---
product_id: 232983
title: "Forbidden Island, 1st Edition Board Game, 2-4 Players, Ages 14+"
brand: "gamewright"
price: "R1310"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
category: "Gamewright"
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/232983-forbidden-island-1st-edition-board-game-2-4-players-ages
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# 30 min average playtime 2-4 players cooperative gameplay 24 modular island tiles Forbidden Island, 1st Edition Board Game, 2-4 Players, Ages 14+

**Brand:** gamewright
**Price:** R1310
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🌊 Dive into the ultimate cooperative quest before the island disappears!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Forbidden Island, 1st Edition Board Game, 2-4 Players, Ages 14+ by gamewright
- **How much does it cost?** R1310 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/232983-forbidden-island-1st-edition-board-game-2-4-players-ages)

## Best For

- gamewright enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted gamewright brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Epic Team Adventure:** Collaborate to capture 4 sacred treasures before the island sinks.
- • **Perfect Quick Escape:** Engaging 30-minute sessions fit seamlessly into busy schedules.
- • **Dynamic Gameplay Every Time:** Randomized tile setup ensures no two games are alike.
- • **Pulse-Pounding Cooperative Fun:** Work together to outsmart rising waters and escape by helicopter.
- • **Strategic Depth with Accessibility:** Adjustable water levels tailor challenge for all skill levels.

## Overview

Gamewright's Forbidden Island is a thrilling cooperative board game for 2-4 players aged 10+, featuring 24 modular island tiles and 58 cards. Players strategize together to collect four sacred treasures and escape a sinking island within 30 minutes. With adjustable difficulty and unique tile layouts each game, it’s a perfect blend of strategy, teamwork, and fast-paced fun that keeps every session fresh and exciting.

## Description

desertcart.com You and your team can be the first to breach the borders of the Archeans' ancient mystical empire in the collaborative card game Forbidden Island, by Gamewright. In this game, teamwork proves essential to locate the Earth Stone, the Statue of the Wind, the Crystal of Fire, and the Ocean's Chalice as the Island floods beneath your feet. Adventure... if you dare! Mega T-Rex Ages: Ten and upRequires: Two to four players At a Glance: Be the first team to breach the borders of the Archeans' ancient mystical empireLocate the Earth Stone, the Statue of the Wind, the Crystal of Fire, and the Ocean's Chalice before the Island sinksFind the treasures through collaborative play and teamworkStimulates problem-solving and strategic skills Breach the borders of the Archean empire to locate the four sacred elements. View larger. Work collaboratively with two to four players to locate the treasure.View larger. The Legend of the ArcheansThis game is centered on the legend of the Archean empire, a civilization that possessed the ability to control the Earth's core elements--fire, wind, water, and earth--through four sacred treasures. These treasures stayed hidden from enemies for years on the Forbidden Island, which was designed to sink if intruders ever attempted to capture them. Set the appropriate water level for your gaming skill, and let the adventures begin!Capture the Four Sacred Treasures Before the Island Sinks!Your team of adventurers must work together to keep the Forbidden Island from sinking as you seek the four treasures hidden within. The mission is carried out using different combinations of Flood, Treasure, and Adventurer Cards on the 24 tiles that make up the Forbidden Island. Once you've captured each treasure using the appropriate cards, you must make it to Fools' Landing and escape by helicopter in order to win. If the island sinks before you complete your tasks, the mission ends in defeat.Use Collaborative Play to SucceedEach player is dealt an Adventure Card and given a corresponding pawn before the game starts, designating him or her with a certain set of strengths. This game is designed so that instead of competing with other players, you work to find the treasures and find out how to best use each Adventurer's strengths through collaborative play. This stimulates problem-solving and strategy skills.What's in the BoxWater level marker, water meter, 58 playing cards, 24 island tiles, 6 pawns, 4 treasure figurines, rules of play, Gamewright catalog, and comment card. Product Description 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! From the Manufacturer 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. 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.

