Gamewright Forbidden Island – The Cooperative Strategy Survival Island Board Game

Forbidden Island sounds silly. Heck, it kind of looks silly. But what it lacks in instant appeal, it makes up for in gameplay. The set itself is in a nice metal container. The island tiles are heavy cardboard and the artifacts are nice quality rubber or plastic. The cards are typical, decent quality. The game has a variety of difficulty levels and is suitable for a wide range of ages and skill levels. Since the game is cooperative, younger or newer players can get assistance from other players. The object of the game is to collect all of the artifacts, four total, and escape the island before it sinks. There are up to six players, but even as a two player game it is quite fun. You can limit the amount of interaction if you like, or you can invite everyone to voice opinions as to your next action. You set up the island tiles randomly in a star like grid. Each time playing is unique, which is part of the fun. You then take turns around the board. Each player draws a card to determine what player they are. Each player has a unique ability such as the ability to move to any space on the board, or shore up two island tiles for only one move and so on. You can pick outright, but I find choosing randomly to be more fun. Each player takes three actions: move, shore up, trade, or collect artifact. Then the player draws two treasure cards, keeping up to five in their hand and discarding extra. If you draw a water rise card - uh oh! - the water level goes up and the game gets more challenging. The next turn is to draw flood cards equal to the current water level. You then flip the tiles indicated. If a tile is flipped already, then it's lost forever! So players want to make sure and shore up certain important tiles when they get flooded (flipped over). The game is over when all of the players collect the artifacts (combined for all four, not everyone will have an artifact), return to the helipad (Fool's Landing) and use an airlift card. Other ways the game ends is if a player is stuck on a tile when it is removed and there are no other adjacent tiles to swim to; or if Fool's Landing is removed; or if both island tiles containing an artifact which has yet to be collected is removed. On lower difficulty settings, it's quite easy. It gets more challenging as you start the water level higher. You can also remove a couple of special treasure cards such as the helicopter and sandbags (make sure to leave at least one helicopter or you can't escape!) It's a quick game lasting around 30 minutes on average. The cooperative style is very fun. I find it to be a good in between game - that is a game between longer games such as Dominion, Carcassonne, or Race for the Galaxy. It's great for friends, and it's easy to learn. What's great also is that as long as one person knows how to play, you can instantly dive in with newbies and assist them in the first couple of plays through. Highly recommended!

This game is awesome! Love that it comes in a tin. It’s a fun, collaborative game for families. My 7 and 9 year old boys love it and picked up the concept after playing just once. The strategy is to work together to complete the game, or lose together as a team. They’re both very competitive so this was a nice alternative to having someone lose. We played for maybe 30 minutes total on “novice” to make it easier for beginners, which can be changed as they get used to it, to make it more difficult.

*designer: Matt Leacock *publisher: Gamewright *date: 2010 *BoardGameGeek rank/rating: 2090/8.04 *age: 10+ *# of players: 2-4 *print status: in print Maybe it's because I started writing this review during the final few weeks of the TV series, LOST... but the whole "island full of crumbling ruins & ancient secrets" vibe resonates pretty strongly with me right now. But don't take my (admittedly gamer-oriented) word for it: listen to my (gamer-in-training) 8 year old son... or his non-gamer 8 year old friends... or my long-suffering wife (who games because she loves me!)... or even other actual gamers who've played the game. It's been a hit with everyone who has had the opportunity to play! Forbidden Island is a cooperative game for 2-4 players, though since the game is played with open hands, it works just fine as a solitaire game as well, with the player controlling two (or more) pawns. (Another odd Lost reference: this is definitely a "live together or die alone" kind of game.) Regardless of the number of players, it seems to clock in at right about a half hour of playing time. The color text of the game has the players on a search for elemental treasures (The Crystal of Fire, the Statue of the Wind, The Ocean's Chalice & the Earth Stone) created by an ancient civilization. Of course, it's not a simple archaeological expedition - the island is booby-trapped to begin sinking when anyone attempts to steal the treasures... and that's exactly what you're here to do. I could go into a detailed rules explanation... but that seems pretty pointless when a PDF of the rulebook is available online, thanks to the good folks at Gamewright. Simply put, you're using 3 actions per turn to move your piece across an island made of tiles, attempting to collect the treasures, shore up the sinking parts of the island, and generally survive long enough for all of you to grab the last helicopter off the island (is Frank Lapidus the pilot?). At the end of each turn, you draw cards to increase your hand (and potentially increase the rate of flooding) as well to sink more parts of the island. There are lots of ways to lose: *if the helicopter landing pad sinks, you lose *if one of your team doesn't survive, you lose *if you fail to recover all four treasures, you lose *if the island floods completely, you lose But it wouldn't be much of a cooperative game if you won all the time, right? So far, we're doing very well playing at the Novice setting, while we're about 50/50 at the Normal setting. I have yet to convince my son to try it at the more difficult settings. (BTW, a clever game feature - you only have to change the starting level of the water - indicated on a sliding scale - to change the difficulty of the game. No re-mixing the deck, no convoluted alternative set-up.) The components are high quality - nice cards, great chunky tiles with evocative "forbidden island" artwork that reminds me a bit of the computer game Myst, and nifty plastic "treasures" - all packaged in a cool-looking tin with a well-designed box insert. (For those of you non-gamers, the "well-designed insert" may not sound like a big deal, but I can tell you from experience that it makes it easier to transport & keep the game in top-notch condition... and that not all companies think this part through.) A side note: since the designer, Matt Leacock, is best known for his OTHER cooperative game, Pandemic, it's helpful to note that while the games share some mechanics (most notably the Infection/Waters Rise restacking of the decks & the various player roles that allow each person to "break" the rules in a particular way) but that the board play (due to the sinking tiles) and kid-friendly theme make for a very different game experience. Finally, the recommended age of 10 is correct - but only if the kids are going to be playing without any adults helping run the game. With a friendly adult, the game can easily be played by kids as young as 5. The cheap price point (the MSRP is only $15.99) means that Forbidden Island will be likely be one of the best kid gaming investments you're likely to make this year.

