The Excitement of Forbidden Island

Imagine a thrilling adventure on an island filled with secrets and treasures. This is the world of Forbidden Island, a captivating game that will keep you on the edge of your seat! So, what exactly is Forbidden Island and how do you play it? Let me guide you through the captivating journey.

The Objective: Beat the Island and Collect Treasures

The objective is simple – you and your team must work together to find four ancient treasures on the island before it sinks into the sea. Sounds exciting, right? But it won’t be easy. The island is filled with challenging terrains and treacherous waters, making your quest a real test of teamwork and strategy.

Understanding the Island’s Mechanics

The island is made up of different areas, each representing a location. You and your team members take on the roles of brave adventurers, exploring these areas in search of the treasures. But be careful, because as the game progresses, the island begins to sink! Your goal is to collect the treasures and escape to safety before the island vanishes beneath the waves.

Cooperation is Key

Remember, this is a team effort. Each player has unique abilities that can help the team overcome challenges and obtain the treasures. Whether it’s navigating through flooded areas or shoring up sinking locations, teamwork and communication are vital. It’s up to you and your fellow adventurers to decide the best course of action and use your strengths to outsmart the island.

Embrace the Challenge

Forbidden Island is a game that will keep you on your toes. Don’t be disheartened if you face setbacks or if the island seems almost unbeatable. Perseverance and quick thinking are your allies. Embrace the challenges and adapt your strategies as you go along. The excitement and satisfaction of conquering the island will be well worth the effort.

Conclusion: Embark on a Thrilling Adventure

So, are you ready to embark on a thrilling adventure on Forbidden Island? Gather your friends, sharpen your wits, and prepare to face the ultimate test of teamwork and strategy. The island is waiting, and the treasures are within your grasp. Let the excitement begin!

So here’s the deal – we’re a team of adventurers, and our mission is to save Forbidden Island from going under. Our goal is to capture all four treasures that reside on the island before it sinks into the abyss. Sounds pretty intense, right?

Once we’ve managed to collect all the treasures, our next challenge is to make it to Fools’ Landing, where a helicopter awaits to fly us to safety. If we can accomplish this task before the island completely sinks, we emerge victorious!

However, if we fail to collect the treasures in time or if the island sinks before we can escape, we face defeat.

Setting up the Game

Building Forbidden Island

So here’s what you need to do: grab those 24 Island tiles and give them a good shuffle. Once they’re mixed up, place them face up (not the blue and white side) in a random grid. Let me break it down for you:

1. Start by making a nice 4 x 4 square with the tiles. Put them right in the center of the playing area.
2. Now, take 2 more tiles and place them next to each of the 2 middle tiles on every side of the square. Just remember to leave a little gap between them.

And boom! You’ve got yourself Forbidden Island, a place where all the action will happen. It’s like your own game board that you and your pawns will be moving around on. Cool, huh?

Now Let’s Add the Treasures

Hey there! Let’s talk about a fun game called “Treasure Hunt”. In this game, we have 4 special treasures: The Earth Stone, The Statue of the Wind, The Crystal of Fire, and The Ocean’s Chalice. These treasures are hidden around an island, and it’s your job to find them!

To find the treasures, you need to place the treasure figurines on the island. There are 8 tiles on the island where you can claim treasures. Each treasure can be found on one of two tiles, which are marked with a special symbol. So, keep an eye out for those symbols!

Now, let’s get started by dividing the cards.

Let’s start by organizing the cards into three separate decks based on the design on the back of the cards: the Flood deck with the blue back, the Treasure deck with the red back, and the Adventurer cards, which are a set of six cards.

The Island Begins to Sink

As the game begins, the island you’re standing on starts to sink. It’s a thrilling and nerve-racking experience, and you must work together with your team to save yourselves and the island.

The Adventurers Arrive

Suddenly, a group of brave adventurers appears on the island. They are here to help you on your mission and provide guidance along the way. Their knowledge and skills will be crucial in overcoming the challenges you’ll face.

Distributing the Treasure Deck Cards

Now it’s time to distribute the Treasure deck cards. These cards represent valuable items and resources that you’ll need to survive and complete your mission. Each player will receive a certain number of cards from this deck.

Remember to take into account the special abilities of each adventurer and the unique features of the cards you receive. This will help you strategize and make the best use of your resources.

In conclusion, organizing the cards into separate decks, understanding the sinking island scenario, and distributing the Treasure deck cards are key steps in setting up and starting your adventure in this thrilling game. By following these instructions and working together with your fellow adventurers, you’ll have a great time exploring and conquering the challenges that lie ahead.

