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Award winner
Forbidden Desert
Best for: Families, cooperative game beginners, kids 8+
Mensa Select
2–545mLight
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Award winner · 1 organizationSee buying options →
Forbidden Island
Matt Leacock · Gamewright · 2010
Work together to collect four treasures and escape before the island sinks. Tiles flip to reveal flooding — and eventually sink entirely. The Pandemic creator's family-friendly cooperative game that launched a genre for millions of players.
Players
2–4
Time
30 min
Ages
10+
Difficulty
Light
Why you'll like it
- The sinking island creates real visual tension
- Perfect introduction to cooperative gaming
- Rules take 5 minutes to teach
- The modular island is different every game
- Matt Leacock's most accessible design
How it plays
Forbidden Island is a cooperative adventure for families. Players are explorers on a sinking island, trying to collect four sacred treasures and escape by helicopter before the island floods.
Each player has a special role, like the diver or the pilot, and the team needs to work together. Each turn, more of the island floods or sinks. It's one of the best first cooperative games for kids and families.
May not be for you if…
- Experienced gamers will find it too simple
- One player can quarterback the decisions
- Luck of flood draws can feel harsh
- Limited strategic depth compared to Pandemic
Best for
Familiescooperative beginnerskids 8+
Awards
- 2010Mensa SelectMensa Select
- 2011Spiel des JahresSpiel des JahresNominated
Appears in
Where to buy
- AmazonCheck price →
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Common questions
How long does Forbidden Island take?
About 30 minutes once everyone knows the rules.
How many people can play Forbidden Island?
It plays 2 to 4 players.
What age is Forbidden Island for?
The publisher recommends ages 10 and up.
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