Review: Simply one of the best co-op Euro games out there! - Forbidden Island sounds silly. Heck, it kind of looks silly. But what it lacks in instant appeal, it makes up for in gameplay. The set itself is in a nice metal container. The island tiles are heavy cardboard and the artifacts are nice quality rubber or plastic. The cards are typical, decent quality. The game has a variety of difficulty levels and is suitable for a wide range of ages and skill levels. Since the game is cooperative, younger or newer players can get assistance from other players. The object of the game is to collect all of the artifacts, four total, and escape the island before it sinks. There are up to six players, but even as a two player game it is quite fun. You can limit the amount of interaction if you like, or you can invite everyone to voice opinions as to your next action. You set up the island tiles randomly in a star like grid. Each time playing is unique, which is part of the fun. You then take turns around the board. Each player draws a card to determine what player they are. Each player has a unique ability such as the ability to move to any space on the board, or shore up two island tiles for only one move and so on. You can pick outright, but I find choosing randomly to be more fun. Each player takes three actions: move, shore up, trade, or collect artifact. Then the player draws two treasure cards, keeping up to five in their hand and discarding extra. If you draw a water rise card - uh oh! - the water level goes up and the game gets more challenging. The next turn is to draw flood cards equal to the current water level. You then flip the tiles indicated. If a tile is flipped already, then it's lost forever! So players want to make sure and shore up certain important tiles when they get flooded (flipped over). The game is over when all of the players collect the artifacts (combined for all four, not everyone will have an artifact), return to the helipad (Fool's Landing) and use an airlift card. Other ways the game ends is if a player is stuck on a tile when it is removed and there are no other adjacent tiles to swim to; or if Fool's Landing is removed; or if both island tiles containing an artifact which has yet to be collected is removed. On lower difficulty settings, it's quite easy. It gets more challenging as you start the water level higher. You can also remove a couple of special treasure cards such as the helicopter and sandbags (make sure to leave at least one helicopter or you can't escape!) It's a quick game lasting around 30 minutes on average. The cooperative style is very fun. I find it to be a good in between game - that is a game between longer games such as Dominion, Carcassonne, or Race for the Galaxy. It's great for friends, and it's easy to learn. What's great also is that as long as one person knows how to play, you can instantly dive in with newbies and assist them in the first couple of plays through. Highly recommended!
Review: Awesome adventure game to play as a team! - This game is awesome! Love that it comes in a tin. It’s a fun, collaborative game for families. My 7 and 9 year old boys love it and picked up the concept after playing just once. The strategy is to work together to complete the game, or lose together as a team. They’re both very competitive so this was a nice alternative to having someone lose. We played for maybe 30 minutes total on “novice” to make it easier for beginners, which can be changed as they get used to it, to make it more difficult.

## Features

- MISSION OF ADVENTURE: Embark on a daring quest with the Gamewright Forbidden Island Board Game, perfect for cooperative strategy seekers. Capture sacred treasures while navigating through perilous terrains, honing your strategy and collaborative skills
- Family Fun for Six: Gather siblings, friends, or family for a rousing romp with 2-6 players, ages 6 and up. Enjoy competitive camaraderie as you vie to build the lowest-scoring deck in this engaging, group-friendly game

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B003D7F4YY |
| Age Range Description | 10 years |
| Best Sellers Rank | #9,526 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #227 in Board Games (Toys & Games) |
| Brand Name | Gamewright |
| CPSIA Cautionary Statement | Choking Hazard - Small Parts, No Warning Applicable |
| Color | Multi |
| Customer Package Type | Standard Packaging |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 8,931 Reviews |
| Edition | 1St Edition |
| Educational Objective | To enhance strategic thinking and teamwork skills |
| Estimated Playing Time | 30 minutes |
| Game Mechanics | area control, card play, cooperative |
| Genre | Strategy |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00759751003173 |
| Included Components | Playing card |
| Indoor Outdoor Usage | Indoor |
| Item Dimensions | 6.5 x 8.75 x 2.75 inches |
| Item Dimensions L x W | 8.75"L x 6.5"W |
| Item Highlight | Family Board Games, Cooperative Board Games for Kids 8-12, Adventure Strategy Game |
| Item Part Number | FI, XGY-030 |
| Item Type Name | Forbidden Island |
| Item Weight | 0.63 g |
| Language | English |
| Manufacturer | Gamewright |
| Manufacturer Part Number | CSG-FORI |
| Manufacturer Warranty Description | No |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 10 - 15 years |
| Material Type | Paper, Plastic |
| Minimum Age Recomendation | 120 |
| Model Number | CSG-FORI |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Number of Packs | 1 |
| Number of Players | 2-4 |
| Operation Mode | manual |
| Rulebook Availability | Printed Included |
| Set Name | Forbidden Island |
| Size | Standard |
| Sub Brand | A-Team |
| Supported Battery Types | No batteries required |
| Theme | Mystery |
| UPC | 793631630813 791385029822 692000176030 759751003173 787799706459 086009011674 059751003174 798257474575 013031012485 057800156840 607052442521 |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |

## Images

![Forbidden Island, 1st Edition Board Game, 2-4 Players, Ages 14+ - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71pGcv2wdkL.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Pattern** options.

## Questions & Answers

**Q: Can anyone recomend games similar to this and Forbidden Desert that work well with just 2 players?  Thanks!**
A: Try Castle Panic (with the Wizards Tower expansion is best).  It's a fantastic cooperative game and can be played with up to 6 players, but it still fun with just two.

