Overview
Four sacred treasures are hidden on a sinking island. Work together to retrieve all four, get back to Fool’s Landing, and escape by helicopter before the island goes under.
See also: Forbidden Desert Review · Pandemic Review
Kaitlyn’s Review
Likes
- Inexpensive and great value
- Beautiful, durable tile design
- Adjustable difficulty level
- Great starter cooperative game
Dislikes
- Not challenging enough for experienced players
- Pandemic does the formula better
First Impressions
Cooperative games are at the heart of why I love board gaming — the conversation, the shared strategy, everyone working toward one goal. Forbidden Island delivers most of what I want in a co-op and is one I’d recommend without hesitation to newer or younger players.
Thoughts
Forbidden Island is the entry-level Matt Leacock cooperative experience. The same designer made Pandemic (2008) and Forbidden Desert (2013), and all three share a core DNA. Of the three, Forbidden Island is the most accessible and the least intense.
The random tile setup changes every game. The board is built by laying out tiles randomly — so every play creates different distances between treasures and flood risk patterns. The adjustable water meter lets you dial in difficulty before you start.
Adventurer roles add variety. Six role cards are shuffled and randomly dealt. Each player has a special ability — the Navigator can move others, the Engineer can shore up two tiles per action, the Diver can move through flooded tiles. These roles encourage different approaches and force communication.
Why it’s a great starter co-op: knowledge players have of the game doesn’t create a huge advantage. The random setup means you can’t fully plan ahead. And because you win and lose together, it softens the impact of mistakes — new players don’t feel like they ruined the game for everyone.
The challenge ceiling is low. Even at maximum difficulty, Forbidden Island rarely creates the genuine nail-biting tension of Pandemic. Each treasure has two locations it can be recovered from, which acts as a safety buffer. We’ve won at high difficulty more consistently than we’d like. It doesn’t fail to entertain, but experienced co-op players will outgrow it quickly.
The tin packaging is genuinely great. Compact, sturdy, perfect for travel. The tiles are well made and hold up to heavy use.
Conclusion
Forbidden Island is an excellent first cooperative game — especially for families and newer gamers. At its low price point, the production quality and replayability are impressive. Once you’ve played it a few times and want more challenge, step up to Forbidden Desert and eventually Pandemic. Each is a meaningful upgrade in complexity and tension.
