How to Play Survive the Island 2024: Adventurers, Rafts & Creatures

1. Set up the island, adventurers and rafts

Shuffle the 40 terrain tiles face up into the marked central island without viewing their backs. Place sea serpents on their printed starting spaces; sharks and kaijus wait off board until a tile introduces them. In a three- to five-player game each player has ten adventurers with values on their bases and two starting rafts. In a two-player game each person takes two colors, 20 adventurers and four rafts; the two colors count as one for that player.

Players alternate placing adventurers on empty island tiles. In a five-player game, once all 40 tiles are occupied, place the remaining pieces on tiles with only one adventurer. Remember which of your figures carry high values: after play starts you may not lift them to recheck. Players then alternate putting their starting rafts on empty water adjacent to the island.

2. Action phase: spend up to three movements

Divide up to three one-space moves among your adventurers and eligible rafts. An adventurer can walk between island tiles, rafts and Rescue Islands. A move with a water space at either end counts as swimming, and each adventurer may make only one swimming move per turn. An adventurer on the same space as a raft boards it immediately if there is room. A raft holds up to three adventurers.

You can move an empty raft or one you control. To control it, you need at least as many of your adventurers aboard as any opponent; in a tie, each tied player can control it on their turn. A raft with too few of your pieces cannot be moved just because your figure is riding it. During this phase you may also spend any saved Ability tiles; they do not replace the movement allotment. The Repellent exception can be used in response to a creature attack on another turn.

3. Rising Waters: remove the thinnest terrain

Choose a tile from the thinnest remaining layer: Beaches first, then Forests, then Mountains. Pieces standing on it move to the newly exposed water. Secretly inspect its back. An Effect resolves now; an Ability is kept face down for a later Action phase. A Volcano stays face up in its space, removes the affected pieces there and advances the end countdown. The third Volcano ends the game immediately.

If you have no adventurers left to rescue at the beginning of your turn, remove two tiles rather than one during Rising Waters. That keeps the island sinking even after your crew has escaped or been eliminated.

4. Creatures: roll and move the indicated type

Roll the creature die and move a creature of the shown type if one is on the board. Sea serpents eliminate rafts and adventurers they meet; sharks eliminate unprotected swimmers; kaijus destroy rafts and push adventurers into adjacent spaces. Creature movement and interactions depend on their player-aid diagrams. The active player makes the movement choice and resolves relevant interactions. A creature stops moving when it enters a space containing something it affects.

5. Rescue and end the game

Move an adventurer onto a Rescue Island to secure its hidden value. The game ends when none remain to be rescued or the third Volcano appears. Unrescued and eliminated adventurers score zero. Add the printed values under your rescued pieces; the highest total wins, with tied leaders sharing victory.

For the overview and buying fit, visit the game hub. Read the turn guide, strategy guide, or scoring and creature reference.

Edition and source: 2024 Zygomatic base game, without Monster Pack. Official English rulebook (PDF), checked October 2, 2026. Tactical examples are editorial analysis.