Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island

Publisher: Gamewright (2012)

Players: 2-4

Play Time: Approximately 30 minutes

Genre: Board Game, Strategy, Co-op

Price: $17.99

Forbidden Island is another game from Matt Leacock, you might remember him from my previous review of Pandemic. It's another cooperative game, in which the players assume the roles of adventurers on an island, trying to track down four treasures. What could be so hard about that you might ask? The game is a race against the clock, the island is sinking and you must recover the treasures and escape the island before it sinks into an oceanic abyss.

Much like Pandemic the adventurers in Forbidden Island each have a special ability that helps you solve the puzzle that is the island. The different roles open up options for the players in movement and abilities, such as shoring up flooded island tiles essentially unflooding them. If a previously flooded tile is flooded again through a “Waters Rise” draw it is removed from play. There in lies the danger in the game. Mr. Leacock again creates multiple ways to lose the game, and only one way to win it. To win the game the players must collect all four treasures, congregate at Fools' Landing, the very appropriately landing pad for the heroes only means of escape from the island, and then one player must play one of three Helicopter Lift cards from the treasure deck.

Losing the game is much easier. There are four different ways to lose the game, all based around the flooding mechanic. The first and most obvious is if the water level reaches the dreaded skull and crossbones on the Water Meter. If a player is on an island tile that sinks, and there is no adjacent tile for them to escape to, they perish; thereby losing the game for the entire team. Leaving a man behind is not an option. If Fools' Landing sinks then your only method for escape sinks with it and the team loses. Finally if both of the tiles that grant access to any one of the treasures sinks the game is lost, returning home with three of the four treasures is not acceptable. No one will buy an incomplete set apparently!

With all that in mind the game play can be quite hectic. The first time several places that you need to win are flooded there's a mad scramble to save them before the next “Waters Rise” card. It's important during those times that the players really talk about what their next few steps should be. Any inefficiency in action can result in a quick reshuffle and restart. The most important thing to keep in mind, like in most cooperative games, is that you're there for everyone to have fun. One person ruling the table is not fun for everyone else. Sure, if you're teaching the game to new people you might have to be a little more visible in the decision making process, but after one game everyone will understand the rules and complexities enough that they can and should speak their minds.

When all the planning comes together and you finally escape the Forbidden Island I find you're almost always tempted to set up another game. I'm proud to say that I know this from experience, as this is a Matt Leacock creation that hasn't stymied me at every turn, unlike my nemesis Pandemic. That's when another game feature shines. Not only can you make the game harder by starting the water level at a more advanced state, the game board changes every time you play. That easy first game you played, with the treasures all clustered around Fools' Landing, it's but a memory as you're next game features a treacherous hike from important place to place. It's the variety in the game place that will keep me coming back for more.

Conclusion: Forbidden Island is a great cooperative game, so if playing with friends instead of against them is your thing then this is a great place to get your feet wet (ha ha). Between the variable difficulty and the multitude of configurations for the island there's a lot of replay value to be had here. This is a game well suited to a wide range of gamers, the inexperienced and the old experts, which makes it a good way to get a group of varying experience levels together and gaming.

Rating: 8/10