When comparing Elder Sign vs Forbidden Desert, the Slant community recommends Forbidden Desert for most people. In the question“What are the best co-op board games that work best with 4 players?” Forbidden Desert is ranked 4th while Elder Sign is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Forbidden Desert is:
Using a random board setup and the unique way in which the desert storm can move around and rearrange the board, no two plays of Forbidden Desert are the same.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Allows for casual play
Elder Sign is a good game to play with newcomers unfamiliar with the rules due to the game not being super difficult (like Ghost Stories). While it does offer a challenge it is not completely stacked against the players like some other titles in the genre.
Pro Good for short bursts of co-op gameplay
Elder Sign is styled as a co-op experience that uses tightly integrated dice mechanics to allow for short and succinct play times of around 90 minutes.
Pro Very replayable
Using a random board setup and the unique way in which the desert storm can move around and rearrange the board, no two plays of Forbidden Desert are the same.
Pro Rewarding but difficult gameplay
In a game where players can die of thirst, become buried under increasingly deep piles of sand, or be blown away when the storm reaches it's highest level, the only way to win is to race around the board trying to find all the pieces to your airship in order to escape with your lives. Having 3 ways to lose and only one way to win makes Forbiden Desert a very difficult game. However, that difficulty makes every success so much more rewarding. The feeling when you finally find all of the pieces to your airship and escape the desert for once and for all is amazing.
Pro Excellent component quality
From the metal tin that the game comes in to the thick, quality cardboard used for both the location tiles and the sand tiles, all of the components used in Forbidden Desert are top-notch.
Cons
Con More than 4 or 5 players can lead to a lot of downtime
Elder Sign says it can be played with up to 8 players but playing with that many people can lead to a lot of sitting around, which can be boring.