The game is inspired by 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.'
Funko Games, the company behind tabletop games like Disney Kingdomania and Something Wild, recently released Indiana Jones: Sands of Adventure, a cooperative tabletop game inspired by the Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Indiana Jones: Sands of Adventure is for 2-4 players with a recommended age of 8+. The game challenges players to work together to help Indiana Jones and his friends defeat the Third Reich before they can get away with the Ark of the Covenant.
Indiana Jones: Sands of Adventure is played across three rounds, with each round having two phases: an Exploration Phase and a Timed Phase. Each round will challenge players to defeat one of three villains (Colonel Dietrich, Major Toht, or René Belloq) before time runs out.
During the Exploration Phase, players will take turns moving their Character Tokens to different Adventure Tiles in the center of the play area. The player controlling Indiana Jones can move to any Adventure Tile on their turn, while other players can move to any Adventure Tile that doesn’t have the villain standing on it.
Adventure Tiles have various instructions for players to follow. For instance, one Adventure Tile will tell the player to collect a Power Token, while another will tell them to draw two Action Cards from the Action Deck while also giving them the option to play a card from their hand.
If players are allowed to (and want to) play a card, they’ll play it on the Play Tile in the center of the gameplay area. This tile is shared by every player. Similar to the game of Uno, once the first card is played to the pile, players can only play another card on top of it if the card has the same item or color. For instance, if the pile has a yellow book card on top, the next card must be yellow or have a book on it.
The Action Deck contains Basic Cards that feature a single object and color, Attack Cards that will allow players to attack the round’s villain and decrease his health, and Snake Cards, which are obstacles players will need to overcome during the Timed Phase.
In addition to this Action Deck, the game also features an Upgrade Deck of Upgrade Cards that players can collect over time. These Upgrade Cards feature more than one object or color, making them easier to play.
Once the active player has completed the instructions on the Adventure Tile, they’ll roll the Threat Dice to determine how many gems must be added to the game’s sand timer (if any) and whether or not the villain will take an action. If the villain is activated, players must follow the instructions on the villain’s mat.
The sand timer is suspended from a stationary base so that it can freely flip upside down if enough pressure is placed on it. The sand timer also has small baskets above and below it. As players place gems in the basket above the timer, the timer will have the chance to flip over, which will trigger the beginning of the Timed Phase.
During the Timed Phase, players are encouraged to quickly take turns playing cards with the goal of attacking the villain and defeating them before the sand timer runs out. A single player can play multiple cards in a row to the pile on their turn.
Players can also use any Power Tokens they’ve collected during the Timed Phase. These Tokens allow players to ignore Snake Cards, play cards that don’t match the pile, and more.
At the end of each turn during the Timed Phase, the active player will draw a card from the Action Deck. If they draw a Snake Card, they’ll need to roll the red Torch die until they roll the torch symbol, which defeats the snake. This causes the group to waste time (and adds more challenge to the game), since the next player can’t begin their turn until the snake is defeated.
The round ends when the sand timer runs out, the Action Deck is empty, or the villain is defeated. If the round ends before the villain is defeated, the group is penalized at the beginning of the next round, making it more difficult to defeat the next villain. If players defeat the villain, they won’t receive this penalty.
The final round challenges players to defeat René Belloq before he gets away with the Ark of the Covenant. If they defeat Belloq before the final round ends, the group wins the game. If not, they’ll lose.
Each game of Indiana Jones: Sands of Adventure has an estimated play time of 45 minutes.
Indiana Jones: Sands of Adventure is now available at Target for $29.99.
Disclosure: SuperParent received a copy of Indiana Jones: Sands of Adventure for coverage purposes.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
