Forbidden Island Rules

Welcome to the mysterious and treacherous Forbidden Island! In this cooperative board game, you and your team of adventurers must work together to retrieve four ancient treasures before the island sinks into the sea. But beware, the island is full of dangers and challenges that will test your teamwork and strategic thinking.

Your mission is not an easy one. As the island sinks, its terrain changes, making it harder for you to move around and complete your objectives. You must navigate through flooded areas, avoid sinking tiles, and find the best routes to reach the treasures. Each adventurer has unique abilities that can help you overcome these obstacles, so make sure to use them wisely.

But the challenges don’t end there. The island is guarded by the treacherous Waters Rise! cards, which increase the water level and make the island sink faster. As the water level rises, more and more tiles will become flooded, making it even harder for you to complete your mission. You must work together and plan your moves carefully to stay one step ahead of the rising waters.

Remember, communication and cooperation are key in Forbidden Island. Discuss your strategies, share information, and coordinate your actions to maximize your chances of success. But be careful not to reveal too much to the other players, as the island’s mysteries must remain hidden until they are discovered. Are you ready to embark on this thrilling adventure and save the treasures of the Forbidden Island?

Components

Forbidden Island is a cooperative board game that comes with several components to enhance gameplay and create an immersive experience. These components include:

Island Tiles

The game board is made up of island tiles, each representing a different location on the island. These tiles are placed randomly at the beginning of the game and can be flooded or sunk as the game progresses. Players must strategically navigate the island to collect treasures and prevent it from sinking completely.

Treasure Cards

There are four different types of treasure cards in Forbidden Island: The Earth Stone, The Statue of the Wind, The Crystal of Fire, and The Ocean’s Chalice. These cards are used to collect treasures and can be exchanged to claim the corresponding treasure.

Each treasure card also has a corresponding treasure tile on the game board. Once a player collects all four treasure cards of a specific type, they can claim the treasure by landing on the corresponding treasure tile.

Collecting all four treasures is one of the main objectives of the game and is necessary to win.

Player Pawns

Each player in Forbidden Island controls a pawn representing their character. These pawns are used to move around the island, collect treasures, and perform special actions. The pawns come in different colors and have unique abilities that can be used strategically to overcome the challenges of the game.

Players must work together and coordinate their actions to maximize their chances of success.

Water Level Marker

The water level marker is used to track the rising water level on the island. As the water level rises, more tiles become flooded or sunk, making it harder for players to navigate the island. If the water level reaches the skull and crossbones symbol, the game is lost.

Players must carefully manage the water level and prioritize their actions to prevent the island from sinking.

These components, along with others such as the Flood Deck and the Treasure Deck, come together to create a challenging and immersive gameplay experience in Forbidden Island.

Setup

Before starting the game, you need to set up the Forbidden Island board and prepare the necessary components.

1. Place the game board in the center of the playing area. Make sure all players have easy access to it.

2. Shuffle the Island tiles and randomly place them face-up on the corresponding spaces on the board. The number of tiles used depends on the number of players:

• 2 players: Use all 24 tiles.
• 3 players: Use all 24 tiles.
• 4 players: Use all 24 tiles.

3. Place the 6 pawns on the starting spaces indicated on the board. Each player should choose a pawn color and take the corresponding player reference card.

4. Shuffle the Treasure cards and deal 2 cards to each player. These cards represent the treasures that the players need to collect.

5. Place the remaining Treasure cards face-down to form the Treasure deck. Draw the top 4 cards and place them face-up next to the deck. These cards represent the treasures that are currently available to be collected.

6. Shuffle the Flood cards and place them face-down to form the Flood deck.

7. Draw 6 Flood cards and place them face-up next to the Flood deck. These cards represent the flooded tiles that need to be resolved during the game.

8. Give the Water Level marker to the player who most recently visited an island. Place it on the starting space of the Water Level track.

9. The youngest player goes first, and play proceeds clockwise.

Now that the setup is complete, you are ready to embark on your Forbidden Island adventure!

Goal

The goal of Forbidden Island is to work together as a team to collect four ancient treasures from the island before it sinks into the sea. Each player takes on the role of an adventurer with a unique ability and must navigate the island, which is made up of tiles that represent different locations.

