Forbidden Island

Do you really like Pandemic but find it’s theme to be a total bummer? I have good news for you! Forbidden Island is a cooperative game for 2-4 players created by Matt Leacock. If you’ve played his other awesome game, Pandemic, in which players take of the role of CDC agents and try to save the world from a plague, then you already have a good idea how Forbidden Island works as the mechanics are very similar but with a few fun tweaks and a way less depressing theme.  

In Forbidden Island players choose one of six fearless adventurers each with their own special ability and must work together and escape with all four of the Island’s mysterious treasures. Sound easy? Well, it is not. The Island hates you and doesn’t want you stealing its shiny treasure so it is sinking back into the ocean trying to take you and the treasure with it!

Working together is key and discussion is totally encouraged to figure out your optimal turn. On your turn you can move around the island, shore up flooded areas, trade a card with another person, and capture a treasure. After that you draw from the treasure card deck which contains helpful treasure and item cards but also the dreaded “Waters Rise” card. Which increases the number of cards you draw from the flood deck and also makes you shuffle the discarded flood card pile and put it on top of the flood deck before drawing from it. It gets pretty intense especially when an important location might sink and cause you to loose the game.

Forbidden Island is a really great time. The artwork is incredibly beautiful and a joy to look at. It can get pretty harrowing and that’s fun! I highly recommend this game! Check it out sometime!

-Mikey

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