I recently received this game and my 4 1/2 Yr old son was so excited looking at the tin box it came in that he would not leave me alone and wanted to play. I was worried it might be to complex for him, but decided to go ahead and play so I could at least give it a trial run before playing with others. I figured the game could be played by nephews & nieces during family gatherings. The rules are pretty straight forward and not difficult to understand. You setup the island tiles, shuffle the treasure deck, shuffle the flood deck, pick or randomly pass out characters and then deal two treasure cards to each player. Finally flip 6 flood cards and flip the tiles that are flooded - game on! You then perform actions - move, shore up a tile, pass a treasure card, claim a treasure - draw treasure cards and flip flood cards. The idea being to work with the other players to get all four treasures prior to the island sinking or your "escape" tile sinking. The island sinks as "water level rises" cards are drawn. The higher the water rises, the more flood cards are drawn meaning more tiles are flipped. Every time the water rises, you take the drawn flood cards, shuffle them and place them on TOP of the flood deck. This means the flooded tiles are once again on top the flood draw pile and if drawn while "flooded" they sink (are removed from play). So there is strategy in which tiles you want to save by using a "shore up" action - of course you have to be able to reach the tile in order to shore it up (flip it over so it's no longer flooded). Each character has a "special" ability that can assist during play and may ultimately be what allows you to win. It is a cooperative game so using your characters abilities in conjunction with the other players will allow you decide the best way to proceed. The game is rated for 10+ but my son enjoyed it and we were able to win both times although barely. I think the two characters we had made a good combination allowing us to complete the task and get off the island in time. It will be interesting to see how well it works with additional people playing and having a larger "gap" between your moves so more flooding occurs before you move again. Not sure my son completely got the strategy involved but he liked flipping tiles and getting the treasures. I'd make suggestions to him and let him decide - even if it meant turning over a tile because he liked it better than the one I'd rather have him turn over :) If you want to make the game more challenging, the water level meter has different starting points which basically means each player will be turning over more flood cards sooner than later. It does seem like you can concentrate on saving basically five tiles - but that really depends on the layout of the tiles, if you can get all treasure but not have a way to get to the landing then you lose so keeping some "meaningless" tiles may be necessary to escape the island and win the game.

We're on a bit of a cooperative board game kick lately, and Forbidden Island did NOT disappoint! After loving Pandemic, we were looking for something similar, and this one was a blast. The whole "island sinking" thing really amps up the tension – you're constantly scrambling to keep tiles from flooding while trying to find the treasures. It's a really fun and unique mechanic. We played with four players, and it was the perfect amount of challenge. Each player has a different role with special abilities, so you really have to communicate and work together to succeed. There were definitely some tense moments where we thought we were going to get swamped, but we managed to pull through in the end! It was a really satisfying feeling to escape with all the treasures. The game is easy to learn, but there's still plenty of strategy involved. It's perfect for a family game night or a get-together with friends. We loved that it's cooperative, so everyone's working towards a common goal. If you're looking for a fun and engaging game that will have you on the edge of your seat, Forbidden Island is a great choice. Highly recommend it! Five stars!

