OVERVIEW
Forbidden Island is the game that really got me into cooperative games and modern board games in general. Pandemic is my favorite game. Both of these are by Matt Leacock, so when his new title Forbidden Desert was announced, I could not wait to get my hands on it! I was a little worried it might be an unnecessary purchase for someone who already owns Forbidden Island, but I couldn't pass it up. Luckily, my fears were unfounded - although it scratches the same itch as Forbidden Island, it has quite different mechanics.
GAMEPLAY
If you haven't played a co-op game before, the basic thing you need to know is that the players play together against the game instead of against each other - everyone wins, or everyone loses. This is my personal favorite type of game, as it allows overly competitive siblings or spouses to have a more relaxed game night together. :)
The premise of this game is that your team's helicopter has crashed in the desert, and you need to excavate the ruins of an ancient city to find the parts to rebuild their legendary solar-powered flying machine. You do so by exploring on your turn, specifically by flipping over tiles - they make up the game board, so it is different each time - from "desert" side to "city" side and finding what is underneath them. The artwork on the city tiles is beautiful, as it was in Forbidden Island. There are lots of helpful things to find, including wells for your dwindling water supplies (each well can only be used once, and watch out for the mirage!), special equipment, and clues to the locations of the flying machine parts. Once you have two clues for a part, you have located where it is and just need to go grab it. If you can find all four and make it back to the launch pad with everyone, you win the game.
The actions you can take on your turn include clearing pesky piles of sand, moving around the board, excavating the city (aka flipping over tiles), and picking up the parts for the ship (I should mention here that the toy factor on the ship and its parts is GREAT!) Unfortunately, at the end of each turn you have to draw from the storm deck (this would be similar to the flood deck in Forbidden Island) and the "eye" of the sand storm moves, shifting tiles around and adding sand, often to places you just managed to dig out. If there is too much sand, a tile becomes "blocked" and it's harder to move around the board, plus the things you need can become buried. Two other unpleasant types of cards include "Storm picks up" (making you draw more cards each turn) and "Sun beats down" (you have to drink water from your canteen - if you have none left when one of these happens, you die and everyone loses the game!)
Luckily there are a few special item cards to help you along the way, and each player has a unique role with a special power that you will need to get through the game, such as being able to climb over blocked tiles, navigate other players, or carry extra water.
DESERT VS ISLAND
If you are familiar with Forbidden Island, the main differences are there is no set collection of cards; you only have one deck of cards to draw from every turn; and you have your own personal water supply to juggle. Also, tiles can not be permanently lost (like to flooding in Forbidden Island), only more difficult to access. Another aspect I like is that virtually ALL of the tiles are important in this game, since you need to actually explore and locations move. (In Island you mostly just needed to worry about the treasure tiles, Fool's Landing, and whatever pathway you needed.)
I think this game is probably more difficult than Forbidden Island if you're playing with the full range of players, but with only 2 people, this one seems easier to me. Next time we will have to up the difficulty level. The rules are also slightly more complex, but I think that kids who get one will get the other.
TAKEAWAY
If you have and like Forbidden Island, this one is definitely worth a look too. If you don't have either, I slightly prefer this one, but it is also shiny and new, so it's hard to recommend one over the other! Both are great games from a great designer. This is a good game for families, couples, or game groups looking for something light and fun (no heavy-duty strategy, but there are still interesting decisions and challenges and a lot of fun).
