Tabletop games
Forbidden Island
Cocktail GamesMatt Leacock2010
- players
- 2–4
- minutes
- 30
- years
- 10+
In the box
24 Island tiles · 4 carved treasures · Treasure cards and Waters Rise cards · Flood cards · 6 Adventurer cards and 6 pawns · 1 water level gauge
Box details
- Designer
- Matt Leacock
- Artwork
- C. B. Canga
- Publisher
- Cocktail Games
- Mechanics
- CooperativeAction PointsOnce-Per-Game AbilitiesSet CollectionModular Board
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
Affiliate link: Marquoir may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The basics
Together, the players must capture the island's four treasures and fly off from Fools' Landing before everything sinks. On your turn, take up to three actions (move, shore up a tile, give a card, capture a treasure with four matching cards), draw two Treasure cards, then turn over as many Flood cards as the water level. The team wins by flying off from Fools' Landing with all four treasures; it loses if Fools' Landing or a treasure not yet captured sinks, if an adventurer drowns or if the water rises too high.
The rules, step by step
Setup
24-tile island, 6 tiles flooded, 2 Treasure cards each
- Lay out the 24 tiles to form the island, then flood six tiles drawn at random.
- Each player receives an adventurer with a special ability, and two Treasure cards.
- Set the water level according to the difficulty.
How to play
3 actions, Draw 2 Treasure cards, Flood by water level
- On your turn, take up to three actions: move, shore up a flooded tile, give a Treasure card to a player on the same tile, or capture a treasure by discarding four matching cards on the right tile.
- Then draw two Treasure cards; a Waters Rise! card raises the water level and puts the Flood discard pile back on top of the Flood deck.
- Finally, turn over as many Flood cards as the water level: a dry tile becomes flooded, an already flooded tile sinks.
Scoring
No points, All win or lose
- No points: the team wins or loses together.
End of the game
4 treasures, fly off, Helicopter Lift played, Landing sinks: defeat
- Victory: all four treasures captured, every adventurer on Fools' Landing, and a Helicopter Lift card played.
- Defeat: Fools' Landing sinks, both tiles of an uncaptured treasure sink, an adventurer cannot swim to safety, or the water reaches the skull and crossbones.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
Can you give a card from a distance?
No, except for the Messenger: everyone else must be on the same tile as the player receiving the card.