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Description
Forbidden Island is a visually stunning cooperative board game. Instead of winning by competing with other players like most games, everyone must work together to win the game. Players take turns moving their pawns around the 'island', which is built by arranging the many beautifully screen-printed tiles before play begins. As the game progresses, more and more island tiles sink, becoming unavailable, and the pace increases. Players use strategies to keep the island from sinking, while trying to collect treasures and items. As the water level rises, it gets more difficult- sacrifices must be made.
What causes this game to truly stand out among co-op and competitive games alike is the extreme detail that has been paid to the physical components of the game. It comes in a sturdy and organized tin of good shelf storage size. The plastic treasure pieces and wooden pawns are well crafted and they fit just right into the box. The cards are durable, well printed, and easy to understand. The island tiles are the real gem: they are screen-printed with vibrant colors, each with a unique and pleasing image.
With multiple levels of difficulty, different characters to choose from (each with a special ability of their own), many optional island formats and game variations available, Forbidden Island has huge replay value. The game can be played by as few as two players and up to four (though it can accommodate five). More players translates into a faster and more difficult game, though the extra help can make all the difference. This is a fun game, tricky for players of almost any age. Selling for under twenty dollars, oddly, Forbidden Island is a rare game of both quality and affordable price.
For those who enjoy Forbidden Island, a follow-up project by Gamewright titled Forbidden Desert was released in 2013.
From the publisher's website:
Dare 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!
Year Published
2010
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 11
This page: 11
Sentiment:
pos 8 ·
mix 2 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–11 of 11
Video YiLwjPR0Xs0
Three Minute Board Game game_review at 0:11 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 12650 · mention_pk 36939
Click to watch at 0:11
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- low-complexity entry point for cooperative games, approachable for newcomers
- sinking/shrinking board mechanic creates rising tension and a dynamic play space
- artwork and production quality hold up well for a game over a decade old
- compact storage and portable box improve practicality for travel and play on the go
- clear shared victory condition encourages teamwork and communication
Cons
- may feel repetitive or shallow to veteran co-op players
- in some groups it can degenerate into one person directing others, reducing player agency
- limited replay variability in some player configurations, which can impact long-term longevity
Thematic elements
- cooperation under pressure, peril, exploration, teamwork
- a treasure-hunting expedition on a mysterious island that rises from the ocean and sinks back down
- emergent cooperative puzzle with shared objectives and time pressure
Comparison games
- Pandemic
- Thunderbirds
- Horrified
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative objective with shared loss condition — the team loses if key locations flood and sink or if the water level reaches the end of the track
- hand management — players manage a hand of cards to coordinate actions, move, shore up tiles, and claim relics
- player collaboration / turn-based actions — one player acts per turn with up to three actions, including movement, shoring, or trading cards
- set collection — four matching relic cards are required to claim relics and progress toward the win condition
- tile flooding and shoring up — board tiles flood and can be flipped to a non-flooded side; players shore up adjacent or diagonal tiles depending on role
- Variable player powers — each player has a unique special power that affects movement, shoring, or card interactions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- straight up forbidden island is a low complexity co-op game that can get quite hard to beat on its highest difficulties
- the best thing about this game is the sinking and shrinking board it's quite novel and adds to the rising tension in the game
- it's designed by matt leacock who also made pandemic and you can see a lot of the same traits in that game here
- for another great entry-level co-op try horrified
- for matt leacock's best game check out thunderbirds
- forbidden island: needs more deep ones
- the art and production is really nice especially considering that the game is 12 years old, it holds up in that department really well
- it all packs away into a nice sturdy metal box that travels very well
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CX3DNcLYGlo
Going Analog quiz_show at 11:35 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12643 · mention_pk 36914
Click to watch at 11:35
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- creaking island sinking
- cooperative island rescue
- family-friendly cooperative adventure
Comparison games
- Flash Point: Fire Rescue
- Spirit Island
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — players work together to achieve a common objective
- tile-laying / island restoration — players restore sinking tiles to prevent collapse
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a good one I like it a little bit better than Welcome to the Jungle or Welcome to the dungeon because of just like it's because the form factor in the box and the it's cute
- they're like dungeon delving games
- they are Coop games so well done
- the common bond for a bonus point is that they're all Coop games
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Y1maitqW1gE
Going Analog quiz_show at 3:31 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10655 · mention_pk 31438
Click to watch at 3:31
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Cooperative play
- Accessible
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- cooperative treasure-hunt
- Islands with treasures
- cooperative puzzle
Comparison games
- Forbidden Desert
- Forbidden Sky
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we pick Canadian board game designers who are real life friends against each other
- this is the board game quiz show
- your final score is 12 out of 20
- you can stop watching and go play a game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zLc0J3DJZaw
Drive-Thru Review general_discussion at 2:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10374 · mention_pk 30555
Click to watch at 2:16
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- cooperative play with accessible mechanics
- stream-friendly potential and interaction
Cons
- potentially shallow for repeat play
Thematic elements
- Teamwork and exploration under pressure
- Cooperative island adventure where players rescue treasures before Island sinks
- Cooperative puzzle-solving with a shared objective
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players work together to achieve objectives
- limited actions per turn — Typically 4 actions per turn per player
- Tile revealing and flooding — Hidden island tiles flip and flood over time
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- looks awesome and I'm super happy that Arcane Wonders actually spent the extra time to uh run it through whatever mythical magical number cruncher they have
- I'm super excited about that
- the cooperative aspect of it is pretty cool.
