„Isla!“ vorgestellt
An epic adventure board game with a unique exhaustion mechanic for 1-5 players
>>> KS <<<
Embark on a Thrilling Adventure with ISLA: a strategic exploration game by Ocean City Games
Welcome to ISLA, a captivating strategic tabletop game that invites players on a daring adventure to explore an undiscovered island. As an intrepid explorer, you’ll face tough decisions and perilous obstacles that will shape your fate. What flora, fauna, and fossils will you discover before time runs out?
Created by Ocean City Games, ISLA combines the exhilaration of adventure with problem-solving and strategic gameplay. Whether you are playing solo or with a group of up to five players, each experience is unique, offering both casual and seasoned gamers an immersive and challenging journey.
Will you emerge victorious from the island’s treacherous landscapes, or will you be lost to its mysteries forever? Through careful planning, problem-solving, and a unique dice exhaustion mechanic, players navigate the island, uncovering its secrets while racing against fellow explorers. This thrilling race unfolds in a dynamic, multi-phase format, full of difficult decisions, resource management, and opportunities for strategic advantage.
Whether you’re seeking an intense multiplayer challenge or a solitary journey of discovery, ISLA offers a rich, immersive experience that promises to engage both casual and dedicated gamers alike.
Game Overview: A Race Against Time and the Island’s Perils
In ISLA, players take on the roles of explorers who have set out to uncover the secrets of a long-lost island. Equipped with individual map sheets and explorer markers, players must navigate a diverse landscape while collecting species tokens, conducting research, and avoiding the island’s many threats.
Each round begins with players preparing for their next move, choosing between exploring, resting, or researching. A key challenge throughout the game is the dice exhaustion mechanic — an innovative system that limits how often players can use dice, forcing them to plan carefully and manage their resources to succeed. Isla’s map is made up of distinct terrains, including mountains, jungles, swamps, beaches, and cliffs. These terrains can be affected by threat cards that are triggered by dice rolls during the game, adding an element of unpredictability to the adventure. Explorers must weigh their options each turn—when to rest, when to push forward, and when to conduct crucial research—while always keeping an eye on the looming dangers that threaten to derail their expedition. The game ends when all players have either successfully exited the island via the escape track or become irretrievably lost. The final scores are calculated based on points gained from various accomplishments and deducting each unexplored space.
Dice Exhaustion Mechanic
A key feature of ISLA is its unique dice exhaustion mechanic, which is central to how players move across the island. During setup, each player places their dice exhaustion tokens under the corresponding die icons on their map. When a die is used for movement, players slide the token over the icon, marking the die as exhausted. Players can rest or strategically use specific map spaces to refresh and un-exhaust their die, adding a layer of resource management to the game. Mismanaging this mechanic can lead to being stranded on the island, unable to move forward. This system keeps players engaged throughout the game, requiring them to constantly adapt to the island’s perils.
How to Play ISLA: Turn by Turn
The game is played in a series of rounds, each divided into five key phases: Planning, Dice Rolling, Rest, Exploration, and Research. Here’s a breakdown of how each phase works:
● Planning Phase: Players decide their action for the round—will they explore, rest, or conduct research? This choice is influenced by the current state of their dice exhaustion tokens, position on the island, and their overall strategy. This decision is made in player order.
● Dice Rolling Phase: The first player rolls all five dice. If any dice show a „1“, a threat card is drawn and resolved. Throughout the game, players will keep a tally of threat cards received, and add these to the points at the end of the game.
● Rest Phase: Players who choose to rest can refresh their leftmost exhausted die, restoring their movement potential for future rounds. Resting is a critical part of gameplay, as exhausted dice severely limit a player’s ability to continue exploring.
● Exploration Phase: Players who choose to explore will select one die from the rolled pool. They exhaust that die and move their explorer the number of spaces shown. Players can select the same die as another player if they wish. Movement must be orthogonal; diagonal paths are not allowed. Along the way, players can collect species tokens and rest tokens, which provide valuable points and opportunities for research. Each player must use the full value of their die roll to move, making careful planning essential to avoid dead ends or blocking spaces like boulders. This phase is done simultaneously, so all players can move at the same time.
● Research Phase: The research phase is conducted in player order, and each player that chose to explore this round will get a chance to trade in their tokens for a research card from the river (a display of face-up cards). After a player selects a card, the river is immediately refreshed with a new one. Once all players who have chosen to research this round have finished, you also take away the last card in the research river, discard it, and then draw a new card next to the deck. To prepare for the next round pass the first player card to the player on the left.
The game continues through these phases until all players have either successfully exited the island by reaching the escape track or become lost on the island. If a player cannot take a rest, explore, or research action due to exhausted dice or blocked movement, they are considered lost and no longer participate in the round.
Scoring in ISLA
Scoring in ISLA is multifaceted, with players gaining or losing points based on various actions throughout the game. The scoring system keeps the game competitive and dynamic, with victory often determined by a mix of strategic decisions and adaptability.
Here’s how points are earned:
● First to exit the island: The first player to leave scores 5 points, and the second player earns 3 points. If two players exit in the same round, they both receive the full points.
● Research cards: Points are awarded based on the research cards collected throughout the game.
● Threat cards: These cards may include positive or negative points, based on the challenges they introduce.
● Threat card tally: Point for each threat card the player picked up.
● Unexhausted dice: Players score for any dice that remain unexhausted at the game’s end.
● Escape track position: Points are awarded based on progress along the escape track.
● Unexplored spaces: Players lose points for each unexplored space on their map, making efficient exploration key to avoiding penalties.
The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins. This system encourages players to balance risk and reward, maximising exploration while managing their resources and minimising penalties.
Unique Gameplay Features: Dice Exhaustion Mechanic and Threat Cards
ISLA’s dice exhaustion mechanic is a standout feature that sets it apart from other exploration games. Instead of being able to freely use dice for movement, players must manage the exhaustion and refreshing of dice carefully. Each die corresponds to a specific icon on the player’s map sheet, and when a die is exhausted, it can no longer be used until it is refreshed. To refresh a die, players must either rest or move over specific spaces on the map that allow for refreshment. ISLA’s unique dice exhaustion mechanic creates a balance of risk and reward. Players must carefully manage their dice exhaustion while navigating unpredictable threats.
The threat card system also keeps players on their toes. Rolling a 1 triggers a threat card, which introduces new challenges that can range from exhausting specific dice to blocking movement in certain terrains. These cards are an ever-present risk, and players must adapt their strategies to deal with these unexpected obstacles.
Solo Gameplay: Conquering the Island Alone
While ISLA shines as a competitive multiplayer game, it also offers a unique solo mode that allows players to experience the thrill of exploration on their own. The objective remains the
same: explore as much of the island as possible, collect species, and research findings before the island’s perils overwhelm you. But with the added challenge of being hunted down by one of the island’s mysteriously monstrous keepers.
As you explore, you must evade the island’s monstrous keepers. Can you outsmart these predators while uncovering the island’s secrets?
Conclusion: Explore the Island, Face Its Perils, and Become the Victor
ISLA is a beautifully crafted, strategic board game that blends adventure, risk, and resource management into a thrilling tabletop experience. With its unique dice exhaustion mechanic
and unpredictable threat cards, every playthrough offers new challenges, ensuring no two games are ever the same. Whether you’re competing against friends or tackling the island on your own, ISLA delivers a memorable experience with every playthrough.
Adventure awaits, will you emerge victorious or be lost to the island’s mysteries forever?
