Forbidden Desert
- Players
- 2-5
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 4 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 45 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 10+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.0 / 5
- Year
- 2013
About the game
Forbidden Desert sends a team of adventurers into a shifting desert to recover a legendary flying machine before they succumb to heat and sandstorm. The board itself changes each turn as tiles are moved and revealed, forcing players to constantly reassess their plan. Players manage limited water and equipment while excavating sand and assembling the machine's parts. If the team finds and rebuilds the flying machine in time, everyone escapes together.
Hobbli's Notes
Forbidden Desert takes the cooperative formula of Forbidden Island and adds a genuinely clever shifting board, which keeps every playthrough feeling different. The resource management around water and heat creates real, tense decisions each round. It's a bit shorter and punchier than its cousin, making it a great next step for groups who already enjoy cooperative survival games.
What we like
- Shifting tile board keeps the game fresh across replays.
- Tight resource management creates genuine cooperative tension.
- Reasonably quick playtime for the depth it offers.
- Solo mode makes it flexible for any group size.
Keep in mind
- Sandstorm mechanics can feel punishing and swingy at times.
- A dominant player can end up quarterbacking the group's decisions.
- Theme and objectives can feel similar across many plays.
Who it's for
Families and casual cooperative gamers, playable solo or in groups of up to 5, ages 8 and up.
