HeroQuest is a kid's game .... Just killing Orcs and collecting lootz ....
Message:The amusement was that it was packaged so nicely for the time.
A few scenarios that you could use the board and cards and provided miniatures to Kill a Troll King, or Rescue a captured Villager, or steal a chest of gold.
Roll some dice, throw a fireball spell. Simple amusement. And, rather than a slab of paper and complicated THACOs, it was simple. (That you think THACO is complicated is another matter.) You open the box and everything is there.
Gloomhaven is a big puzzlie resource management thing. You go into a cave and find a key. Weeks later you are in a castle and that key fits the lock to a chest in the corner.
Described as a Euro game because it's managing resources. The cards seem interesting but ... doesn't anyone play Hearts anymore?
A big elaborate choose your own quest with the board and stickers to track your progress.
The combat is cards that are in limited supply and monsters that get harder. They use the term "Card Economy" because you often run out of cards and fail.
Both are great achievements as games.
Though, they don't have the potential of a great RPG game.
Yours,
IronConrad
15-Jun-2021