Castaways

About this board game

Castaways is a 2010 competitive collaboration game for 1–4 players, with a play time of about 120 minutes. Shipwrecked on a deserted island, the players must survive long enough to reach the summit and signal a passing rescue ship.

Working together is essential, but cooperation does not guarantee victory. The castaways must improve their shelter, gather food to eat, and collect wood to keep the campfire burning. They must also explore the island’s interior and figure out how to advance toward its highest point.

Reaching the summit is a crucial objective. From this vantage point, the survivors can scan the horizon for a nearby ship. Once the ship appears, they must manage their time carefully to deliver a signal before the opportunity for rescue is lost.

• Build and improve a camp
• Gather food and wood
• Explore the island’s interior
• Reach the summit and watch for rescue
• Send a signal to a passing ship

Even if everyone is rescued, only one player ultimately wins. Each survivor writes a tale of the adventure, and the winner is the player with the best story—the one who has collected the most story points.

That tension gives Castaways its distinctive character: the group must collaborate to survive, while each individual seeks to create the greatest account of what happened. If nobody is rescued, no one’s story will be heard.