still have the licence. According to Gamezone, they had been in talks with Hasbro about officially licencing the game to other territories (presumably for a fee); Gamezone saying they could ship anywhere in the world effectively meant they were saying this was not required and the game could be delivered regardless of talks with Hasbro, which Hasbro may have taken a dim view of.

An alternative possibility is that the famously litigious-even-when-they-don't-have-a-leg-to-stand-on Games Workshop decided to get involved. Whilst Hero Quest was created and owned by MB (owned by Hasbro), Games Workshop created the lore for the original game and manufactured the miniatures, some of which were drawn from its Warhammer IP. The only Warhammer-specific monsters in the original game were Fimirs and Chaos Knights, neither of which were apparently going to feature in the new version; all of the other creatures were 'standard' elves, dwarves, orcs, goblins, undead, gargoyles etc. Removing the few (and always very vague) references to the Warhammer world from the setting and plot description would also be very easy.

Even if Gamezone's project is unable to continue, hopefully the fact that people were willing to back it to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars sight unseen might mean that the project could be continued by Hasbro themselves. More news as it appears.

HERO QUEST returns

Back in 1989 Games Workshop joined forces with MB Games to produce Hero Quest, a miniatures boardgame which pitted four heroes against the forces of a diabolical wizard. The game drew on the Warhammer world and setting for inspiration, though foreknowledge of that game was not required. The game was immensely successful in Europe and a minor hit in the USA, spawning both an SF spin-off (Space Crusade, based on the Warhammer 40,000 setting) and numerous expansions to the base game. Now it's coming back.

The original Hero Quest and its monsters, board and scenery.

Gamezone Miniatures have the licence to reproduce the original board game in Spain, as well as adding various new features to it (the 'scenery' markers in the original game were cardboard tokens, but in this release will be small 3D models). Gamezone are also talking to other IP holders (Hasbro own the Hero Quest IP in the UK) about rolling out a wider release. However, the game will be available (in English) from Spain for international orders.

The Kickstarter has already been an enormous success, raising over $320,000 of a mere asked-for $58,000 in just a day. It's expected that the appeal will comfortably raise more than $1 million before the Kickstarter closes in 30 days' time.

 

A rough mock-up of the new version.