Mermaid Island
$15.99
Mermaid Island at a Glance
| Game Type Cooperative Kids Adventure | Play Time 15 mins | Skill/Complexity (1 - 5) Non Complex Light Strategy |
| Age 5+ | Publisher(s) Peaceable Kingdom | Published 2011 |
| Categories Kids Game Family | Players 2 - 6 | Rules Manual Official Rules PDF |
| Our Rating 8.5/10 | Cost $15.99 approx |
Working as a team, players have to work out the best (and fastest!) way to get their mermaid from the start point to the safety of Mermaid Island without encountering the nasty Sea Witch! A colorful underwater cooperative game, all players work together rather than as opponents.
About – Description
Released in 2011 and designed for 2 to 6 players, Mermaid Island is all about coming up with a strategy to help your mermaid get home safely. Great for boosting team work and communication skills, the tension builds as the Sea Witch gets closer – but can your team keep her away long enough to win?
Best Suited For Children Ages 5+
Mermaid Island is a cooperative game for 2 to 6 players so is ideal for siblings and friends to play together or as a party game.
Skill – Complexity
Mermaid Island has a very simple concept and is not particularly complex. However, there is some strategy involved in working out the best moves to get your mermaid home. As children are working in a team, there may also be an emotional element involved if one child wants to take one course of action but another child wants to do something different. Whilst this is great for teaching about tolerance and patience, it may not be suitable for children who struggle to express themselves.
Set Up – Playing Rules & Instructions
Setting up:
Inside the box you’ll find:
- 1 Game Board
- 4 Wands
- 1 Sea Witch with Stand
- 1 Spinner
- 3 Mermaids
Setting up the game is very quick and easy. Simply open the board and lay it on a table or flat surface. Place all three mermaids on the Start area and put the Sea Witch in Seaweed Tangle. Place the Wands on the spaces with wands on them and put the spinner nearby so everyone can reach it.
Object of the game:
The object of the game is to move all three mermaids from the start point to Mermaid Island before the Sea Witch gets there. As Mermaid Island is a co-operative game, players can play any of the mermaid tokens – no one player has an individual mermaid that they are trying to get back to the island. Get all of the mermaids back to Mermaid Island before the Sea Witch reaches it and you all win the game!
Playing Instructions:
The player whose birthday is coming up next goes first and play then carries on clockwise.
To start, the first player spins the spinner. Players then take it in turns to spin when it is their go, moving either a mermaid or the Sea Witch. Mermaids move 1 or 2 spaces at a time and can take the bridge short cuts. If the spinner lands on a Sea Witch, the player must move the Sea Witch forward one space (luckily she doesn’t move very quickly!). If the Sea Witch lands on a mermaid, the mermaid must go back to start. However, mermaids can collect wand tokens which move the Sea Witch back one space. The team must decide together when to use the wands and which mermaids to move to keep them all moving along to the island.
Top tips: Don’t leave mermaids behind. Help all of them stay on track and swim as quickly as they can to Mermaid Island. Work together as a team to decide when to use the bridges and Wands whenever you can.
Versions – Editions
The Russian edition of this game came out in 2017.
Likes & Dislikes
Mermaid Island has the same mechanics as the popular game “Candyland”, but appears to be a step up thanks to the simple strategic choices alongside the element of cooperative play.
Although the illustrations are very cute and appealing, it would be good to add another dimension to the character tokens by giving them names and a backstory to help spark off discussion. The game itself however is well made using recycled card and is good quality too.
Final Thoughts
A fun yet simple game that’s perfect for young children, the cooperative game play of Mermaid Island means it’s non-competitive so no one feels left out.
A unique concept that will stretch their imagination, this game will teach kids some valuable lessons in sharing, communication, reasoning and more. It’s quick to play too so it will even hold the attention of the youngest ones.
