Overview of Forbidden Islands

Embark on a search worth Indiana Jones . Add the doomed Titanic-esque setting. Then subtract the iconic hat, the deadly iceberg, under the Nazis and Leo’s amazing talent for painting nudes, and you’ll get the kind of high-stakes adventure you’ll find on Forbidden Island.

All you have to do is escape from the island with your life and treasure, which gradually sinks with each of your movements. See the full overview of the Forbidden Islands below.

A brief overview of the Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island is all about collaboration and strategy. Your goal is to get four powerful items from a remote island.

Of course there is a catch.

The ancient Archeans, who first inhabited this island, mastered four elements with these treasures: earth, wind, water and fire. And they didn’t want anyone else to take advantage of these powerful artifacts when they were gone. So they did what any mysterious civilization would do; the islands are gone.

Now, with each move of your team, you run the risk of the island sinking even deeper under the waves. Your mission is to find the treasure, get to the Lander of the Fools and take a helicopter to the front of the island and your team ends up at the bottom of the ocean.

Variations and extensions

Forbidden desert

Because your helicopter crashed in the middle of a dry desert, your team of archaeologists has only one hope of survival . If you cross a dry and barren landscape, you have to track down and dig out the legendary flying machine from under the dunes.

See our full review here .

Forbidden desert

Thirst for survival
2 to 5 players
Play time: 45 minutes

Forbidden Sky: Height of Danger

In this part of the series, players find themselves on a mysterious floating platform in the sky. As the storm escalates, it is your job to connect and launch a rocket before lightning strikes you or takes you off the edge.

Forbidden sky - the height of danger

Climb to dizzying heights in this exciting adventure!
He works as a team to discover the mystical platform of power that floats ...
Connect the secret rocket cable circuit - all ...

Unpacking the Forbidden Island

The Forbidden Island is in a metal box with rounded edges. It’s kind of like those cookie cans that Grandma got every Christmas . Instead of stale pastries you get:

58 playing cards (28 Treasure cards, 24 Flood cards and 6 Adventurer cards)
24 double sided island tiles
6 pussies
4 foundation figurines
1 water meter
1 water level marker
Game rules

The first thing you will notice when swimming on the Forbidden Island are the bright shades and delicious artwork. The policy is also lush with colors. It includes both text instructions and visual demonstrations of how to play the game - and hopefully win it.

The tiles used to build your island are thick and durable. They are two-sided and include beautiful illustrations. They are marked by striking (and sinister) names such as "Cave of Embers" and "Cliffs of Abandon."

The treasures themselves are solid plastic pieces. They represent the powers of the Earth, wind, fire and water - but alas, not the heart, so not Captain Planet will come across to save the day. But my personal favorite is the Fire Crystal, which is red, transparent and oh-so shiny.

The water meter is not as thick as the island tiles, but it is still of good quality. It comes with a pink water level marker that lets you know how close your dog team is - rowing on the way home.

The visual appeal of the Forbidden Island is transferred to its playing cards. These cards are much thinner, making them easier to shuffle before each game. They are also standard sizes (2.5 ″ X 3.5 (). This is a big advantage because it allows you to easily purchase sleeves that will fit, protect and extend the life of your cards.

The only parts of the game that I found a bit unattractive were the pedestrians. They are wooden and have a pleasant, solid feel. But they remind me of the pawns used in the classic Sorry game. This kind of retro look seems more appropriate for Grandma’s Christmas cookie sheet than for the adventurous atmosphere of Forbidden Island.

How to play Forbidden Island

We are building our own island

It’s ironic to set up your island before you start diving it. Take 24 Island Island tiles and lay them with the colored sides up and the blue / white sides down. You’ll do this in a six-line diamond pattern (let’s call them AF). Here is the number of cards in each row:

Line A - 2 maps
Row B - 4 cards
Rows C and D - 6 cards
Row E - 4 maps
Row F - 2 maps

It is important to note that some of these cards have symbols. In the lower left corner you may see an image of one of the four treasures. And in the lower right corner you may see an emblem that matches the pawn. The meaning of these symbols will be discussed a little later.

Three roofs

You will then deal the cards. There are three different decks, each with a different color or image on the back.

Red cards : This is your treasure. Includes:

5 cards for each treasure
3 Rise of water! cards
3 helicopter lifting cards
2 sandbags

Blue Cards : This is your Flood deck. There is one Flood card for each Island tile. When you draw a Flood card, it will flood - or sink - the tile on your island.

Adventure Cards : These are the roles you will assign to you and your teammates. Every adventurer has a different skill that will help you escape from the Forbidden Island.

The researcher can move or lean diagonally upward.
The pilot can move any tile in one turn in his turn.
The navigator can transport other players up to two tiles away from their current position.
A diver can float through any adjacent flooded or submerged tile to reach another tile.
An engineer can solidify two tiles with one of his moves.
Messenger can give any of his cards to any other player, no matter what tile they are on.

Let the floods begin

Take a flood deck and place it next to your tiled island. Draw 6 cards one at a time. Place them face up to create a pile of flooding. These cards will tell you which tiles on your island are flooded. Turn these tiles so that their blue and white faces are now on display.

Assign adventurers

Now is the time to assign your adventurers! Shuffle the adventure deck and deal one card to each player. Don’t be shy; reveal your role and read your cards. Each adventurer has a special power with which you and your team can gain treasure and win the game.

Here are those funny little wooden bookmarks. Each handful represents one adventure map. Grab a bookmark that matches your adventure card. Now also look back at your island tiles.

