This month's pick for game of the month is another cooperative game. Although we are a family that loves games, lately competitive games have been causing a bit of stress for my youngest son who has a really, really hard time losing! There are many ways to help everyone in the family enjoy game night (<--- check out our 7 simple tips!), whether they win or lose, but one thing that has been working for us lately is playing cooperative games. We recently acquired Forbidden Island and it has been a huge hit.
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Forbidden Island: Basic Facts
The object of Forbidden Island is to work as a team to capture the four treasures and escape the island before it sinks. Island cards are arranged in a grid (see photo) and pawns move from tile to tile. Each player chooses an Adventurer card which gives him certain skills and powers during game play. During his turn, each player first performs 3 actions, which may include moving, "shoring up" a tile against flooding, capturing a treasure or passing a card on to another player. He then draws cards from two decks: the treasure cards and the flood cards. I will be honest, it took me a little while to understand the directions, but my kids caught on right away! (That's getting old for you.)
Tips for Playing with Kids
- Cooperation is encouraged! One of the best things about Forbidden Island is that players benefit from asking the others for advice. We take turns giving advice before the player in question decides his move.
- The official game recommendation is for ages 10 and up. My almost 6 year old easily learned the instructions. Younger players could certainly play on a team with an adult.
- This is an excellent game for kids of multiple ages to play. Big kids help little kids and no one feels excluded because of a lack of skill. New Kid has been able to join his brother and his brother's friends for a game.
Forbidden Island has become one of our favorite family games! Everybody wins and that makes for a peaceful Saturday night. I highly recommend it and it would be a terrific gift.
Have you played this game? What about other cooperative games? Hoot Owl Hoot is another one of our favorite cooperative board games and the instructions for that one are much simpler!
See all our game recommendations, including my favorite game picks for gifts.
Melissa@Julia's Bookbag says
THANK YOU darling Erica! This is going to the top of my game wish list! I see a future Christmas present. This game looks right up our alley!!!!
Gina( says
My family (8, 8 and 11) absolutely loves this game, and we often give it as a birthday gift because it's easy for any family to learn and play together. The cooperative nature makes it great for non-gaming kids to participate, and we're thoroughly enjoying it in our third year of owning it. It plays different every time, and you don't always win as a team, so you feel challenged to try again.
claireannette1 says
We get a new game for every New Year's Eve - this will be the one for this year. Thanks!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Enjoy! It's awesome!
Juliana Swanson says
This was my daughter's first cooperative game (she received it for her 10th birthday). We love it. I love that it is the perfect length to play in that "not enough time to start something big" time -- it often happens right before our evening routine needs to begin.
Erica MomandKiddo says
So glad to hear you love it, too!
Ann says
We love cooperative games, this one looks exciting!
Erica MomandKiddo says
It is pretty fun!
Jen says
We love it too but I think my five year old is the only one in the family who actually understands the rules!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Yes, my kids understood the rules much more easily than I did.