How to Play Forbidden Island – A Step-by-Step Guide

Welcome to my detailed guide on how to play Forbidden Island. Whether you’re new to board games or a seasoned player looking to add a cooperative adventure to your collection, Forbidden Island is a fantastic choice. Let’s dive into the game setup, rules, and strategies to help you become a master treasure hunter.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island is a cooperative board game where players work together to retrieve four sacred treasures from a perilous island before it sinks into the abyss. Created by Matt Leacock, the game offers a thrilling, family-friendly experience suitable for ages 10 and up. It requires 2-4 players and typically takes about 30 minutes to play.

In this post we will tell you that you can play Forbidden Island game

Game Components

Before getting started, familiarize yourself with the components of Forbidden Island:

Island Tiles: 24 double-sided tiles representing different locations on the island.
Pawns: Four colored pawns representing the players.
Treasure Figurines: The Earth Stone, Statue of the Wind, Crystal of Fire, and Ocean’s Chalice.
Treasure Deck: 28 cards, including treasure cards, waters rise cards, and special action cards.
Flood Deck: 24 cards matching the island tiles.
Water Level Marker and Meter: Tracks the rising water level.
Adventurer Cards: Six cards with unique abilities for each player role.

Setting Up the Game

Create the Island: Randomly place the 24 island tiles face up in a cross pattern, ensuring a 4×4 square in the center with two additional tiles on each side. This layout forms the Forbidden Island.
Prepare the Decks: Shuffle the treasure and flood decks separately.
Place the Treasures: Set the four treasure figurines nearby.
Distribute Adventurer Cards: Each player selects or is randomly assigned an adventurer card and takes the corresponding pawn. Place the pawns on their respective starting tiles as indicated on the cards.
Flood the Island: Draw six cards from the flood deck and flip the corresponding island tiles to their blue “flooded” side.
Set the Water Level: Adjust the water level marker on the meter based on the chosen difficulty (Novice, Normal, Elite, or Legendary).
Deal Treasure Cards: Each player starts with two treasure cards.

Objective

The primary goal is to collect all four treasures and escape the island via the Fool’s Landing tile before the island sinks. Players must work together to manage flooding, trade treasure cards, and use their adventurer’s abilities strategically.

Game Play

Forbidden Island is played in turns, with each player completing three phases:

1. Take Up to Three Actions

Move: Move to an adjacent tile (horizontally or vertically).
Shore Up: Flip a flooded tile back to its non-flooded side if adjacent or on the same tile.
Give a Treasure Card: Hand a treasure card to another player on the same tile.
Capture a Treasure: Discard four matching treasure cards on a corresponding tile to capture a treasure.

2. Draw Two Treasure Cards

Draw two cards from the treasure deck. If you draw a “Waters Rise!” card, immediately follow its instructions, reshuffle the flood discard pile, and place it on top of the flood deck.

3. Draw Flood Cards

Draw a number of flood cards equal to the current water level and flip the corresponding island tiles. If a tile is already flooded, it sinks and is removed from the game.

Special Actions and Abilities

Each adventurer has a unique ability that can significantly impact the game:

Diver: Move through one or more adjacent flooded/sunken tiles.
Engineer: Shore up two tiles for one action.
Explorer: Move and shore up diagonally.
Messenger: Give a treasure card to a player anywhere on the island.
Navigator: Move another player up to two adjacent tiles.
Pilot: Fly to any tile once per turn.

Use these abilities wisely to coordinate your team’s efforts and manage the island’s flooding.

Winning the Game

To win, collect all four treasures, and get all players to the Fool’s Landing tile. From there, you need to discard a Helicopter Lift card to escape the island.

Tips and Strategies

Prioritize Shoring Up: Keep critical tiles, especially Fool’s Landing and treasure locations, from sinking.
Coordinate Moves: Communicate with your teammates to optimize actions and treasure card trades.
Balance Risks: Sometimes, it’s necessary to let less critical tiles sink to focus on the main objective.
Utilize Special Actions: Make the most of your adventurer’s abilities and special action cards..

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Q: What are the different character abilities in Forbidden Island?

Ans: There are 6 different character abilities in Forbidden Island:

Explorer: The Explorer can move through flooded tiles.
Engineer: The Engineer can shore up two tiles with one action.
Messenger: The Messenger can give treasure cards to other players from any distance.
Pilot: The Pilot can fly to any tile on the board.
Diver: The Diver can move through flooded or missing tiles.
Navigator: The Navigator can move other players’ pawns.

Q: What happens if a tile floods?

Ans: When a tile floods, it is removed from the game. If all of the tiles in a certain area are flooded, that area is considered “lost” and players can no longer move or shore up tiles in that area.

Q: What happens if the water level reaches the top of the board?

Ans: If the water level reaches the top of the board, the island sinks and the players lose the game.

Q: What happens if all four treasures are captured?

Ans: If all four treasures are captured, the players win the game.

Q: How many players can play Forbidden Island?

Ans: Forbidden Island can be played by 2-4 players.

Q: How long does it take to play Forbidden Island?

Ans: A typical game of Forbidden Island takes about 30-60 minutes.

Q: Is Forbidden Island a difficult game to learn?

Ans: Forbidden Island is a relatively easy game to learn. The rules are simple and straightforward, and the game is easy to set up.

Q: Is Forbidden Island a good game for families?

Ans: Forbidden Island is a great game for families. It is cooperative, so everyone works together to win. The game is also challenging but not too difficult, making it a good choice for players of all ages.

Q: Where can I buy Forbidden Island?

Ans: Forbidden Island is available at most major retailers, including bookstores, toy stores, and online retailers. I hope this helps!