**Q: How would you regard the replay value of this game?**
A: There is a lot of replay value.  Because of the random game tiles and cards you can get a lot out of it. Plus you can adjust the difficulty of the game for a bigger challenge.

**Q: Is this a good game for adults**
A: Yes and no.  It is a fun and easy game.  The replay value is good because the board and characters change.  Unfortunately, most adults will outgrow this game.  Since the game mechanics are so easy to learn, it's a great game to get into collaborative gaming or for playing with younger children.

**Q: Is this good for children**
A: We play with our 8 yo daughter and 6 yo son, starting when he was 5.  He's very insightful about good moves and understands entirely what is going on, but we play collaboratively so I don't know whether he would do as well on his own (that is, whether a group of kids would enjoy it as much on their own).

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Simply one of the best co-op Euro games out there!
*by C***T on August 26, 2013*

Forbidden Island sounds silly. Heck, it kind of looks silly. But what it lacks in instant appeal, it makes up for in gameplay. The set itself is in a nice metal container. The island tiles are heavy cardboard and the artifacts are nice quality rubber or plastic. The cards are typical, decent quality. The game has a variety of difficulty levels and is suitable for a wide range of ages and skill levels. Since the game is cooperative, younger or newer players can get assistance from other players. The object of the game is to collect all of the artifacts, four total, and escape the island before it sinks. There are up to six players, but even as a two player game it is quite fun. You can limit the amount of interaction if you like, or you can invite everyone to voice opinions as to your next action. You set up the island tiles randomly in a star like grid. Each time playing is unique, which is part of the fun. You then take turns around the board. Each player draws a card to determine what player they are. Each player has a unique ability such as the ability to move to any space on the board, or shore up two island tiles for only one move and so on. You can pick outright, but I find choosing randomly to be more fun. Each player takes three actions: move, shore up, trade, or collect artifact. Then the player draws two treasure cards, keeping up to five in their hand and discarding extra. If you draw a water rise card - uh oh! - the water level goes up and the game gets more challenging. The next turn is to draw flood cards equal to the current water level. You then flip the tiles indicated. If a tile is flipped already, then it's lost forever! So players want to make sure and shore up certain important tiles when they get flooded (flipped over). The game is over when all of the players collect the artifacts (combined for all four, not everyone will have an artifact), return to the helipad (Fool's Landing) and use an airlift card. Other ways the game ends is if a player is stuck on a tile when it is removed and there are no other adjacent tiles to swim to; or if Fool's Landing is removed; or if both island tiles containing an artifact which has yet to be collected is removed. On lower difficulty settings, it's quite easy. It gets more challenging as you start the water level higher. You can also remove a couple of special treasure cards such as the helicopter and sandbags (make sure to leave at least one helicopter or you can't escape!) It's a quick game lasting around 30 minutes on average. The cooperative style is very fun. I find it to be a good in between game - that is a game between longer games such as Dominion, Carcassonne, or Race for the Galaxy. It's great for friends, and it's easy to learn. What's great also is that as long as one person knows how to play, you can instantly dive in with newbies and assist them in the first couple of plays through. Highly recommended!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Awesome adventure game to play as a team!
*by A***A on June 27, 2026*

This game is awesome! Love that it comes in a tin. It’s a fun, collaborative game for families. My 7 and 9 year old boys love it and picked up the concept after playing just once. The strategy is to work together to complete the game, or lose together as a team. They’re both very competitive so this was a nice alternative to having someone lose. We played for maybe 30 minutes total on “novice” to make it easier for beginners, which can be changed as they get used to it, to make it more difficult.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Edge-of-Your-Seat Fun - Another Co-op Winner!
*by S***. on February 22, 2025*

We're on a bit of a cooperative board game kick lately, and Forbidden Island did NOT disappoint! After loving Pandemic, we were looking for something similar, and this one was a blast. The whole "island sinking" thing really amps up the tension – you're constantly scrambling to keep tiles from flooding while trying to find the treasures. It's a really fun and unique mechanic. We played with four players, and it was the perfect amount of challenge. Each player has a different role with special abilities, so you really have to communicate and work together to succeed. There were definitely some tense moments where we thought we were going to get swamped, but we managed to pull through in the end! It was a really satisfying feeling to escape with all the treasures. The game is easy to learn, but there's still plenty of strategy involved. It's perfect for a family game night or a get-together with friends. We loved that it's cooperative, so everyone's working towards a common goal. If you're looking for a fun and engaging game that will have you on the edge of your seat, Forbidden Island is a great choice. Highly recommend it! Five stars!

## Frequently Bought Together

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-09-13*