Overview
Forbidden Desert is a cooperative game for 2-5 players where a team of adventurers must excavate an ancient desert city to find and assemble a legendary solar-powered flying machine before being buried by sand or dying of thirst. The desert storm constantly shifts the tiles, piles sand, and drains water. Players must work together to uncover clue tiles that reveal the locations of the four flying machine parts, collect them, gather at the Launch Pad, and escape.
Components
- 24 double-sided desert/city tiles
- 49 cards: 31 Storm cards, 12 Equipment cards, 6 Adventurer cards
- 48 Sand markers (double-sided: normal/blocked “X”)
- 6 wooden pawns and 6 meter clips
- 4 flying machine parts (propeller, engine, solar crystal, navigation deck)
- 1 flying machine model
- 1 Sand Storm meter + stand
Setup
- Shuffle 24 desert tiles and place them desert-side up in a 5x5 grid with a hole in the center (the Storm). Orient tiles with compass in top-left corner. Leave small gaps.
- Place 8 Sand markers (normal side up) on tiles per the setup diagram.
- Remove the 4 flying machine parts and place them nearby.
- Set the Sand Storm meter to the desired difficulty level based on player count.
- Separate Storm, Equipment, and Adventurer cards. Shuffle Storm and Equipment decks.
- Deal 1 random Adventurer card per player. Read powers aloud. Attach water meter clips to canteens (most start at 4).
- Place matching-color pawns on the crash site tile.
Turn Structure
On each turn (thirstiest player goes first, then clockwise):
1. Take Up to 4 Actions
Choose any combination:
- Move: Move to an adjacent unblocked tile (up/down/left/right, not diagonal). Can also move between excavated Tunnel tiles for 1 action. Tiles with 2+ Sand markers are blocked.
- Remove Sand: Remove 1 Sand marker from your tile or an adjacent tile (1 action per marker).
- Excavate: Flip your current tile to its city side (must have 0 Sand markers). Follow the tile’s instructions.
- Pick Up a Part: Collect a revealed flying machine part on your unblocked, excavated tile (1 action).
Free actions: Players on the same tile may share water and pass Equipment cards at any time for free.
2. Draw Storm Cards
Draw Storm cards equal to the current Storm meter level. Resolve each:
- Wind Blows: Shift 1-3 tiles into the Storm’s empty space. Add 1 Sand marker to each shifted tile. Pawns, Sand markers, and parts move with tiles.
- Sun Beats Down: All players must drink 1 water (move canteen clip down 1). Players on excavated Tunnel tiles are sheltered and do not drink.
- Storm Picks Up: Increase the Sand Storm meter by 1. Draw more cards in future turns.
Actions
Special Tiles
| Tile Type |
Effect |
| Water Well (2 tiles) |
When excavated, all players on the tile may add 2 water to canteens. One-time only. |
| Mirage (1 tile) |
Looks like water but provides nothing when excavated. |
| Gear (12 tiles) |
Draw 1 Equipment card immediately. |
| Part Location Clue (8 tiles, 2 per part) |
Reveals row or column of a part. When both clues for a part are found, place that part on the intersection tile. |
| Tunnel (3 tiles) |
Move between any excavated Tunnels for 1 action. Provides shelter from Sun Beats Down. |
| Launch Pad (1 tile) |
All players must gather here with all 4 parts to win. |
Adventurer Powers
| Adventurer |
Special Power |
| Explorer |
May move and remove sand diagonally |
| Climber |
May move to blocked tiles and carry 1 player along |
| Meteorologist |
May spend actions to draw fewer Storm cards or look at top Storm cards |
| Navigator |
May move other players up to 3 tiles per action |
| Water Carrier |
May take 2 water from wells, share water from adjacent tiles |
| Archaeologist |
May remove 2 Sand markers per action |
Equipment Cards
- Dune Blaster: Remove all Sand from 1 tile
- Jet Pack: Move to any tile
- Terrascope: Peek at any unexcavated tile
- Secret Water Reserve: Gain 2 water
- Solar Shield: Protect from 1 Sun Beats Down card
- Time Throttle: Take 2 extra actions this turn
Scoring / Victory Conditions
Win: All 4 flying machine parts collected, all players on the Launch Pad.
Lose (any of these):
- Any player’s water runs out (canteen reaches skull)
- Sand Storm meter reaches the skull
- Sand markers run out (buried alive)
- A needed tile is buried under too much sand to recover practically
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- Blocked Tiles: Any tile with 2+ Sand markers is impassable (marked with “X” side). Must remove sand to access.
- Storm Movement: The Storm (empty space) never has sand placed on it. Tiles shift into the empty space, and the Storm effectively “moves” in the opposite direction.
- Part Placement: Parts appear at the intersection of their row and column clues. If the intersection is the Storm’s location, the part is placed when a tile moves there. Parts move with tiles.
- Canteen Limits: Players cannot exceed their canteen maximum when sharing water or visiting wells.
- Tunnel Shelter: Only excavated Tunnels provide shelter from Sun Beats Down.
- No Undo: Excavation cannot be undone once a tile is flipped.
Player Reference
Turn Sequence
- Take up to 4 actions (Move, Remove Sand, Excavate, Pick Up Part)
- Draw Storm cards = Storm meter level
Sand Storm Meter Levels
| Difficulty | Starting Level |
|———–|—————|
| Novice | 2 |
| Normal | 3 |
| Elite | 4 |
| Legendary | 5 |
Win Condition Checklist
- All 4 parts found and collected
- All players on Launch Pad
- Fly away to safety