Ah, my fellow adventurers, today we are diving deep into the brave souls who risk it all to uncover the ancient treasures of Forbidden Island before it sinks into the abyss!

Each explorer brings their own skills to the team, and knowing how to use them can mean the difference between a heroic escape or a watery demise. Each player starts out on a predetermined tile. The location of that tile, is up to chance. This is indicated by the game piece in the lower right corner of the tile.

So, let’s gather at the shore, lay out our maps, and talk about who you want by your side when the island starts crumbling beneath your feet.

The Pilot – The Skyborne Savior

Starting Tile: Fools’ Landing (Helipad)
Pawn Color: Blue
Special Ability: Can fly to any tile on the island instead of moving normally (once per turn).

If there’s one role that keeps the team connected, it’s the Pilot. While the rest of us trudge across the sinking sands, the Pilot swoops in like a hero, effortlessly zipping from one part of the island to another.

Why is this so powerful? Imagine that Fools’ Landing, the only escape point, is about to flood, but the Navigator and Engineer are stranded on the opposite side of the island. No problem—the Pilot flies in, grabs them, and rushes everyone to safety!

Or let’s say a teammate has just secured the last treasure, but the island is collapsing around them. The Pilot can skip across the board in a single move, ensuring a clutch, last-second rescue.

The Engineer – The Unsung Hero of Stability

Starting Tile: Bronze Gate
Pawn Color: Red
Special Ability: Can shore up two tiles instead of one per turn.

The Engineer doesn’t get the flashiest moves, but oh, do they keep us alive. This adventurer fortifies the island, making sure key locations don’t get swallowed by the sea. While the rest of us are barely holding back the tide, the Engineer is patching up TWO tiles per action instead of one, buying precious time before disaster strikes.

Picture this: The Temple of the Moon and the Temple of the Sun (where you need to grab a treasure) both flood on the same turn. If they sink, the treasure is lost forever. But wait! The Engineer shores up both in a single turn, keeping hope alive.

The Engineer is especially clutch when the water level is high and multiple tiles are flooding every turn. Without them, you’re one bad flood draw away from total disaster.

The Navigator – The Master of Teamwork

Starting Tile: Gold Gate
Pawn Color: Yellow
Special Ability: Can move another player up to two tiles as an action.

The Navigator is a strategic powerhouse. This role is all about positioning your teammates in the right places to ensure the best possible moves. If you have a Navigator on your team, communication is key—because they can literally move other players to more advantageous spots.

Imagine the Diver is one space away from the final treasure, but their turn is after yours. The Navigator can move them two spaces forward, letting them claim the treasure before the location sinks into the sea.

Or, picture a scenario where a teammate is stranded on an isolated tile surrounded by floodwaters—instead of waiting for them to wade through the mess, the Navigator simply drags them to safety with ease.

It’s a role that doesn’t always get the glory, but a well-played Navigator makes the entire team more efficient.

The Explorer – The Agile Island-Hopper

Starting Tile: Green Gate
Pawn Color: Green
Special Ability: Can move and shore up tiles diagonally.

While most adventurers are stuck moving up, down, left, and right, the Explorer breaks the rules! Diagonal movement makes them much more flexible, able to reach areas faster and shore up tricky spots that others can’t.

Say the Pilot is off rescuing someone, the Engineer is fixing a key location, and a tile two spaces away is about to sink. Normally, that’d be a lost cause—but not for the Explorer! With diagonal movement, they hop over and save it when no one else could.

This ability seems subtle, but it adds a layer of flexibility that can make or break a game.

The Diver – The Great Escape Artist

Starting Tile: Iron Gate
Pawn Color: Black
Special Ability: Can move through flooded and sunken tiles as long as they reach land.

Where most of us see disaster, the Diver sees a shortcut. Unlike everyone else, who has to stay on solid ground, the Diver can swim through flooded areas and even traverse sunken tiles—as long as they make it to land.

Picture this: The Navigator is trapped on an island tile that just flooded. Normally, they’d be doomed, but if the Diver is nearby? They can plunge into the water and rescue them before it’s too late.

Or, in a worst-case scenario, the Diver can cross the entire island through a flooded shortcut and get to the last treasure or Fools’ Landing in record time.

Their ability is situational, but when the island is breaking apart, no one is more valuable.

The Messenger – The Lifeline for Treasure Collectors

Starting Tile: Silver Gate
Pawn Color: Gray
Special Ability: Can give Treasure Cards to players anywhere on the island.

In Forbidden Island, you need four matching cards to claim a treasure—but getting those cards into the right hands is harder than it sounds. Normally, you have to physically meet another player to trade cards. The Messenger completely bypasses that, allowing them to give Treasure Cards to anyone, anywhere.

This means faster treasure collection, less wasted movement, and a much higher chance of winning. The Messenger is crucial when key locations are sinking and there’s no time for endless meet-ups.

Which Role Is the Most Powerful?

If I had to choose the most powerful, it would be the Pilot. The ability to fly anywhere on the board once per turn is a game-changer—rescuing stranded teammates, collecting treasures, and escaping at the last moment. But every role has its moment to shine! While it isn’t glamorous, it is so important to keep your posse safe by shoring up two tiles in a turn. It is indispensable to have an Engineer on the team.

So, my fellow adventurers, which role do you love most? Are you a strategic Navigator, a bold Pilot, or a life-saving Engineer? Whatever role you play, may the island stay above water long enough for you to escape!

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