HeroQuest (MB, 1989)

HeroQuest is the legendary dungeon-crawling board game released by Milton Bradley and Games Workshop in 1989. One player takes on the role of the evil wizard Zargon (or Morcar in Europe), while up to four others play as the Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf, and Wizard, exploring tile-based dungeons filled with monsters, traps, and treasure. It's widely credited as the gateway game that introduced an entire generation to tabletop RPGs and miniature gaming.

The original HeroQuest set is one of the most sought-after board games on the secondhand market. Its combination of detailed plastic miniatures, modular dungeon furniture, and accessible gameplay created something truly special. The European MB version with its distinct box art has its own dedicated collector base. Expansion packs like Kellar's Keep and Return of the Witch Lord are even harder to find.

Completeness is everything with HeroQuest. The base game has over 100 components — count the furniture pieces (tables, bookcases, torture rack, fireplace), all 35 miniatures, the cardboard tiles, character sheets, and the game master screen. Missing pieces tank the value significantly. Check that the miniatures are unpainted and unbroken (the Gargoyle and Fimir are fragile), and look for a crisp, unwarped game board. A fully complete, unpunched copy in a clean box is worth multiples of an incomplete one.