- BGG rating
- 7.3
Escape from Monster Island
- 2 players
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2002
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,631
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Monster Island
2002
Rules assistance for Monster Island
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.7/5
Rules assistant for Monster Island
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Monster Island is a board game released in 2002 for 2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Bruce Harlick, Patrick Sweeney, and David Thiel and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Role Playing, and Hexagon Grid.
Expansions
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About the game
Monster Island: The Game of Giant Monster Combat is a simple tabletop battle system for recreating "Godzilla"-type movie monster skirmishes. Players each create a monster RPG style starting using a Concept, Origin, and Name, then assigning points into the Attributes of Strength, Reflexes, Health and Mind. Scores for the attributes of Life, Evade, Toughness, Daze, and Move are calculated from the base attributes, and remaining points can be spent on many special Powers. The game comes with one 32 page rulebook with a cardstock insert printed in color with 8 different playing pieces to represent the monsters. No map or board is included or needed for play, although it is recommended that play be conducted on a blank hex map or to have movement measured out in 1 inch increments using a ruler. Suggestions for creating the terrain of Monster Island are included. Expanded by: Escape from Monster Island Invasion of Monster Island Revenge of Monster Island Battlegrounds for New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco at Firefly Games' website
Publishers
- Firefly Games
Questions and answers
Monster Island supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Monster Island is 45 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 Monster Island for ages 8 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.
Monster Island has a complexity rating of 1.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Monster Island belongs to these categories: Fighting, Movies / TV / Radio theme, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Role Playing, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Monster Island are: Bruce Harlick, Patrick Sweeney, and David Thiel. 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 Monster Island 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.