AI-friendly board game rules summaries — use with Claude, ChatGPT, or any AI assistant
Forbidden Bridge is a 3D adventure board game for 2-4 players where explorers race across a shaky bridge built into a cliff face to collect jewels and bring them back to the Start/Finish space. The bridge physically shakes when the Idol’s head is pressed, causing explorer figures to fall off. Players navigate through gameboard spaces, cliff spaces, bridge spaces, and jungle areas, rolling dice to move and steal jewels. The first player to return to Start/Finish with 2 jewels (or reach the Finish space with 2 jewels in a shorter game) wins.
Youngest player goes first. Play continues clockwise.
Roll both dice. The Number die tells you how far to move your explorer. The Picture die tells you to do different tasks. After you roll and do what the dice say, your turn is over.
Movement: You can only move in one direction on your turn, moving from space to space along the trail. Each space counts as 1 on your Number die roll. Gameboard, Cliff, and Bridge space counts as 1. All spaces are explained below.
Trail directions: The path goes from the Start/Finish space, along the gameboard, up the Climbing Cliff, across the bridge, to the Idol Cliff, and back. Unless your explorer already has a jewel (in which case you must come back), you are trying to collect a jewel. Collect jewels from the Idol’s hands (from either hand) before returning. All explorers move toward the Idol to collect a jewel. To do this, they must climb over the bridge to reach the Idol’s hands (and then return).
You may move in either direction on gameboard spaces and on the land. A player may choose to move in any one direction on the bridge or the gameboard as long as that direction always follows the trail direction.
MOVE: Move your explorer the number of spaces shown on the die.
IDOL: When you encounter explorers on the bridge, do NOT press down hard on the bridge planks.
IDOL: Press the Idol’s head down as far as it will go and release it. The Idol will start shaking the bridge.
IMPORTANT: When you roll the Idol, always press the Idol’s head before moving anything else.
EXPLORE: Move an opponent’s explorer to another spot on the same bridge space. (You may want to move it to a more treacherous location — but not on a large space.) This is an optional task. You may move another player’s explorer before or after you move your own explorer. If no explorers are on the bridge, ignore the die.
When you reach the Idol’s hands, take a jewel and put it in your canoe (your explorer’s backpack). Your explorer then needs to head back to the Start/Finish space to score.
If you’re not already carrying a jewel, try to steal a jewel from another player’s backpack! This can be done while on foot or in a canoe. This is an optional task. You may steal a jewel before or after you move your own explorer.
Steal and Move: If you’re already sharing a space with someone who has a jewel, take it and put it in your backpack. Then move your explorer.
Move and Steal: Lead by exact count on the same space as another player who has a jewel and steal it!
IMPORTANT: You CANNOT steal a jewel that is in the bottom of a player’s canoe.
There are 3 kinds of spaces: Gameboard spaces, Cliff spaces, and Bridge spaces. Each space counts as 1 on your Number die roll.
Gameboard Spaces: Two or more players may share the same Gameboard space.
Cliff Spaces: There are 3 Cliff spaces on the Climbing Cliff. There is 1 Cliff space on the Idol Cliff. Bridge spaces on the cliff edge count as cliff spaces. Only 2 players may share a cliff space.
Beach Space: This is the only space along the river where explorers can land or launch their canoes. Explorers may also move into a Cliff space or a Jungle space on foot from here. When loading your canoe or launching it, count the Beach space only once.
Jungle Spaces: Explorers on foot may move from Jungle space to Jungle space. (Usually you are in one of these spaces because you either fell off the bridge or you are seeking a jewel.)
Log: Some jungle spaces are connected by logs. You may use a log as a shortcut to cross the river. The log does NOT count as a space.
Bridge Spaces: There are 13 Bridge spaces on the bridge. Some Bridge spaces are large (safer) and some are small (riskier). Explorers move from one to the next. Bridge spaces with large jagged shapes allow 2 explorers to share the space. Only 1 explorer ends on a fully occupied Bridge space; others must slide to the next empty space.
After you roll an Idol and press the Idol’s head, the bridge will shake! Explorers may remain standing on the bridge. Or explorers may fall off the bridge — to the ground, or to the bridge, or hang off. (If they do fall off:)
IMPORTANT: If your explorer falls or is left hanging on another player’s turn, you CANNOT touch it until it is your turn.
When you move your own explorer or another player’s onto the bridge, the explorer’s base must rest flat on the bridge plank. The explorer must also always be upright on one of the cliffs. The explorer should NOT hang off the edge of a bridge plank.
On your turn, you may stand up your explorer after it falls. If you roll the Idol, you may pick up any fallen jewel as long as (1) your explorer’s backpack is empty, and (2) you are either on the same space as the fallen jewel or can move there by Number die roll.
When you’re on the space, pick up the jewel and place it inside your backpack. Then take your next turn.
Win: The first player who moves onto the Finish space with 2 jewels wins the game! (You do NOT have to land on the Finish space by exact count.)
YOUR FIRST JEWEL: When you collect your first jewel, follow the route for stealing jewels in your canoe. Place the jewels in your canoe, follow the route for stealing jewels to Start/Finish, stash your jewels by putting them in the bottom of your canoe. Then start your journey again.
Whenever you move onto the Start/Finish space without 2 jewels, you must stop and stay here until your next turn.
| Symbol | Effect | |——–|——–| | Move | Move your explorer normally | | Idol | Press Idol’s head (shakes bridge), then move | | Explore | Reposition an opponent’s explorer on the bridge, then move |