Hey there! Let’s get started on an exciting game of Treasure Island. First, we need to shuffle the Treasure deck and hand out 2 cards to each player. Don’t forget to place your cards face up so everyone can see them. If anyone gets a Waters Rise! card, we’ll give them a replacement and shuffle the Waters Rise! card back into the deck. Keep the Treasure deck face down by one side of the island, and remember to also have a Treasure discard pile nearby.

Now, let’s set the Water Level

Time to Play!

The player who has most recently visited an island will go first, and then play will continue to the left. When it’s your turn, make sure to follow these three steps in order:

1. Take up to 3 actions.
2. Draw 2 cards from the Treasure deck.
3. Draw Flood cards equal to the water level.

Let me break down the different parts of a turn for you. And don’t forget, there’s a handy quick reference guide on the back of every Adventurer card.

1. Take Up to 3 Actions

You have the freedom to take up to 3 actions during your turn. You can choose to take no actions, just 1 action, or go all out with 2 actions. And don’t forget, your teammates are there to give you advice on what actions might be best for you. You have 4 actions to choose from:

• Move
• Shore Up
• Give a Treasure Card
• Capture a Treasure

Move

With just 1 or more actions, you can move your pawn to an adjacent tile on the Island. That means you can go up, down, left, or right. Just remember, no diagonal moves. You can even move onto a flooded tile, but don’t try to move onto a missing tile or go over it.

Exceptions:

Hey there, let me tell you something interesting. Did you know that the Explorer can move in diagonal directions too? Yep, it’s true! I can go up, down, left, or right, but I can also move diagonally. Pretty cool, huh?

You can move the Pilot to any tile on the game board during your turn. This only costs you 1 action. It gives you the flexibility to position the Pilot strategically and adapt to the changing situation on the board. You have the freedom to explore different areas, approach challenges from different angles, and take advantage of opportunities that arise. This power to move anywhere opens up a world of possibilities and keeps the game dynamic and exciting. It’s like having a secret weapon that allows you to stay one step ahead of your opponents.

When I’m playing the game, I have the power to move my friends on the board! The Navigator can help me move any other player up to 2 tiles in any direction for each action I take.

When I’m the Diver, I can easily navigate through missing and flooded tiles that are next to each other. It only takes me 1 action to move through them.

Shore Up

As the Diver, I have the ability to shore up any Island tile that is adjacent to me. This means I can flip it over so that it is no longer flooded. I can do this by spending 1 or more actions. I can shore up tiles that are above, below, to the left, or to the right of me.

Exceptions:

If you’re an Engineer, you have a really useful ability – with just 1 action, you can shore up 2 tiles! That means you can make them stronger and more secure.

I can also move my Explorer diagonally across the tiles.

Sharing Treasure Cards

If both of our pawns are on the same island tile, I can give you one or more of my Treasure cards. Each card I give away will cost me 1 action. However, I am not allowed to give away any Special Action cards.

Exceptions to the rule:

If I am playing as the Messenger, I can give you cards without being on the same tile as you.

Capturing a Treasure

For 1 action, I can capture a treasure by getting rid of 4 matching Treasure cards from my hand. This can only be done if my pawn is located on the corresponding island tile.

Notes:

When you find a treasure, put some cards on the treasure pile and move the figurine in front of you.

You can find a treasure on a flooded tile.

2. Get 2 Treasure Deck Cards

After you take actions, you have to get 2 cards from the top of the Treasure deck and add them to your face up hand. Get one card at a time. If you get a Waters Rise! card, don’t add it to your hand, but do what the card says and then put it on the treasure pile.

Discover the Mysteries of the Treasure Cards

You won’t believe what lies in the Treasure deck! Brace yourself, because there are 5 of each Treasure card waiting to be found. To uncover the secrets of the Forbidden Island, you must gather 4 of the same Treasure cards. And don’t worry, you can share the wealth by giving Treasure cards to your fellow explorers.

Unleash the Power with Special Action Cards

Hold on tight! The Treasure deck holds not one, but two types of Special Action cards that will bring a twist to your adventures. These special cards can be your saving grace when the going gets tough. Keep them close, because they can be played anytime, even during someone else’s turn. Exciting, right? And the best part is, playing a Special Action card doesn’t cost you an action. Just remember to discard them to the Treasure discard pile after use. Oh, and a little secret – you can still tap into their power even if you have to let them go!

Beware of the Waters Rise! Cards

Hold your breath, my friend, because there’s a storm brewing. The Waters Rise! Cards can be either a blessing or a curse. When drawn from the Treasure deck, they trigger the rising tide, making your mission even more challenging. Keep your wits about you and prepare to face the unexpected!