- not a lot of hidden information
- I'm scratching the surface and I'm just going to learn as I do it and it's going to get better and better and better.
- Thanks again.
- I really appreciate it.
- we unlocked all the stuff and we're doing really good still
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video PgoIECFvcbw
Adam Porter general_discussion at 6:41 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9595 · mention_pk 28367
Click to watch at 6:41
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Good for 3 players
- Simple to learn
- Cooperative gameplay
- Works for one player with broken wrists
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Escape from sinking island
- Island
- Cooperative adventure
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative — Players work together
- Simple Rules — Easy to teach
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- a series of videos where I take a bunch of different possible scenarios some of them provided by you the viewers and I shuffle them up into a deck of cards I reveal a scenario and roll a dice to see how many players I've got
- I got in lots of trouble last time for using the word dice as a singular so we'll be sticking with die as long as I remember today
- everything economic uh that I really really love seems to cap out at five players
- I can't imagine how long it would take so I think that would probably ruin ruin game
- frankly I played that with uh two players once and we gave up after about seven hours
- there's some good ones but most games before 1995 would ruin game night if you tried to play them today
- you're not allowed to speak to each other and you're playing against the time so it's very frantic
- the only way you're able to communicate is by tapping this wooden token to say look I need you to do something
- I think Mysterium would fall apart if they didn't speak the language and that's odd isn't it because it does isn't a game that has any text in it
- I think a terrible idea there's not that much interaction and the game gets longer with each player that you add
- I don't understand the people who put down a big you know they stick down Scythe in front of kids or boast about the fact their four-year-old can play sides
- there's no reason to be playing um Snakes and Ladders or or Candyland I would say not that Candyland is a big thing in the UK
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 4K26gqbkYwE
John Perkis general_discussion at 15:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8830 · mention_pk 26053
Click to watch at 15:12
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Great gateway cooperative game
- Tight balance and theme integration
Cons
- Can feel similar to Pandemic for some players
Thematic elements
- Cooperative island survival
- A sinking island with hidden treasures
Comparison games
- Pandemic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players work together to collect treasures and escape as the island sinks.
- Tile/board integrity — Dynamic board where tiles flood and potentially disappear.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a terrible game I have done a video about why you should never play Monopoly
- this is a cooperative word building game this is quite a clever idea you've got letter cards you can't communicate and you're trying to
- this is a big group game a massive group game that you can play with like 30 people
- Sushi Go Party is a brilliant gateway hand drafting game where you're trying to eat the best meal of sushi
- Forbidden Island this is a very simple cooperative game from Matt Leacock the designer of pandemic
- Santorini is a wonderful abstract game it looks amazing on the table
- Mysterium does an incredible job of showing how different and exciting board games can be to new audiences
- I love Pandemic the original game which is now in this box
- it's a huge entertainment experience that has a lot of storytelling potential and a social component that keeps people engaged
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video S5U8msc-DTk
unknown top_10_list at 4:56 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8091 · mention_pk 23800
Click to watch at 4:56
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- classic gateway cooperative game
- fast setup and easy teach
Cons
- some players bottleneck on the role of leadership
Thematic elements
- cooperative rescue and survival
- island of perils sinking beneath the waves
- straightforward, accessible co-op
Comparison games
- Pandemic
- Descent: Road to Legend
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative tile-based tile flipping — players collect artifacts while a sinking island tiles intently reposition
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- pure cooperative where everybody wins or loses together
- we're in this together it's okay you know i'm not working against you
- macro level adventure
- this is the gloomhaven that should have been the first gloomhaven to come out now
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ivL9dAk5OhY
unknown top_10_list at 3:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6626 · mention_pk 19681
Click to watch at 3:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- easy to learn and teach
- excellent entry point to cooperative gaming
- leads to other Forbidden/ Pandemic-style games
Cons
- may be too light for veteran gamers
Thematic elements
- cooperative exploration
- island treasure hunt as it sinks
- light, toy-like theme with cooperative stakes
Comparison games
- Pandemic
- Forbidden Desert
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — players work together to achieve common objectives
- tile-based board — tiles represent islands that can sink or become flooded
