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Forbidden Desert vs Forbidden Jungle (2026): both come from Gamewright's Forbidden series of cooperative adventure games, the same family as Forbidden Island. In each one, a team of adventurers explores a grid of face-down tiles, uses special powers, and races to escape before the environment kills them. Forbidden Desert buries you in shifting sand while you hunt for the parts of a flying machine. Forbidden Jungle traps you on an overgrown alien spaceport full of spider-like creatures. Here is how they differ.
Our pick for most families: Forbidden Desert
Forbidden Desert is the more celebrated of the two, with a brilliant moving storm and a strong sense of tension. It suits ages 10 and up and plays two to five.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $27) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Forbidden Desert vs Forbidden Jungle at a glance
Both are cooperative and seat 2–5.
- Best classic: Forbidden Desert — shifting sand and a flying machine (about $27)
- Best value: Forbidden Jungle — alien spaceport with 47 miniatures (about $21)
How Forbidden Desert plays
Twenty-four tiles form a 5×5 grid with a swirling storm in the empty center. On your turn you take up to four actions: move, remove sand, excavate a tile, or pick up a machine part. Then you draw storm cards that slide tiles across the grid and pile more sand on them. Clue tiles show the row and column of each of four ship parts. Water is scarce, so the team must keep visiting wells. You win by collecting all four parts and getting everyone onto the launch pad.
How Forbidden Jungle plays
Twenty-four jungle tiles form the spaceport, with your pawns starting on the Fools' Landing tile. Each turn you take up to four actions: move, explore a tile, remove an alien or web, or operate a machine. Then you draw threat cards. Aliens come as eggs, hatchlings and adults, and webs block movement between tiles. Machines such as configurators let you slide tiles around. To win, you must find a portal, power it with illuminated crystals on all four sides, and get every adventurer onto it.
Desert and Jungle compared
| Forbidden Desert | Forbidden Jungle | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–5 | 2–5 |
| Age on box | 10+ | 10+ |
| Play time | about 45 min | 30–45 min |
| Main threat | Storm moves tiles and adds sand; thirst | Aliens, webs and sinkholes |
| Goal | Find 4 machine parts, reach launch pad | Power a portal with 4 crystals, everyone escapes |
| Components | Tiles, sand markers, storm meter, flying machine | Tiles, 47 miniatures, webs, threat meter |
| Price | about $27 | about $21 |
Why Forbidden Desert wins for most groups
- The storm is genius. Watching the board rearrange itself every turn creates memorable moments.
- Teamwork is constant. Sharing water and digging each other out keeps everyone involved.
- Proven difficulty levels. Novice to Legendary settings let a family grow with the game.
Why Forbidden Jungle is worth a look
- Lower price. It usually costs well under the Desert box.
- Different puzzle. Sliding tiles with machines and lining up crystals feels fresh even if you know the series.
- Miniatures. The alien figures look great on the table, and kids love them.
Adventurer roles in each game
Both games deal each player a random adventurer with a special power, and using those powers together is the key to winning. In Forbidden Desert, the Archeologist removes extra sand, the Climber can move onto blocked tiles, the Explorer moves diagonally, the Meteorologist holds back the storm, the Navigator moves other players and the Water Carrier refills canteens. Forbidden Jungle has its own crew of six, each tracking health on their adventurer card, so returning fans still have new combinations to discover.
Difficulty and replay value
Forbidden Desert offers Novice, Normal, Elite and Legendary settings on its storm meter, and Forbidden Jungle uses the same four names on its threat meter. Jungle also includes spaceport cards that set up alternate layouts once you have played the basic setup. Both games hold up to many plays, since the tile layout changes every game.
Desert or Jungle: which to buy first
If you only buy one, start with Forbidden Desert. It is the stronger game and a great introduction to cooperative strategy for families with kids ten and up. If you already own Forbidden Island and Desert, or want a cheaper cooperative game with a sci-fi theme, Forbidden Jungle is a fun addition. Both scale well from two to five players and stay under an hour.
For more teamwork picks, browse our cooperative games for team building and our co-op games for couples.
Forbidden Desert vs Forbidden Jungle questions
Do you need Forbidden Island to play these?
No. Each game in the series is standalone.
Is Forbidden Desert harder than Forbidden Island?
Yes. Forbidden Desert adds water management and a moving storm, so it is a step up.
How many players can play Forbidden Jungle?
Forbidden Jungle plays two to five, with its own setting for a two-player game.
