- BGG rating
- 7.1
Islebound: Deep Fog
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,365
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Islebound
2016
Rules assistance for Islebound
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Islebound
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Islebound is a board game released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Ryan Laukat and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Ownership, and Area Movement.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Islebound: Metropolis Expansion
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Islebound: Festival of Ivories
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 2017
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About the game
Set sail in a mystical archipelago filled with bustling towns, sea monsters, pirates, and gold! Compete to build the best sea-faring nation with up to three friends by collecting treasure, hiring crew, and conquering or befriending island towns. In Islebound, you take command of a ship and crew. You sail to island towns, collecting resources, hiring crew, and commissioning buildings for your capital city. Each building has a unique ability, and your combination of buildings can greatly enhance your strength as a trader, builder, or invader. You also recruit pirates and sea monsters to conquer towns, which, once conquered, allow you to complete the town action for free, and charge a fee to opponents if they want to use it. Alternatively, you can complete events that give influence, which can be used to befriend towns. There are many routes to success. Will you be a ruthless conqueror, careful diplomat, or shrewd merchant in your race to the top? The player with the most wealth and most-impressive capital city will win the game!
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Red Raven Games
Questions and answers
Islebound supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Islebound is 60–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Islebound for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Islebound has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Islebound belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Nautical, and Pirates. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Ownership, and Area Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Islebound are: Ryan Laukat. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Islebound as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.