Very good co-op game. Fast paced, Easy to learn and play. However, don't plan on winning every game! :-)

Not long ago I spent a few days binging on the web series Table Top (in which Wil Wheaton plays a boardgame or other table top game with various guests), and I purchased this specifically because of the Forbidden Island episode of the series. (There is a link to the episode in the questions and answers section above -- spend the time to watch this and it will give you a pretty good idea of how the game works and should give you a pretty good idea of whether or not you'll enjoy it.) The box is metal, and comparable in size to an especially thick hardcover novel; the tray inside organizes the pieces/tiles/cards quite well. The tiles are sturdy. The cards are a bit thinner than standard playing cards; my husband was afraid to shuffle them the way you'd shuffle a poker or pinochle deck. A standard card table is fair estimate of the area needed for layout (and should allow room for drinks or snack plates). I suspect the tile layout would fit on the table of a camper or RV, but might be cramped. The description here says ages 10-12, and the box says 10+ -- my husband and I certainly enjoyed it as adults. The cooperative nature makes it work well as a family game, even young children can likely join in and still have fun (depending a bit on the individual child). Our 5yo felt involved and had a blast. He didn't fully grasp the details or strategy, but he followed the general plot of the game and was quite happy to flip tiles, draw cards, move pawns, and listen to his parents and 13yo brother handle strategy, and was excited when his pawn got to do important things. The game seems to have a good mix of chance and strategy, and allows for starting at varied difficulty ratings. The artwork is beautiful; the names of individual tiles (parts of the island) are evocative. The premise of trying to collect treasure and escape before the island sinks appeals to a sense of adventure (especially for those of us whose own childhoods included Indiana Jones movies). Because it's cooperative, it fosters a sense of teamwork and shared accomplishment/responsibility, and encourages collaboration; players take turns, but the rules explicitly encourage everyone to discuss the best options regardless of whose actual turn it is. It might be a great way to get a break if your usual group of board game friends can get competitive. It's definitely a great game for people who'd rather not be competitive.

This game was one of my introductions into board gaming as well as the "Forbidden" series. Of all the gaming groups that I've played this game with, the feedback was entirely positive. (except for moments where we'd lose and get salty towards each other). But regardless, the game offers a fantastic cooperative mechanic, so you all either win as a group by working together or you all loose. This game is easy to learn, easy to pick up and easy to get into, this game is also very easy to get so addicted to. My niece loves this game the instant she first got into it. She seems to wanna keep playing this game over and over again. I feel that this game adds onto an individual's social skills as well as enhance problem solving skills and working as a team. I'm glad that this game has beneficial aspects as well as an awesome fun factor. Every time my friends and I play this game we work together on how to solve the problems laid out before us. After playing for about 5 or 6 times, we manage to win once. Having that one win with this game is a good feeling. Because after so many close calls, and near attempts to winning, that one win was well earned. One of the minor nuisances that I have with this game is that it's only meant for up to four players (which I recommend is the best way to play), the game comes with 6 character cards and 6 pieces. I don't understand why we can't go and play with 6 people for a bigger and more immersive experience. My friends and I manage to "House Rule" it up to try and accommodate the bystanders interested in this game. So if you can do so with your group, I recommend that you do. It sucks when people get left out of a game, when there are clearly two more available pieces to play with. Tense flooding moments and being able to work together as a team to fetch of the four treasures and ensuring no man gets left behind raises the fun level of this game. Get this game!

I had watched a play-through video starring Wil Weaton and his friends and I knew that I needed to get my hands on this one. I was happily surprised that it was as easy as the video suggested to set up and start playing right away. I've only played a three player game, which was a lot of fun, but I think the more players the better. I love the co-op experience and how different strategies that people bring to the table is intriguing. I think it's a great game to play with your friends as well as your family... if those playing are not too young. Definitely recommend this one, especially for the price! As a side note, it comes in a beautiful metal tin container to boot!

This was played by a group of three 30+ y-os and this engaged us for hours. We played all levels of difficulty and found the most difficult one to be the most engaging. Rules are fairly straightforward with instructions also on character cards. After one or two rounds, you remember all the rules. Graphics are also beautiful, and we loved that this was a collaborative game (vs a competitive one) and we had lots of fun discussing our strategy and working together. In all, I’d highly recommend getting this game.

If you like Pandemic........

Recived original version ,.well packaged and quality is also good.

Perfect.