In a nutshell, it is 4th edition DnD with tabletop miniatures and maps included.  it has the "core rules" incorporated for a board game edition of DnD and allows for mixing and matching between this game and the other two titles of this genre.  I have a few friends over  once in a while to play, and it's nice because we can geek out without having to go through all the headaches of keeping up with full blown DnD "stuff" (character sheets, and special rules, and new books, and edition changes, etc).