Avalon Hill releases more details of Joe Manganiello’s HeroQuest adventure expansion
HeroQuest has been on a roll lately, finally rejoining the table with brand-new versions and expansions. First Light, the revamped starter kit, made the game even more accessible than ever, while new adventures like the Jungles of Delthrak quest pack make the game just as thrilling as fans remember. Now, Avalon Hill is partnering with actor and veteran dungeon master Joe Manganiello to create a darker, tougher quest line.
Manganiello just recently finished filming One Piece season 2 as the fan-favorite villain, ‘Mr. 0’ aka Crocodile, though he’s been known as one of tabletop gaming’s most famous players for a few years now. Though he usually can be found playing D&D, his TTRPG story began with HeroQuest, and with this expansion, he’s finally got the “job that [he] wanted as a kid.” In a recent press conference, Manganiello and the team at Avalon Hill sat down to discuss the details of the next chapter in HeroQuest.
The new quest pack is called Crypt of Perpetual Darkness, and oozes heavy metal vibes as soon as you see it. The box sports HeroQuest’s standard black and gold box, but the central illustration is positively caustic with its glowing green colorwork. Likewise, the cards are visually striking and totally unlike other HeroQuest expansions. Most of them look like they could be album covers for a heavy metal band, and all of them come with a scrawling, metal band-esque lettering.
As for the gameplay, players should heed the expansion’s dastardly design, as the quest pack is one of the toughest yet. Although there are certainly some house rules that could be implemented to accommodate beginners, like giving them 100 gold before the game starts, the Crypt of Perpetual Darkness is definitely designed for veterans. The Avalon Hill team themselves suggest shuffling potions back into the game at the start of each session to help even experienced players survive through the end. Manganiello stated that this high difficulty was his preferred DM methodology at work, “When your players are scared… it means they care.”
Manganiello’s gaming experience didn’t just help with making the game more difficult, though. Joe Manganiello’s Crypt of Perpetual Darkness expansion is truly his, with some locations and characters being pulled straight from his life. For example, an enemy called Bubelexia is named after his dog, Bubbles. Vander, an imprisoned elf players may meet, is actually one of Manganiello’s brother’s characters, while a tavern keeper named Toni is based on a woman who works at Manganiello’s favorite Pittsburgh sandwich shop. “There’s an EU in my mind’s eye with these characters,” Manganiello explained.
The quests within the Crypt of Perpetual Darkness will require plenty of collaboration and careful planning. Manganiello drew inspiration from games and stories that tackled impossible tasks, like Dragon Lance and The Hobbit’s Smaug. There are also plenty of little easter eggs to be found, as well as shortcuts and special items to be had. One example Manganiello provided was a helpful little mouse that can provide a tactical advantage, if your party has a bit of patience and creativity. There are many different paths to the end of the adventure, which culminates in a battle to defeat an evil dragon.
The Crypt of Perpetual Darkness was previously only available to crowd funders of the HeroQuest relaunch, but this summer everyone will get a chance to dive into a new HeroQuest adventure. The expansion will come with 10 epic quests and a high-quality metallic black dragon miniature, 8 black dice, 1 pad of character sheets, 20 foil-embellished game cards, and 2 cardboard tile sheets. Of course, you’ll need the base game to play, but with its high level of difficulty, you might want to start with First Light if you haven’t gotten back into HeroQuest yet.
The game is available to be pre-ordered on Amazon now. You can also wait until the game’s full release on July 15th to pick it up at your local game store.
Source(s)
Avalon Hill, May 21, 2025 via Zoom
