Gamewright
Gamewright Forbidden Island Cooperative Board Game
A sinking-island survival game where the whole table wins or loses together, with a difficulty dial for an easier or harder version of the same board. A step up in complexity from Outfoxed! for an older cooperative-game crowd.
See current price on AmazonAbout Forbidden Island
Forbidden Island was designed by Matt Leacock and published by Gamewright in 2010. Leacock is better known for Pandemic, and you can feel the family resemblance here: both games have you drawing cards that make the situation worse turn by turn, and both split the group into roles with different special powers so nobody can solve the problem alone. Forbidden Island came out two years after Pandemic and was built to be shorter, lighter, and friendlier to younger players, and it worked. It won a Mensa Select award and a Golden Geek award for Best Children's Board Game, and it was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres the same year it released.
The setup is simple to picture: the island is a grid of cardboard tiles, and as the game goes on, tiles flip to their flooded side and eventually get pulled from the board entirely. Each player is a different adventurer (the Diver, the Navigator, the Pilot, and so on) with one special ability that bends the normal rules, and everyone has to talk through their moves together because you win or lose as a team. On a turn you get three actions to move, shore up a flooding tile, or work toward one of the four treasures, then you draw cards that can flood more of the island. A single dial controls the water level at the start of the game, so you can dial the challenge down for a first play with younger kids or crank it up once everyone knows what they're doing.
What makes it work as a family pick is that losing doesn't feel personal. Nobody is out to sabotage anyone else, so a game that goes sideways is a shared problem to solve rather than a fight to avoid at the table. If you're weighing this against other team-based options, it's one of the picks in our best cooperative board games for kids guide, specifically as the stronger choice once kids are ready to move past the very simplest cooperative games.
The Honest Take
What We Like and What We Don't
What we like
- Genuinely cooperative: everyone wins or loses together, which several parents specifically bought it for as a break from competitive games where one kid always ends up upset
- The adjustable water level means you can start easy with a first-time group and ramp up difficulty as players get comfortable, without changing any other rule
- Sturdy, attractive components packed into a metal tin with a well-organized insert, and the sinking-island artwork holds up well at the table
- Plays fast, typically 20 to 30 minutes, so it's realistic to fit in on a weeknight or run back to back
What holds it back
- The playing cards are noticeably thinner than a standard deck, one reviewer said their spouse was afraid to shuffle them the normal way
- More than one reviewer felt it's too light and straightforward to hold the interest of an adult-only group looking for real strategic depth, even though it works well as a gateway or family game
- The metal tin, while a nice touch, doesn't stack or store neatly alongside a shelf of standard board game boxes
Is This For You?
Who Should (and Shouldn't) Buy This
Get it if…
you want a genuinely team-based game where nobody's kid ends up in tears because they lost to a sibling, you like the idea of one dial controlling difficulty so the same box works for a first play and a hundredth play, and you're looking for something that plays in well under an hour so it can become a regular weeknight thing rather than a special-occasion game.
Skip it if…
you're shopping for a group of adults who want real strategic depth and replayability, since more than one reviewer found it too simple once you know the rules. It's also not the pick if card durability matters a lot to you, since the deck is thinner than what you'd get in a standard playing card box and needs a gentler shuffle.
The verdict
Forbidden Island earns its reputation as one of the better entry points into cooperative gaming. It's not deep enough to satisfy a table of hardcore strategy gamers on its own, and the cards could be sturdier, but as a fast, teamwork-first game that scales from a 5-year-old playing alongside a parent up through a full family of four working the treasure hunt, it delivers on what it promises. If your family already likes it, our best cooperative board games for kids guide has a few more picks at different difficulty levels.
What Real Buyers Say
“Forbidden Island is a cooperative game for 2-4 players. It seems to clock in at right about a half hour of playing time. A clever game feature: you only have to change the starting level of the water to change the difficulty of the game. No re-mixing the deck, no convoluted alternative set-up. The components are high quality, nice cards, great chunky tiles with evocative artwork. Finally, the recommended age of 10 is correct, but only if the kids are going to be playing without any adults helping run the game. With a friendly adult, the game can easily be played by kids as young as 5.”
United States · June 30, 2010
“As with all Gamewright games, the components are stellar. If you have a huge collection of games, the tin is annoying to store with the rest. The insert is excellent, there's a spot for everything and the game sets up quickly. All that to say, the game is good, but will be too light for most adult groups. It plays best with kids because of how straightforward it is. It's relatively easy, but you can make it more difficult, and it's a great gateway game.”
United States · November 2, 2018
“The box is metal, and comparable in size to an especially thick hardcover novel. The tiles are sturdy. The cards are a bit thinner than standard playing cards, my husband was afraid to shuffle them the way you'd shuffle a poker or pinochle deck. The description here says ages 10-12, my husband and I certainly enjoyed it as adults. Our 5yo felt involved and had a blast. He didn't fully grasp the details or strategy, but he followed the general plot of the game and was quite happy to flip tiles, draw cards, move pawns.”
United States · May 9, 2014
“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. 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.”
United States · February 22, 2025
“I got this game to play as a two-player board game primarily. My husband and I needed a break from trying to assault, destroy, and otherwise obliterate each other in other games. Each person plays a different randomly selected character with unique abilities. Game play for us has typically lasted 20-30 minutes. The best part of the game is the discussion and planning that you do together, as a team.”
United States · June 3, 2016
“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. 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.”
United States · June 27, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is Forbidden Island actually good for?
The box says 10 and up, but that's really the age for a kid to run their own turns without help. With a parent or older sibling at the table explaining options, several reviewers had 5 to 7 year olds playing and enjoying it, they just leaned on an adult for the strategy calls.
How many players does it need?
It supports 2 to 4 players. Multiple reviewers specifically use it as a two-player game with a spouse or partner, and it plays just as well with a full table of four.
Can you adjust the difficulty for younger or newer players?
Yes, that's one of its strongest features. A single water level dial at setup controls how fast the island floods, so you can start on the easiest setting for a first play or with young kids, then raise it once the group has a few games under its belt, without changing any other rule.
How long does a typical game take?
Most games run 20 to 30 minutes, which is short enough to fit into a weeknight or to play a couple of rounds back to back.
Is it really cooperative, or does someone still win?
It's fully cooperative. Every player is on the same team working to collect four treasures and escape before the island sinks, and the whole group wins or loses together rather than competing against each other.
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