To collect a treasure, players must first collect the corresponding treasure cards and then make their way to the location where the treasure is hidden. Once all four treasures have been collected, players must make their way to the Fools’ Landing tile, which represents the helicopter pad, and escape from the island before it sinks completely.

However, the island is constantly sinking, and certain tiles may become flooded or even disappear entirely. Players must work together to shore up flooded tiles and strategize their moves to prevent the island from sinking too quickly. If the Fools’ Landing tile sinks before all the treasures are collected and the players escape, the game is lost.

Communication and teamwork are key in Forbidden Island, as players must coordinate their actions and make strategic decisions together. Each player’s unique ability can also be used to their advantage, allowing them to perform special actions that can help the team in their quest.

Winning the Game

To win the game, players must collect all four treasures and make their way to the Fools’ Landing tile to escape from the sinking island.

Losing the Game

The game is lost if any of the following conditions are met:

• The Fools’ Landing tile sinks before all the treasures are collected and the players escape.
• A player is on a tile that sinks and there is no adjacent tile to swim to.
• All players are on a tile that sinks and there is no adjacent tile to swim to.

Players must work together and use their abilities wisely to overcome the challenges of the sinking island and successfully collect all the treasures before it’s too late.

Gameplay

Forbidden Island is a cooperative board game where players work together to collect treasures and escape from a sinking island. The game is played on a grid of tiles representing different locations on the island.

At the start of the game, players are dealt role cards that give them special abilities. Each player takes turns performing actions such as moving to adjacent tiles, shoring up flooded tiles, or collecting treasure cards.

As the game progresses, the island starts to sink, and tiles become flooded. If a tile is flooded and it is flooded again, it sinks and is removed from the game. Players must work together to prevent tiles from sinking and to collect the necessary treasure cards to claim the treasures.

Players can also use special action cards to help them in their quest. These cards can be used to move other players, shore up multiple tiles at once, or remove water from flooded tiles.

The game is won if all players collect the four treasures and make it to the helicopter pad tile. However, the game is lost if any of the following conditions are met: the helicopter pad sinks, a player is on a sinking tile and cannot move, or the treasure deck runs out of cards.

Forbidden Island offers a challenging and exciting gameplay experience that requires teamwork and strategic thinking. It is a great game for players of all ages and skill levels.

Strategy

Developing a successful strategy in Forbidden Island requires careful planning and coordination with your team. Here are some key tips to help you navigate the challenges of the game:

1. Prioritize island tiles

Identify the most critical island tiles and prioritize their protection. Focus on tiles that are at risk of sinking or have important treasures. It’s crucial to prevent these tiles from sinking to ensure your team’s success.

2. Coordinate actions

Communication and coordination are essential in Forbidden Island. Discuss your moves with your teammates and plan your actions accordingly. Coordinate your movements to efficiently collect treasures and shore up sinking tiles.

Consider the special abilities of each player and assign roles accordingly. For example, the Explorer can move through flooded and sunk tiles more easily, while the Engineer can shore up multiple tiles in one action.

3. Manage the Waters Rise cards

The Waters Rise cards accelerate the flooding of the island. Keep track of these cards and plan your actions accordingly. Be prepared for multiple tiles to flood at once and have a strategy in place to deal with the increased water level.

4. Use the helicopter lift wisely

The helicopter lift card allows you to move to any tile on the island. Use this card strategically to transport teammates to critical areas or to escape from sinking tiles. Coordinate the use of the helicopter lift to maximize its effectiveness.

5. Plan for the endgame

As the water level rises, the game becomes more challenging. Plan your actions with the endgame in mind. Prioritize collecting treasures and getting all players to the Fool’s Landing tile before it sinks.

Remember, teamwork is key in Forbidden Island. Work together with your teammates, communicate effectively, and adapt your strategy as the game progresses. Good luck!

Role	Special Ability
Navigator	Can move other players up to 2 adjacent tiles in one action
Engineer	Can shore up 2 adjacent tiles in one action
Diver	Can move through one or more adjacent flooded or sunk tiles in one action
Explorer	Can move and shore up diagonally

Video:Forbidden Island Rules