Fireball Island is a board game first published by Milton Bradley in 1986. The tagline is "The dimensional adventure game of pitfalls and perils!" It is set on an unexplored tropical island, the home of the primitive idol Vul-Kar. Players progress along winding paths around the island, avoiding fireballs and trying to capture Vul-Kar's jewel and carry it to the escape boat.
| Players | 2-4 |
|---|---|
| Age range | 8 and up |
| Setup time | < 5 minutes |
| Playing time | 1 hour |
| Random chance | High |
| Skill(s) required | Dice rolling, hand management, strategizing |
Contents |
The game mechanics in Fireball Island are moderately complex, requiring both skill and luck to win. The object of the game is to escape the island with the jewel, which must first be stolen from the top of the mountain on which Vul-Kar sits. There is only one jewel, so once a player grabs it he/she becomes the target of the others. The jewel may change hands many times during the course of a game.
Players roll the dice to choose who goes first.
Five fireballs are seated at various locations on the 3-D game board. One is inside Vul-Kar's mouth; the entire idol can be rotated to spit the fireball in the desired direction. The player who is rolling a fireball picks one and tips it off its perch, so the fireball will roll down the path until it comes to rest. Any player-token that is touched by the fireball, or by another player-token already hit or being pushed along, is considered hit as well and moves to the nearest smolder-pit. That player must then take a "Fireball" shot. In the event that the player struck by the Fireball has the jewel when struck, the player must use their next turn to 'stand up' in the smolder pit, effectively losing that turn.
A player must try to hit someone if he can, even if the only available target is himself. Some spaces are only hit occasionally by a particular fireball while some places, which include the steps before Cave One, the peak between the bridges, or the gully steps up to Cave Five and the steps to the first bridge, are unreachable by fireballs.
A player who has been fireballed is immediately placed in a smolder pit. Although for most of the map players simply go to the nearest pit, there are definite rules for which smolder pit a player on a particular space heads to. The divisions between the zones of trail that are covered by each smolder pit are usually divided by ridges or steps in the trail. Note that it is the location a player starts on, not where he ends up, during fireballing that determines where his body goes. Any number of players may occupy a smolder pit. The only exception to the firepit rule is when a player is knocked off a bridge by a fireball. Then the player procedes to the Water Penalty Area. Any fireballed player in a smolder pit must lose a turn to "stand up."
Each player is dealt one card at the beginning of the game, face down. Players may look at their own hands but not at opponents'. Throughout the game, whenever a player lands on a dark space, he draws a card. Any card can be played both on the active player's turn or another's (with the exception of the Fake Jewel card, which must be played against someone stealing the gem from you). There is a maximum hand size of four; a player with a full hand may not draw any new cards.
The complete list of cards:
This card is a prime candidate for house rules, since it is sometimes unclear which direction is 'back' and it often would make more sense to move a player during your own turn rather than on their turn. "Back" after moving would imply the direction opposite that moved, while "back" prior to rolling would be subject to the whim of the one who played the card.Play one of these cards on any opponent's turn, to move the opponent back on the trail the number of spaces indicated on the card. If you play the card before the opponent rolls the die, the opponent must move back before rolling. If you play the card after the opponent has rolled the die, the opponent must finish the move, then move back.
NOTE: These cards do not move players out of caves, smolder pits, or the water penalty area at the bottom of Great Sway Bluff. If one of these cards moves an opponent back onto an unoccupied bridge, the opponent must end his or her move on the bridge.
There are six caves placed at various locations around the island. A player may opt to step into a cave that is adjacent to the space he is on instead of continuing with his move (assuming he has at least one move left). The player then rolls the die and moves to the cave with that number (if it is empty). If that cave is occupied, then the active player stays where he is and does not reroll. If a player moving in the caves rolls a one, he rolls a fireball and goes to cave one if possible.
A player who starts his turn in a cave declares whether they are going back into the cave or exiting. If exiting, the player rolls the die and moves as normal; if going back into the cave, the player rolls the die and moves to a different cave.
Cave number four is special in that it has no adjacent path, and so there is nowhere to step out to. A player coming out at this cave has no choice but to go back into the caves, again.
On the route to the escape boat, there are two bridges over rushing gorges. A player who steps onto an unoccupied bridge must end his turn there. An occupied bridge can be stepped over like any other space.
A bridge is a perilous perch, since there are fireballs which can roll down the gorges and knock players into the river, leaving them stranded on a beach back along the path. This special smolder pit does not require a fireballed player to stand up, although the steps up from the water take a few turns.
There is an altar near the start of the map where each player can pick up a token. Tokens may be traded in at the Ruin for a full hand of cards, but if you have a token and the jewel, then other players cannot play 'take one card from any opponent' on you.
The jewel is the most important game token, since it is required to win. The first player to reach the top of Vul-Kar Point gets the jewel, fills up his hand to four cards, rolls a free fireball, and take three straight turns.
If another player passes the jewel carrier, the passing player steals the jewel. If the jewel carrier is fireballed, the jewel is placed on the trail outside the smolder pit, to be picked up by anyone. If the jewel carrier is fireballed on a bridge, the jewel stays on the bridge. Anytime the owner of the jewel loses his/her jewel, that player must do a "Fireball" shot.
A player who lands on the dock (a special space) with the jewel wins. It is not necessary to roll the exact number of moves.