Hey there! Did you know that there are three Waters Rise! cards in the Treasure deck? When you happen to draw one, here’s what you should do:

1. I’ll move the Water Level marker up to cover the next tick mark on the Water Meter. And hey, don’t forget to take note of how many cards will be drawn at the end of your turn – it’s shown on the right side of the meter!
2. Then, I’ll grab all the cards from the Flood discard pile and give them a good shuffle. After that, I’ll put them back face down on top of the Flood draw pile. You know what that means? We might see those previously drawn cards again!
3. Lastly, I’ll discard the Waters Rise! card to the Treasure discard pile.

Notes:

Oh, and just so you know, if you draw a Waters Rise! card, sorry, but you don’t get a replacement card.

Wait, here’s another thing! If you happen to draw not one, but two Waters Rise! cards in a row, don’t worry. Just shuffle the Flood discard pile once, and I’ll move the Water Level marker up by two tick marks. Phew, that’s a lot to remember!

If you get a Waters Rise! card but there are no cards in the Flood discard pile, just move the Water Level marker up 1 tick mark.

When all the cards in the Treasure deck are drawn, shuffle the Treasure discard pile and make it the new Treasure deck.

You can only hold 5 cards in your hand, including Treasure and Special Action cards. If you ever have 6 or more cards in your hand, you must immediately choose and discard the extra cards to the Treasure discard pile. If you decide to discard a Special Action card, you can use its action before discarding.

Now, let’s move on to the next step.

Step 3: Draw Flood Cards

Now that I’ve picked out 2 Treasure cards, it’s time for me to become Forbidden Island! I’ll start by drawing a few cards from the Flood draw pile. I’ll draw as many cards as the Water Meter level indicates.

Let’s say the level is at 3, then I’ll draw 3 cards.

I’ll draw one card at a time and put it face up on the Flood discard pile. For each card I draw, I’ll locate the corresponding Island tile and choose one of the following actions:

If I find an Island tile that hasn’t been flooded, I should turn it over to its flooded side.

Hey there! Let’s talk about what happens when the matching Island tile in the game sinks into the abyss. If the tile is already flooded, it’s gone for good! You have to remove both the tile and the matching Flood card from the game and put them aside. They are out of play now, so no more worrying about them.

Now, pay close attention to this: once you’ve revealed the matching Flood card, you can’t use a Sandbag card to save the flooded tile. Sorry, no second chances!

What about Pawns on Flooded Tiles?

If one of your pawns happens to be on a tile that becomes flooded, you need to take it off the tile. Flip the pawn over and then put it back on the tile. It’s a bit of an inconvenience, but at least your pawn doesn’t sink!

But here’s where it gets tricky: if your pawn is on a tile that must be removed, it’s in trouble. Your pawn needs to “swim” to an adjacent tile – up, down, left, or right – that is still part of the island, even if it’s flooded! If there’s no adjacent tile your pawn can move to, well, it sinks into the abyss and everyone loses the game. Yikes!

Now, there are a few exceptions to this rule. The Diver can swim to the nearest tile, not just an adjacent one. The Explorer, on the other hand, can swim diagonally. And the Pilot? They can fly to any tile they want! Lucky them, right?

What to Do When the Flood Draw Pile Runs Out

Hey there! If we ever run out of cards in the Flood draw pile, no worries! We simply take the cards from the Flood discard pile, mix them up, and create a new Flood draw pile. Just stack them face down, and we’re good to go. If this happens in the middle of a turn, we keep drawing Flood cards from the new pile as needed.

The Exciting End of the Game

Get ready for the grand finale! Our ultimate goal is to reach Fools’ Landing. Once we’ve successfully collected all four treasures, it’s time to celebrate! Each of us needs to move our pawns to the Fools’ Landing tile. But wait, there’s more! For the big win, one of us has to play a Helicopter Lift card, which will whisk our team off of Forbidden Island and into victory!

Oh, by the way, winning is still possible even if Fools’ Landing is flooded. It’s not an obstacle for us!

Now, let’s talk about the not-so-fun part. There are four ways we can lose the game:

• If both Temples, Caves, Palaces, or Gardens tiles sink before we collect their respective treasures. That would be a bummer.
• If, unfortunately, the Fools’ Landing tile sinks. We really need that one!

If you find yourself on an Island tile that sinks and there’s no other tile nearby to swim to, you can’t escape and the game is over. Moreover, if the water level reaches the skull and crossbones, it’s also game over. These are two important rules to keep in mind when playing Forbidden Island.