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From the manufacturer
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Forbidden IslandDare to discover Forbidden Island! Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step! Race to collect the treasures and make a triumphant escape before you are swallowed into the watery abyss! It’s a great honor to introduce the latest creation by cooperative game master, Matt Leacock. There are so many things we love about this unique game: from the rich illustrations, to the collaborative nature of play, to the innovative set of rules, to the infinite possibilities generated by the tiles and cards. Don’t be surprised if your pulse starts pounding faster soon after you start playing – it’s a game that instantly generates an electrifying atmosphere of tension and excitement! |
Forbidden DesertGear up for a thrilling adventure to recover a legendary flying machine buried deep in the ruins of an ancient desert city. You'll need to coordinate with your teammates and use every available resource if you hope to survive the scorching heat and relentless sandstorm. Find the flying machine and escape before you all become permanent artifacts of the forbidden desert! In Forbidden Desert, a thematic sequel to Forbidden Island, players take on the roles of brave adventurers who must throw caution to the wind and survive both blistering heat and blustering sand in order to recover a legendary flying machine buried under an ancient desert city. While featuring cooperative gameplay similar to Forbidden Island, Forbidden Desert is a fresh, new game based around an innovative set of mechanisms such as an ever-shifting board, individual resource management, and a unique method for locating the flying machine parts. |
Forbidden SkySoar to dizzying heights in this electrifying cooperative adventure! Work as a team to explore a mysterious platform that floats at the center of a savage storm. Connect a circuit of cables to launch a secret rocket - all before you are struck by lightning or blown off to the depths below. It’s a high-wire act that will test your team’s capacity for courage and cooperation. One false step and you all could be grounded… permanently! The saga continues! What started off as a simple island adventure has evolved into an ever-developing storyline. From ocean, to desert, and now to the sky, this latest installment takes you to new heights with several novel challenges, including collectively planning a terrain using only limited information, and constructing a real electrical circuit. |
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| Forbidden Island | Forbidden Desert | Forbidden Sky | |
| Number of Players | 2-4 Players | 2-5 Players | 2-5 Players |
| Ages | 10+ | 10+ | 10+ |
| Length of Game Time | 30 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 60 Minutes |
| Game Type | Card Game | Card Game | Card Game |
| Game Theme | Adventure | Adventure | Adventure |
| Awards | Mensa Select, 2011 Spiel des Jahres Finalist, MTV Geek, Top Board Game of 2010, BoardgameGeek.com Golden Geek Award, Games Magazine Top 100 Game, Parents' Choice Recommended, and FunFare All Star Award |
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Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
5 star game 1-2 players. Loses a star for each additional player.
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2020
I think some of the reviews differ on this game because the experience is very different depending on the number of players. I will get to that in the minute...If you like Forbidden island and Pandemic, this may be the game for you. It has elements from both games. I like how you are not just pretending to build the ship as you play. You have a little boat and parts to equip it with. It seems more complicated than it is. The rule book is pretty clear on how you are supposed to play. Once you have played to the end of your first game, it's not difficult to set up and play your next one without having to go back to the book to check how exactly something works. Definitely has replay value in my household.The playing pieces are pretty sturdy. They look the same as the pictures featured on Amazon. One of the plastic boat parts did arrive bent but not broken. I was able to bend it back without breaking it but there is a white line where the bend used to be. It doesn't interfere with it's function. The printing quality is professional for both the cards and the cardboard pieces. The tin looks really nice and arrived dent free for me.My biggest problem with the game is how different the experience is when you change the number of players. I see why people call it "easy" and a "kid version" of pandemic but also tell you it's too difficult and you should buy a different game. The more players you play with, the harder it gets. So hard, in fact, the game seems unwinnable with larger groups. The four difficulty settings should be the only things, in my opinion, that changes how difficult it is to play.So mom and dad want to play just the two of them at a more difficult level. Great! The two kids want to play together at the easiest level. Great! Mom and Dad want to play with their two kids on the easiest level. Too bad. It doesn't exist for four players so either someone is going to have to watch people play or everyone is just going to get frustrated when they lose every game together.This is also a problem when you are introducing it to a gaming group that hasn't played before. People usually want to try games at the easiest level when they are first learning it and try the harder later to fit their skill level. If you have more than two adults that you are introducing this game to, they are likely going to get frustrated with this game fast and not be willing to play it with you again.The sand storm meter rises faster and faster the more players you have. The one additional line in the meter that is added at three players and then another additional line at five players does not make up for this problem. This meter controls how many negative effect cards you draw for the storm which throws off the balance between those cards and the actions you can take as individual players.I've been trying out different suggested house rules to even out the difficulty between player numbers but so far nothing has fixed the problem. If I find one, I will post the solution here. For now, it's a fantastic 1-2 player game in this household to the point we made our own figures for it.
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2020
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Nish
Fight the storm, not each other!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2018Verified Purchase
Xander
A great game for absolutely everyone
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2020Verified Purchase
Ben Saunders
Great fun: a well-crafted collaborative game that works brilliantly with youngsters
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2019Verified Purchase
Derek
Working together, not against each other
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2021Verified Purchase
Mr. Colin Edwards
Great for familes
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2019Verified Purchase