- Variable player powers — each character has unique abilities aiding the team
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- all the interactions between players are positive
- this list is designed around people just getting into the Hobby
- easy to learn and once some people know the game you can mix them up
- Forbidden Island teaches the basics of cooperative gaming and can be used as a launching point to other games in the Forbidden series
- the Resistance is probably the best of them
- Seven Wonders scales incredibly well from three to seven players
- One worker mechanic is an awful lot of fun
- Memoir 44 is the most accessible of them mostly because it feels like playing with toy soldiers
- Small World looks really dinky and inviting but it's a mercenary and brutal game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cFcc3ouOeCo
Our Family Plays Games general_discussion at 26:03 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 6350 · mention_pk 18770
Click to watch at 26:03
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- great for families and new gamers
- tight cooperation under pressure
Cons
- co-op mechanics may feel repetitive to some players
Thematic elements
- teamwork and survival
- cooperative island adventure sinking into the sea
- story-like guiding objectives
Comparison games
- Patchwork
- Calico
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — players work together to retrieve treasures before the island sinks.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we love it we love it
- it's going to blow your mind
- the artwork is incredible
- we're going to answer your questions
- Calico is a good game
- the game is bizarre
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video HhMEflCG0s4
Box of Delights playthrough at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5205 · mention_pk 15426
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Well-designed components and tactile clarity (treasure cards, flood markers, water level track) that reinforce the theme.
- Strong cooperative play with meaningful role asymmetry (Navigator) that adds strategic depth.
- Tension builds naturally as the water level rises and tiles flood, driving tense decision-making.
- Accessible rules and a smooth onboarding for solo players, with clear turn structure.
Cons
- Flood management can become repetitive over long sessions, especially if the same tiles repeatedly surface.
- Luck of the draw in both treasure and flood decks can swing outcomes and reduce predictability.
- Solo play may lose some social dynamics present in multi-player games.
Thematic elements
- Adventure, teamwork, and urgent rescue as the island sinks beneath rising waters.
- A cooperative expedition across a sinking island archipelago, with treasure to recover before the tiles flood away.
- Cooperative, tension-driven, with turn-based action economy and escalating danger from flooding.
Comparison games
- Pandemic
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action points — Up to three actions per turn allowing movement, shore up, giving treasure cards, or capturing treasures.
- Capture treasure — Discard four matching treasure cards from hand on the correct island tile to capture that treasure.
- cooperative play — Players coordinate to collect treasures and shore up islands while avoiding multiple sinks and deck chaos.
- Movement — Move one island tile up, down, left, or right (no diagonal) per action.
- Shore up — Flip a flooded tile back to its unflooded side, preventing sinking for the moment.
- Special role ability (Navigator) — Some roles can reposition other players (move a player up to two adjacent tiles for one action) illustrating role-based asymmetry.
- Treasure and flood draw — After actions, draw treasure cards and then flood cards; flood cards cause tiles to flood and eventually sink.
- Treasure gifting — Give treasure cards to another player on the same island tile within one action.
- Water level and flood deck — Water level increases via 'Waters Rise' events; flood deck reshuffles discarded tiles, reintroducing danger and escalating urgency.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- really well designed components here
- The flooded tiles behave just like any other tile; the only difference is they're flooded and they're one step away from sinking
- this reminds me of Pandemic
- we've got to try and collect these Treasures
- the Navigator has this special move a player another two adjacent tiles for one action
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video PdvEFGCOETI
Davidson solitaire general_discussion at 8:36 sentiment: negative
video_pk 2514 · mention_pk 7340
Click to watch at 8:36
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- Cooperative play that is accessible to students
- Simple mechanics for quick learning
Cons
- In practice, the group may abandon it for more competitive games
Thematic elements
- teamwork to collect artifacts and escape rising waters
- cooperative island survival
- cinematic adventure with peril
Comparison games
- Forbidden Desert
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players share actions and resources to secure artifacts and escape before the island sinks.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a jousting game that's kind of vicious and it's based on colors and numbers
- Sushi Go Party is an adorable and really easy to learn and teach drafting
- Splendor is addictive but they just can't quit
- Diamonds because it's a trick-taking game so kids who have played hearts or spades tend to like it
- Castle Panic has been a huge hit in my classroom
- Escape the Dark Castle
- Azul is one of those evergreen games
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–11 of 11