|
Pete Belli
United States
Florida
-
Santa brought my wife a copy of Forbidden Island this Christmas. Coincidentally, I was hoping to try this game. What a lucky break for me!
This nuts-and-bolts of this cooperative game have been extensively reviewed on BGG but this article is going to look at the design from a different perspective. Forbidden Island could be the ideal choice for a couple who enjoy board games but have different playing styles. Our experience might provide an excellent illustration.
My wife saw Forbidden Island at the mall. The collectible tin package really caught her attention and the title (one of the all-time greatest names for a game in the history of the hobby) drew her like a lodestone. I deviously shrugged off her questions about the game and instantly resolved to purchase a copy later.
There is nothing not to like about the game’s presentation. The components are superb and the rulebook is easy to absorb. Even the least Geeky member of a game group (or a family gathered around the table) can quickly grasp the concepts and get hooked by the Forbidden Island mystique.
Our shared experience went much deeper than the deluxe treasure tokens, the delicious frustration of too few actions with too much happening, or the tension caused by the island sinking under our feet. Since we have different playing styles and different Geek personalities Forbidden Island became a sort of co-op board game Rorschach test that allowed each of us to see what we chose to see on the table.
My beloved has an analytical mind, as is customary among people with scientific training. Her calculating brain can balance options with the precision of a laboratory scale, weighing each choice in relation to the possible outcomes and banishing all emotion from her Spock-like logical evaluation. Unfortunately, this intellectual legerdemain can often lead to analysis paralysis. This is particularly true when we play a game for the first time.
I tend to play games aggressively and impulsively. Even when enjoying the most complex wargame challenge which might take hours to complete I’m apt to say, “Hey, we’ll try this strategy!” without really thinking through all of the possible permutations of that decision. I stink at railroad investment games or any design with complicated economic systems because I just can’t be bothered to calculate the return on a stock purchase to the umpteenth decimal point. As you can imagine, I’m not much of a chess player.
For us the Forbidden Island display was a blank canvas upon which we could spread and smear paint according to our own Geek passions.
My wife coldly manipulated the abacus that is her beautiful brain and attempted to plan the next logical move in our adventure. I dashed around the terrain tiles like Indiana Jones on Red Bull and had a fine time even though I damn near lost the game with a hasty decision that allowed the helicopter landing zone to remain in a flooded state. Our emotionally opposite but still harmoniously balanced Yin-Yang board game personalities were forged into one powerful unit.
We barely escaped with a win. In case you’re keeping score at home, I snagged three artifacts but my spouse only grabbed one.
I’m not sure how Forbidden Island will stand up to repeated play. My wife says the chances of a quick death are good but each session will be different. I tend to agree with her analysis of the design.
I can’t think of any reason not to buy this game.
The superb images used in this review were created by:
kirby g
United States
sheboygan
Wisconsin
Mikko Saari
Finland
http://www.lautapeliopas.fi/ - the best Finnish board game resource!
-
Kevin Garnica
United States
Buena Park
California
-
Great and entertaining review. I love your personalities. And Forbidden Island is a great game! I've sucked in many a couple/friend(s) into this game.
-
-
I just got an extra copy for a gift (someday)
Target has them for $15.99
great price
-
Christopher
Belgium
De Panne
Bachten de Kupe
-
pete belli wrote:
Our emotionally opposite but still harmoniously balanced Yin-Yang board game personalities were forged into one powerful unit.
beautiful!
BTW the only reason why I don't have Forbidden Island is that, from a mechanics viewpoint, it is barely different from Pandemic, which I own and play with my wife with a likewise experience as you had playing FI.
-
Help me to help you! Help me to help you!
United States
-
teufen wrote: pete belli wrote:
Our emotionally opposite but still harmoniously balanced Yin-Yang board game personalities were forged into one powerful unit.
beautiful! BTW the only reason why I don't have Forbidden Island is that, from a mechanics viewpoint, it is barely different from Pandemic, which I own and play with my wife with a likewise experience as you had playing FI.
Have you played it? I felt the same way as you until I played it and have found that it occupies a very different part of our gaming library from Pandemic.
-
Christopher
Belgium
De Panne
Bachten de Kupe
-
WrongWrongWrong wrote:
Have you played it? I felt the same way as you until I played it and have found that it occupies a very different part of our gaming library from Pandemic.
I haven't played it. This is purely base on what I read about it and on experiences from a gaming buddy (who is not to much into co-op games anyway, now I'm thinking about it). Thanks for the hint, I'll try to play it and update my opinion afterwards.
-
|
|
|
Posted Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:48 pm
