Robinson Crusoe: the Cursed Island

Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island is a co-operative game where 1-4 players are stranded on an inhospitable desert island, trying to find food, build a shelter, see off predators and other dangers – all while gathering enough wood for a signal fire to alert a passing ship.

The game takes place over 12 rounds – each round representing a day in the life of the castaways – and there are several phases to go through each day. There will be an Event (a card flipped from the event deck) which is usually a hazard to be negotiated. There will then be ongoing dangers to negotiate, if they weren’t taken care of in a previous round. There is then the option to hunt for food, the option to build (for instance, a shovel) to scavenge (for wood, perhaps) and explore the island to try and find more goodies. As in Daniel Defoe’s book, you may encounter the character Friday, who can help you. Finally there is a die roll to establish the weather – which is usually rain. Better hurry up and build that shelter!

On one level the game is a straightforward attempt to find stuff and use it to help you. But – as is thematically appropriate for a game about harsh survival against the odds – on another, whilst the players work together the game itself will be trying to defeat you at every turn. Knocking up a shovel sounds quite simple, but with no tools to construct it with, it’s quite possible you could hurt yourself in the attempt. In fact, all the actions – hunting, building, scavenging, exploring – carry an inherent risk. As the game continues you may find yourself taking a series of knocks and injuries, and if you don’t have enough food to feed yourselves at the end of a round, you take another hit.

All this bludgeoning means you are less likely to succeed at anything as time passes, and your health can deteriorate to the point where your character bites the bullet before the ship even arrives. If it does arrive, you still need enough wood to build a big fire and attract its attention… all in all, the harsh treatment at the hands of the game means you’ll be grateful that you’re in it together.

Sam says

The rules are fairly complex, but the game is thematically strong, telling a story – albeit a harsh and unforgiving one. There’s a sense of everything unravelling around you as time, food, and sanity crumbling, and so it’s worth bearing that in mind if your players prefer something that gives a sense of progress. There’s no such luxury here: it’s a firefight, a scavenger hunt and a psychic crumbling all at once. You’ll be defeated, perhaps many times, before you actually win. But those defeats can still be fun in the attempts, and make victory all the sweeter.

Take That!

None. At least, not from the other players.
Fidget Factor!

Everyone is involved at all times, and deciding what your character is going to do on a given turn can be a group discussion - just as it would be on the Island itself.
Brain Burn!

Although Robinson Crusoe is quite complex and the mechanics of it take some getting used to, the choices - whilst board in scope - are not too taxing. You tend to have to play quite reactively to what the game throws at you.
Again Again!

Enormously variable because of how the Island tiles are revealed as well as the various decks of cards, Robinson Crusoe also contains several other game scenarios that take place on the Island. Instead of enacting the titular character's story from the book, you could instead try your hand at the Cursed Island (needs exorcising) Volcano Island (survive the eruption) Cannibal Island (don't get eaten) and so on, all of which come with their own tailored game-boards.