Games "Robinson Crusoe: Adventures of the Cursed Island"

Cooperative games are a great genre where players don't compete with each other, but try to work together to overcome the mechanics of the game. I have played many different co-op games, but one of the most serious "beasts" in this genre is the game Robinson Crusoe: Adventures of the Cursed Island. If you find it scary that games make you think you might get bitten on the head by a snake, then this game is not for you.

Subject matter

The game has 6-7 scenarios in the box, depending on which release you're playing, just waiting to make you die in the most unimaginable ways. There is the classic scenario, where you have to build a fire, fight cannibals, survive a volcanic eruption or save a useless shipmate - Jenny, who is sitting on a big rock in the ocean. The scenarios are excellent thematically and, however unfinished, make for a very good story.

The theme is very well integrated into the game mechanics, for example, in the game you often have to pick up event cards that are divided into two parts. For example, it is written above that you found a wooden house in the forest, which contained a large supply of food. Then you have to choose what you will do if you take these supplies, the card will be put into the random event queue and maybe its owner will visit you at some point. The actions of the game seem very themed, you have the feeling that you have taken the skin from the beast, and not just a white block of wood.

Components

The game is very beautiful, with durable cards, wooden details, thoughtful iconography and a really restrained style. Having said that the first release rule book is poorly written, it took me a long time to learn the game. I had to read a lot of forums and watch various videos. If you want to play Robinson Crusoe, take into account that you will have to seriously learn the rules.

Mechanics

The game is based on the mechanic of worker placement, which is used to explore the island, hunt, read various materials or build new tools. But there is a very fascinating nuance to this mechanic. Players have the option to send two workers and be sure to complete the task, or just one and roll dice that can lead to wounds, missed missions, or draw from the event card pile, and those cards are bad 90% of the time. This mechanic forces you to balance speed and safety all the time, because deploying workers one at a time can get twice as much done and nothing bad will happen, but at the same time you might not get the shovel you so desperately needed.

Each mission has a set scenario that alternates with survival, as you must constantly be prepared to prevent crises of food, inadequate housing, predatory beasts and bad weather. Sometimes the game feels like a boxing match against Mairi Briedi, it tirelessly wears down the players' strength and breaks their morale.

Multiplayer

Robinson Crusoe could easily come with just one scenario and be just as good, but it comes with 6-7 very different scenarios that keep the game fresh by switching them up. The game also comes with 4 trial cards with event cards that change the nature of the game, for example sometimes the weather will be the biggest problem, other times it will be beasts of prey. In my opinion, there are enough games in the box for a very long time and for different groups of players.

Rating

From experience, Robinson Crusoe is very weird, my gaming group either really likes the game or doesn't like it, and that's bad because one player who doesn't like the game can make the game hard to get on the table. I like this game, but it is precisely because of the many dislikes that I give it 7 out of 10 points. If you're the type of person who likes to play a game that will create a great story where your characters will most likely meet a bad end, then this is the game for you. Robinson Crusoe is, in my opinion, one of the hardest co-op games out there that offers an exciting challenge, and no matter how crazy you get at times, it's mostly fun, and those it appeals to always have a good laugh.

Kristaps

Images: Boardgamegeek.com