Official Forbidden Desert Rules

Last Updated on July 22, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

In Forbidden Desert, players take on the roles of a stranded expedition team searching for a legendary flying machine buried beneath the shifting sands. Working together, they must navigate the ever-changing board, collect essential parts, and escape before they succumb to dehydration or get buried by the storm.

Enjoy Forbidden Desert? Make sure to check out Forbidden Island and Forbidden Jungle, explore new worlds with new and exciting challenges!

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How to Play Forbidden Desert

Objective

Players must work together to recover the four missing parts of the flying machine and escape before they run out of water or get buried in the storm.

Setup

1. Build the Desert Board
  • Shuffle and place the 24 desert tiles in a 5×5 grid with an empty space in the center.
  • Place the Storm Marker in the empty space—this represents the sandstorm’s starting location.
2. Place the Flying Machine and Parts
  • Put the Launch Pad tile somewhere in the grid. This is where players must assemble the flying machine to escape.
  • Set the four missing machine parts (propeller, engine, compass, and solar crystal) off to the side.
3. Assign Roles & Give Character Cards

Each player randomly draws a role card, each with a unique ability:

  • Meteorologist – Can peek at upcoming storm cards.
  • Archaeologist – Can clear two sand markers per action.
  • Climber – Can move through sand and take others along.
  • Explorer – Can move diagonally.
  • Water Carrier – Can collect and share water from oasis tiles.
  • Navigator – Can move teammates up to three tiles per action.

Place player pawns on the Crash Site tile (marked with a gear symbol).

4. Distribute Water & Equipment Cards
  • Each role has a starting water level, indicated on the role card.
  • Shuffle the Equipment Deck and give each player one equipment card. These provide special one-time-use abilities, like blocking the sun or removing sand.
5. Set the Storm Intensity
  • Choose a difficulty level and set the Storm Level Marker accordingly.

Game Turn

Each player’s turn consists of three phases:

  1. Take Up to Four Actions
  2. Draw Two Storm Cards
  3. Check for Sun Beats Down Effects

Phase 1: Take Up to Four Actions

Players can take up to four actions per turn, choosing from:

1. Move (1 action per tile)
  • Move horizontally or vertically to an adjacent tile.
  • The Explorer can move diagonally.
  • The Climber can move through blocked (buried) tiles and take teammates along.
2. Remove Sand (1 action per marker)
  • Remove a sand marker from a tile.
  • The Archaeologist can remove two markers per action.
3. Excavate a Tile (1 action)
  • Flip an unexcavated tile to reveal its contents:
    • Tunnels – Provide shade from the sun and safe movement.
    • Water Wells – Provide water refills (some may be mirages).
    • Equipment Tiles – Allow players to draw an equipment card.
    • Clue Tiles – Show where machine parts are buried.
4. Collect a Machine Part (1 action)
  • If a player is on the tile where a machine part is located, they can pick it up.

Phase 2: Draw Storm Cards

  • Draw Storm Cards equal to the current storm level. These may:
    • Move the Storm – The storm shifts, moving the Storm Marker and adding sand markers to tiles.
    • Sun Beats Down – All players lose 1 water unless they’re in a tunnel or have sun protection.
    • Storm Picks Up – The storm level increases, making future turns harder.

Phase 3: Check for Sun Effects

  • If a Sun Beats Down card was drawn, players exposed to the sun must reduce their water supply accordingly.

Winning the Game

Players win if they:

  1. Collect all four flying machine parts.
  2. Bring all players to the Launch Pad tile.
  3. Use a Flying Machine card to escape.

Losing the Game

The game ends in defeat if:

  • Any player’s water supply reaches zero (dehydration).
  • The Storm Level reaches the skull icon (sandstorm overwhelms the team).
  • The desert becomes completely buried in sand and no more sand markers are available.

Strategy Tips

1. Prioritize Water Conservation
  • Players should stay near tunnels and water sources to avoid dehydration.
  • The Water Carrier should distribute water wisely.
2. Manage Sand Levels
  • Keep key locations unburied to avoid being trapped.
  • The Archaeologist is especially useful for clearing sand quickly.
3. Plan for Equipment Usage
  • Use Jetpacks and Dune Blasters to navigate blocked paths.
  • Save solar shields for Sun Beats Down events.
4. Work Together
  • Use the Navigator’s ability to move teammates efficiently.
  • The Climber can help rescue trapped players.

Conclusion

Forbidden Desert is a cooperative board game in a race against time, balancing survival with exploration. With shifting sands and a constant risk of dehydration, teamwork and strategy are essential to uncover the flying machine and escape.

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