Most people had the same classic board games in the house: Monopoly, Sorry!, probably some dusty “all in one” board that had Chess, Checkers, and Backgammon inside. When I tell people I’m a board gamer (which is never, because I refer to myself as a “tabletop” gamer), this is what they tend to think of. Not all games from our childhood are relegated to the back of the closet, and one of the classics from my youth is making an epic comeback due to Restoration Games: a sequel to Milton Bradley’s Fireball Island is on the way. Because there are no commercials like 90s toy commercials, here are some children in mortal danger in this 1992 commercial for the original Fireball Island:
Despite Fireball Island basically being a “roll dice and move” game with little to no strategy, many people still have fond memories of this one due to its unique, 3D board and exciting theme. Each player takes on the role of an adventurer, trying to claim a massive jewel and escape from the island. Other players will attempt to trip you up by attacking you with fireballs, stealing the jewel, or laying traps for you. There is also a giant, rotating head at the center of the island that spits fireballs as people attempt to flee. Restoration Games is not just rereleasing the game; they are developing a sequel called Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar. They released this image from GenCon, the United States’ largest tabletop game convention:
Many of the developers working on this sequel have experience working on “legacy” games, where the board permanently changes and evolves after each playthrough. There are no details how the new Fireball Island will play, but it would be surprising if it were made in the legacy style. You can read their initial announcement here.
GenCon ends this weekend, and hopefully, some more classics or interesting games get announced. One other tabletop game we’ve peeked at, Fallout: Wasteland Warfare, is also demoing and showing off some of their sculpts at GenCon. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.