Gamewright Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island from Gamewright is a cooperative adventure game for two to four players that plunges everyone into the role of daring treasure hunters racing to recover four sacred artifacts before a mysterious island sinks beneath the waves. Designed by Matt Leacock, the game uses a modular board made of individually named location tiles that can be arranged differently every time you play, ensuring no two expeditions ever feel the same. As players explore temples, caves, and lost cities, the island itself becomes the real antagonist, with tiles flooding and eventually sinking away, forcing the team to adapt their strategy on the fly while racing against a rising tide of peril.

What makes Forbidden Island stand out in the cooperative board game space is its elegant balance of simplicity and strategic depth. Each player takes on a unique role, such as the Diver, Engineer, Explorer, Messenger, Navigator, or Pilot, each granting special abilities that encourage teamwork and communication rather than competition. Success hinges on players working together to shore up flooding tiles, share treasure cards, and coordinate movement across the island before it disappears entirely. The game includes an adjustable difficulty system through its Water Meter, allowing new players to ease into the mechanics while giving seasoned strategists a genuinely challenging experience as the flood waters rise faster and the stakes intensify.

Housed in a sturdy tin that reflects the adventurous, nautical theme, Forbidden Island includes beautifully illustrated tiles, treasure cards, flood cards, and pawns representing each adventurer, all crafted with the durability and portability board game enthusiasts appreciate for game nights or travel. It typically plays in about thirty minutes, making it an ideal choice for families, casual gamers, and hobbyists looking for a quick yet immersive cooperative experience. Suitable for ages ten and up, Forbidden Island has earned its reputation as a modern classic in the cooperative genre, praised for teaching collaborative problem-solving, quick thinking, and shared victory or defeat, reinforcing that in this game, everyone wins or loses together as the island sinks beneath their feet.

Key features

• Cooperative gameplay for 2-4 players
• Modular island tile board changes every game
• Four unique adventurer roles with special abilities
• Treasure collection and helicopter escape win condition
• Adjustable difficulty levels from Novice to Legendary
• Sinking island mechanic creates rising tension

Player reviews