Below right on the tiles you will see a display of each adventure pawn. Place your farmer on the appropriate tile. It’s okay if the tile is already flooded at the start of the game; your adventurer is obviously a very strong swimmer.

Foundation time

You will then share treasure cards (yes!). Give each player two cards. If any of these cards are Waters Rise! Card, return it to the treasury and shuffle it back. Make sure your cards are face up so your teammates can see what you’re working with.

Water meter

Remember to choose the water level. This will decide how difficult your game will be. Take a water meter and place the water level mark on the demanding level.

He turns and moves

With each turn you can perform up to 3 actions based on your own logic and the advice of teammates. There are four different types of moves. Remember that some adventurers have special skills that allow them to follow the rules below!

Move : You can move the flag to any adjacent tile if it is not diagonal to your current tile. This includes flooded tiles, although you cannot skip them or move into the space of the missing tile.
To the shore: With this action, you can turn any adjacent flooded tile that is not diagonally away from you. This means you can make flooded tiles un flooded again.
Give a treasure card : If your flag is on the same plate as the other player's flag, you can give them one or more of your treasure cards, other than Special Action cards.
Catch the Treasure : If your pussy is on the treasure emblem plate in the lower left corner, you can discard four matching treasure maps that match the emblem. This includes treasures on flooded tiles. Note that there are only two tiles for each treasure!

After completing the campaigns, you need to draw two treasure maps. Draw them one by one and place them in front of you face up. If you draw Water Rise! follow the instructions and discard it in the Treasure Treasure Plate.

If you run out of Treasure cards, don't be afraid! Simply shuffle the pile of discarded pieces and use the cards again.

Flood maps and rising water! Maps

Treasure maps can be inflated, but after that you need to get out of the Flood pile immediately. The pile of floods is essentially the ancient curse of the Archeans; flood or submerge island tiles. The number of cards you draw depends on where the water level mark is on the water meter.

Water to raise water can only be 3! cards on board, but drawing one is no bueno . If you draw one, you must immediately move the water level mark one line on the water meter. This could increase the number of Flood cards to be drawn at the end of each turn. Rise of the water! The card goes to a pile of treasure discards.

Remember that each Flood card can flood or sink a tile. So, the more cards you draw at the end of your turn, the more likely you are to lose a tile. And to make matters worse, every time the water rises! The card is drawn, take a pile of Flood waste and shuffle it into the main Flood pile. This gives the potential to redraw already used Flood maps.

If you draw a Flood card for a tile that has not yet been flooded, you will turn the card over. However, if you draw a Flood card for a tile that is already flooded, that tile sinks and you completely remove it from the island.

The pawnbrokers on a tile that becomes flooded stay where they are. Flags on a sinking tile must float to the tile left, right, top, or bottom of the tile that has been removed. If no one can swim anywhere, the game ends and your team loses.

Victory on the Forbidden Island

Winning may sound simple enough, but it requires a lot of luck, teamwork, and strategy. If you manage to collect all four artifacts, then you and your teammates must head to the Port of Fools. Here, a teammate must use a helicopter card to pick up your team. Then, voila, you have conquered the Forbidden Island!

Your first game of Forbidden Island

If you are playing Forbidden Island for the first time, I recommend placing the water level mark at the lowest point of the water meter. This will allow you to get involved before you dive, and prevent you from getting over your head (intended word play).

It is also important that you have priorities. If you lose two Iceland-related treasure tiles, you can't win the game. The same goes if the Landing of the Fools tile sinks. So do your best to keep these tiles in place with your moves, adventurers and cards.

Advantages disadvantages

Advantages:

Lots of gameplay options with every move
Teamwork and brainstorming
Ability to adjust difficulty
cheap transition game

Weaknesses:

Slightly difficult for beginners
Slightly easy for maestro

One of the best parts of Forbidden Island is the range of tile combinations and actions you can perform while turning. One right or wrong decision can lead to victory or despair. Add to that the variety of adventurers you can draw for any session, and you’ll be able to experience a variety of gameplay.

The same can be said for Treasure and Flood cards. One bad draw and you will no longer stay wet and ride the dinghy to the nearest piece of land. But at least you work with a team. If you lose, you can share the blame between you and your teammates. If you win, you can celebrate your victory in a group.

And if you master one level of play, you can move the water level mark up and test it again. Changing players, number of participants and difficulty can create a whole new gaming experience.

As for the downside, it’s a double-edged sword. Players who are new to board games or collaborative games can try to choose from a multitude of rules and a variety of gameplay options. But to those familiar with similar games, Forbidden Island seems simplistic compared to other more sophisticated co-op board games.

TL; DR

The Forbidden Island depends on an expedition for powerful relics and an island to be set up the moment your team steps on it. You embark on your adventure with a sense of excitement and urgency. With a combination of teamwork, strategy and luck, you can gain ancient treasures before the ground beneath your feet literally disappears under the waves.

Conclusion: a verdict?

The Forbidden Island is a great introduction to cooperative board games. Its attractive packaging immediately leaves a lasting impression on players. His combination of adventurers, treasure maps, flood maps and Iceland tiles adds variety and depth to what would otherwise be a beautiful but forgettable game.

It also offers levels of complexity and difficulty for players, so playing continues to be exciting and compelling, even after multiple sessions. While it may be a challenge for beginners, a little practice is easier to navigate. Enthusiasts may find that it is a pleasant break from other common games that require encyclopedic knowledge and hours of playing.

So if you want to immerse yourself in a new game that is both new and beautifully designed, go ahead and dip your fingers on Forbidden Island. The water is just fine!