Simulating the perils of being stranded on a desert island, the Robinson Crusoe board game series is a daunting epic. Like the many dangers that roam the island, the base game and its various expansions aren’t for the faint of heart. A dense ruleset and a wealth of mechanics await those looking to pick up Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island, as well as its various expansions. Those who stick with it, however, will be treated to one of the best cooperative board games money can buy.
Adventures on the Cursed Island is a thematic experience with intricate mechanics, and the subsequent expansions add even more depth. The Robinson Crusoe series doesn’t feature quite as many add-ons as some other popular games in the medium, but each package contains quite a bit of replayability in its own right. Completing the various scenarios within the base game is its own challenge, and it’s one players will find quite difficult.
The Base Game
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island 2nd Edition
MSRP: $70.00 USD
Age: 14+Players: 1-4Play Time: 60-120 mins
The only place to start with the Robinson Crusoe series is with the base game, as all future expansions require it. That said, rather than begin with the initial release, it is recommended to grab the second edition, which is the version currently in print. The first edition is fine if you find it at a good price from a secondhand seller, but the newer iteration features a much-improved rulebook along with updated artwork and components.
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island is an intricate cooperative worker-placement game in which players must survive a wide range of scenarios on a deserted island. In each round, players can choose what actions they wish to take to ensure survival, from exploring new areas to crafting tools or even hunting wild animals for food and resources. Players must also mind the group’s morale levels and any random perils they might encounter, such as weather, attacks, and other threats to general health.
Of course, mitigating threats and surviving are key, but so are taking actions to accomplish end-game goals. What makes Robinson Crusoe so difficult yet addicting is that it asks players to live in the moment and still plan for the future while also being aware that the next card could completely alter their strategy. Challenging games like this might put some perspective players off, but it only aids in Robinson Crusoe’s excellent theme of survival.
The first scenario is just beginning, too. Players can experience several stories within the initial box that involve volcanoes, cannibals, and even King Kong. Before moving on to other expansions, chances are you will be playing Robinson Crusoe for hours and hours between all of the built-in variability. Not to mention, actually beating one of the included scenarios will likely take most players multiple playthroughs.
Robinson Crusoe Expansions
Robinson Crusoe: Mystery Tales Expansion
MSRP: $50.00 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
Lost City of Z Campaign2 Standalone Scenarios9 New Characters10 Double-Sided Terrain TilesNew Santity MechanicNew Event Cards, Adventure Cards, Beast Cards, and Mystery Cards
While the base game falls firmly in the action-adventure genre, Robinson Crusoe: Mystery Tales adds a bit of spookiness to the survival title. Mystery Tales doesn’t simply dip its toes in the uncharted waters of the horror genre; it dives in head first. Outside of the new campaign and additional scenarios, one of the biggest additions to Mystery Tales is the new sanity mechanic, a staple in other scarier games. That’s not to ignore the sizable campaign and scenarios, which are drenched in horror, from its storytelling to the addition of new beast cards featuring werewolves and other terrifying creatures.
Like the horror genre itself, Mystery Tales is a bit divisive among the fandom. It’s not just the foray into the spookier side of medium, but it’s also the added mechanics that insert even more rules into an already difficult game. Still, if a deserted island with horror monsters sounds like something you’d be interested in, Mystery Tales is an easy recommendation. Not to mention, the additional content also works with the base game, so you can add even more dynamic encounters to scenarios from the original box.
Robinson Crusoe: Treasure Chest
MSRP: $29.99 USD
Components (REQUIRES THE BASE GAME)
5 New Scenarios2 New CharactersMore Than a Half-Dozen Mini ExpansionsCustom Wooden Food MarkersNew Event Cards, Adventure Cards, Beast Cards, and Mystery Cards
While the fanbase is somewhat split on Mystery Tales, players across the board agree that Treasure Chest adds more Robinson Crusoe goodness. Essentially, the Treasure Box is a hodgepodge of previously released content through Kickstarter and various other platforms. Still, for fans who weren’t keeping up with the slow trickle of content over the years, the Treasure Box is a great way to catch up in one neat package.
While there isn’t one killer app in the box, so to speak, there are plenty of great additions that add even more replayability to the base game. The new sailor and gamer characters, five new scenarios, new beasts, and over 90 new cards offer plenty of variability to the previous releases.
Robinson Crusoe: Book of Adventures
MSRP: $29.99
The Robinson Crusoe: Book of Adventures expansion is exactly what it sounds like; it’s a book packed with 50 different scenarios with various difficulties for players to enjoy. Like other expansions, the Book of Adventures requires the base game to be playable.
Robinson Crusoe – Collector’s Edition
MSRP: $79.99
The Robinson Crusoe – Collector’s Edition makes a compelling case for first-time buyers with its various stunning miniatures and its tutorial book reminiscent of Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. One of the knocks against the Robinson Crusoe series is that it features a ton of rules, but the tutorial book walks players through how to play the game step-by-step in what is arguably the best onboarding process for the series yet.
Bottom Line
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island is a deep and complex survival adventure game for solo gamers or groups looking to get cooperative. Mystery Tales brings the franchise into the horror genre, and the Treasure Box adds even more replayability through various scenarios and mini-expansions. That said, the base game should keep players busy for quite a while on its own.
Luckily, many of the games and expansions listed above can often be found well under MSRP. To stay up to date on the latest sales, make sure to bookmark our board game deals page. For more titles for one player, see our recommended picks for the best solo board games.
Bobby Anhalt is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering board games and LEGOs. He has more than 8 years of experience writing about the gaming industry with bylines at Game Rant, Screen Rant, TheXboxHub, and Ranker. You can follow him on Twitter.
