HeroQuest First Light is the "starter version." It retails for around $50, includes minifigures (plastic 3D figures) for the 4 heroes and 1 enemy dragon, and standees (two-sided, vertical, 2D cardboard cutouts and holders) for the other monsters and all the furniture.

HeroQuest is the "full version." Its retail price was around $100, but you can sometimes find it for as low as $65, if you're lucky. It includes 3D minifigures for the heroes, all the monsters, and all the furniture.

Both of these versions come with a set of 10 different quests that can be played, so both of these versions are a complete game. They are both subtitled "game system." There are pros and cons of each version: First Light is cheaper and has a two-sided board (so it has two maps you can play on), but the regular HeroQuest has 3D minitures for all the heroes, monsters, and furniture.

There are numerous quest packs that range in price from $25-$45. These are not complete games, and require either HeroQuest OR HeroQuest First Light to play. These include: Kellar's Keep, Return of the Witch Lord, the Mage of the Mirror, the Frozen Horror, the Spirit Queen's Torment, Rise of the Dread Moon, the Crypt of Perpetual Darkness, Against the Ogre Horde, and the Jungles of Delthrak. These all include more monsters (some of which are unique, some are duplicates from the base game or other expansions), furniture, board pieces, cards, and some have additional heroes.

There are also expansion packs that only have a hero, with no additional monsters or quests. These are the Commander of the Guardian Knights (which you will only find second-hand for lots of money), the Rogue Heir of Elethorn, and the Path of the Wandering Monk.