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About Forbidden Desert
Forbidden Desert is Matt Leacock's cooperative follow-up to Forbidden Island, published by Gamewright. The players have crash-landed in a desert city and must dig up four parts of a flying machine before they die of thirst or are buried in sand. The storm is the board itself: it moves around the grid, sliding tiles and piling sand wherever it passes. It is a harder, sharper game than Forbidden Island and the water supply keeps everyone honest.
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Is Forbidden Desert Right for You?
Best for
Forbidden Desert is for families and groups who have played Forbidden Island and want something tougher. It teaches in ten minutes and the shifting board gives it a strong sense of place. Each adventurer has a distinct power, so the team has to plan together rather than play four separate games. Three or four players is ideal, where the adventurers' powers combine well without too much waiting.
Maybe skip it if…
It is a cooperative game with open information, so one confident player can end up directing everyone. Players who dislike being beaten by the game should start on the easier storm setting.
How to Play Forbidden Desert
Setup
Lay the desert tiles in a five-by-five grid with a gap for the storm in the middle, and add sand in the starting diamond. Each player takes an adventurer and a full water level.
On Your Turn
- Take up to four actions: move, remove sand, excavate a tile, or pick up a part.
- Excavated clue tiles point to a part's row and column; the part appears where they cross.
- Draw storm cards equal to the storm meter. The storm moves and adds sand, the sun costs everyone out of shelter one water, or the storm grows stronger.
How to Win
Collect all four parts and get everyone to the launch pad. You lose if anyone runs out of water, the sand runs out, or the storm meter reaches the top.
💡 Strategy Tips
Find the wells early. Water is the clock that ends most games, and a well you know about is worth more than a clue you do not.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring water. Running out kills an adventurer and ends the game, and new players think about it too late.
- Leaving sand to pile up. Tiles with two or more sand markers are blocked, and a blocked board is hard to recover.
- Excavating tiles at random. Plan which tiles to dig so the clues for each part come together.
- Splitting the team too far apart. You need to regroup at the launch pad at the end, and the storm moves everything.
Advanced Strategy
- Know your adventurer. The Water Carrier and the Climber in particular change how the team moves and survives.
- Stay near tunnels when a sun card is due. Shelter saves water, and water is time.
- Clear sand in front of the storm's likely path, not behind it.
- Pick up parts as soon as they appear. Every storm card can add sand, and the tile holding a part may be the next one buried.
Variants & House Rules
Difficulty setting
The storm meter has start positions for different player counts and difficulty levels. Raise it once you are winning consistently.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Forbidden Desert is the stronger of Matt Leacock's two Forbidden games, with a genuinely clever moving storm and a tighter sense of danger. It is quick to teach and hard to beat, which is a good combination for a family co-op. If you liked Forbidden Island, this is the obvious next step, and it holds up well after many plays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it harder than Forbidden Island?
Yes. Water, sand and the moving storm give you more to manage, and it is easier to lose.
Does it work at two players?
It works, but three or four is better. With more adventurers there are more powers to combine, and the storm deck feels less punishing when the team can cover more of the board.
Can it be played solo?
Not officially. Many players control two adventurers themselves, which works fine.