Is Forbidden Desert good for kids? Age and difficulty

How do you set up Forbidden Desert?

Checked against the Gamewright English rules for Forbidden Desert (2013). The rulebook has no printed page numbers, so page numbers here are PDF pages: page 1 is the cover and overview, and setup is page 2.

1. Look at both sides of the 24 desert tiles, then turn them all desert-side up. Don't peek at tiles once they are turned over (page 2).
2. Shuffle the tiles and lay them desert-side up in a 5 by 5 square with the middle space empty. The empty space is the Sand Storm. Turn every tile the same way, with the compass symbol in the top left corner, and leave a small gap between tiles (page 2).
3. Put 8 Sand markers on the board where the setup picture shows, light side up. Keep the rest in a pile beside the board (page 2).
4. Take the 4 parts off the flying machine and put them nearby (page 2).
5. Put the Sand Storm meter in its holder and clip a meter clip onto it for your number of players and the difficulty you want. For a first cooperative game use the Novice level (page 2).
6. Split the cards into the Storm deck (red back), the Equipment deck and the Adventurer cards. Shuffle the Storm deck and put it face down above the desert with the compass symbol pointing away from the board. Shuffle the Equipment deck and put it face down to the side (page 2).
7. Deal 1 Adventurer card to each player at random. Everyone reads out their role and powers. Put extra Adventurer cards back in the box (page 2).
8. Clip a meter clip on each Adventurer card to cover the top mark of the canteen, which is 4 water for most adventurers (page 2).
9. Each player takes the pawn matching their Adventurer card's colour and puts it on the helicopter crash tile. Put extra pawns back in the box (page 2).
10. The thirstiest player goes first. Play goes to the left (page 3).

How do you teach Forbidden Desert to kids?

The box says 10 and up. We suggest 9 and up with an adult helping, and 10 and up on their own. It is a cooperative game: everyone wins or loses together, and teammates are encouraged to give each other advice (page 3).

Say this

1. Our helicopter crashed in a desert city. We need to find 4 parts of a flying machine and all get to the Launch Pad to fly away.
2. On your turn you get up to 4 actions: move, remove sand, flip a tile over to see what is under it, or pick up a part.
3. Clue tiles show a row or a column. When you have found both clues for a part, the part appears where the row and column meet.
4. After your actions, you draw storm cards. The storm moves tiles, piles sand on them, and some cards make everyone drink water.
5. If anyone runs out of water, we run out of sand markers, or the storm gets too strong, we all lose.
6. Each of you has a special power. Read yours out so the team can plan around it.

The rulebook suggests starting at the Novice level for a first cooperative game (page 2) and trying harder levels once you win (page 7). It has no other beginner variant, so the rest below are house rules.

First-game simplifications

• Official variant Start the Sand Storm meter at the Novice level (page 2).
• House rule Let a grown-up draw and resolve the storm cards each turn in the first game, so kids see how tiles shift.
• House rule Let a grown-up remind each kid of their power at the start of every turn in the first game.

Watch-outs for kids ages 9 to 10

• Every turn has two parts: up to 4 actions, then storm cards. The storm cards come every turn, even if you did no actions (page 3).
• You can't undo an excavate. Once you flip a tile, that action is spent (page 3).
• A tile with 2 or more Sand markers is blocked. You can't move onto it, and if you are standing on one you must dig out before doing anything else (pages 3 and 6).
• You can't place a part until you have found both of its clues (page 4).
• Tiles that the storm moves take their pawns, sand and parts with them, and each moved tile gets one more Sand marker (page 5).
• You can share water and pass equipment for free with a player on your tile. Nobody can go above their canteen's maximum (page 3).
• To win, all the parts must be found, and everyone must be on an unblocked Launch Pad (page 6).

Back for another game?

• Each turn: take up to 4 actions, then draw as many Storm cards as the Sand Storm level (page 3).
• Actions: move (up, down, left or right), remove 1 Sand marker from your tile or a next-door tile, excavate your tile if it has no sand, or pick up a part from an unblocked, excavated tile (page 3).
• Free actions with someone on your tile: share water and pass equipment (page 3).
• Storm cards: a Wind Blows card slides tiles into the empty space and adds a Sand marker to each moved tile. Storm Picks Up raises the meter. Sun Beats Down makes everyone not in a tunnel drink 1 water (pages 5 and 6).
• Water tiles: when excavated, a well gives 2 water to everyone on it once. One of the three water tiles is a mirage (page 4).
• You win when the 4 parts are found and everyone is on the Launch Pad, which must be unblocked (page 6).
• You lose if anyone runs out of water, a Sand marker must be placed and none are left, or the Sand Storm meter reaches the skull (page 6).

How do you keep track in Forbidden Desert?

Count the flying machine parts your team has found (page 3). The Sand Storm level and each player's water are shown on the meter and the canteen clips, so use those. When you have all four parts, everyone gets to the Launch Pad and flies away, as long as it is not blocked by sand (page 6).