Island Fortress

About this board game

Island Fortress is a board game for 2–4 players, with play time of about 90 minutes, in which master builders compete to construct Fort Aldenford on Alcott Island.

Governor Cortland Hansen has chosen the players to help build his mighty fortress using the island’s penal colony. Each player aims to become the most distinguished architect by making effective use of a Taskmaster, Workers, and the Governor himself.

All players use identical decks of five Role Cards to plan their actions. These cards let players pursue activities such as purchasing workers, building the fortress wall, collecting money from the treasury, and more. Because every player has access to the same role options, each decision helps shape the competition for construction and recognition.

• Build blocks on the rows of Fort Aldenford’s wall.
• Compete for points by having the majority of blocks on each row.
• Complete favors for the Governor by building the walls in specific ways.
• Earn additional bonuses by following the Governor’s preferred patterns.

Scoring rewards both direct construction and attention to the Governor’s requests. Players can gain points from row majorities while also pursuing bonuses tied to the way the fortress wall is built, creating multiple paths toward distinction.

Formerly known as Huang Di and originally featuring a Great Wall of China theme, Island Fortress won the first ProtoSlam competition held by Cambridge Games Factory in August 2006. It is the first published game by designer Bryan Johnson and was released in 2013.