I was interested in this game since I learn of it a couple of years ago, but as it was difficult to get in Spain and I already owned Runebound and Magic Realm, I didn't order it and stopped thinking about it.
But the game stayed in the back of my mind all this time and now that I managed to convince my girlfriend to play MR, it occurred to me that this game could be a lighter substitute when we don't want to commit the time/effort into a full MR game. She also commented that MR would be nice with Quests...
So, a couple of weeks after, I found a great deal on the game near my town from a fellow BGGer and bought it without hesitation.
Tonight we played our first game and enjoyed a lot. I find the rules really simple and the rulebook although not so clear, wasn't too much of a problem. With the glossary at hand we had no difficulties.
vs Magic Realm
First I want to compare RoTH to MR. This game has been called MR-lite and in some ways this could be true. There are some aspects where it seems the designers have been inspired by the classic game:
Modular board: This is the most obvious aspect. The tiles with numbered clearings connected through paths are taken straight from MR. Of course, MR has hex tiles while RotH has square tiles. Also, in MR the tiles only show geographical features (mountains, forests, caves, valleys). The buildings and treasure sites are randomly placed with the face down chits. In RotH the tiles themselves depict the buildings and places. Still, the game can be played with the tiles starting face down which makes the game more like MR.
Map Chits: Like in MR, you place face down chits (or counters) in each tile. The difference is that in MR the chits show what monsters could come to that tile (but don't automatically come every turn) or what sites/buildings can be found there (and in which clearings). This lets you plan your moves to avoid certain places (where powerful monsters could appear) or be extra careful (hiding a lot). In Return, the counters can be the actual monsters, so you never know what you're getting into when exploring one (and you can't hide). Of course, the combat is much more forgiving than in MR so this is not a big issue. In MR there are many combat situations that will end up with the character dead 100% of the times. This does not happen in Return...
So, MR is a game that rewards planning while Return is a lighter game where you can explore with little fear and plan your moves on the go. Also, in MR players have to set a number of goals for themselves (vps) and their score is a measure of how successful they were, so the game rewards a good strategy from the beginning. 349
Return lets you build your strategy gradually while the board develops.
What RotH has is a lot of quests/tasks (big and small). In MR there are some treasures that you can bring to a certain native group or person to get a reward, but these are few compared to RotH. Also in MR there are no "official" tasks for these items, you just find them in a treasure site and can deliver them if you want. You can also just use them. This makes the system more open ended (In RotH you can't use the tasks items yourself, you have to return them and then get the reward, except for the items you have to buy, of course...). But what Return has is a nice "pick and deliver" system that MR lacks. This is something that we enjoyed a lot.
But there are other things where the games differ a lot:
First, in MR you have to plan (and write down) your actions for the turn. This is a big difference. As I said before, MR rewards good planning. In Return you can adapt your plans as events unfold. It's a more forgiving system for a lighter game.
Combat is a big part of MR. It can be very complex with any number of monsters, characters and natives in any combination and in different sides. It works very well but requires planning and knowledge of the system. It can also be very deadly to beginners. Compared to this, Return's combat system is so simple. Battles are solved in a matter of seconds instead of minutes. As it's a simpler game, it fits well, and being a more "closed" system, there's really no need for a system that can cover lots of possibilities. And combat is not the main focus of this game anyway, so it makes sense to make it simpler...
Also in MR there is no character develompent (unless playing with optional rules). Characters get better by getting treasures. In RotH characters gain experience and get better by training and completing tasks or killing monsters. 528