Matthew BaileyBefore jumping in, it is worth clearing up an important point that regularly causes confusion. There are currently two modern versions of Fireball Island available. The premium hobby version is Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar by Restoration Games, which is the one reviewed here. This is a full modern reimagining with high quality components, modular boards, detailed plastic, expansions, and real depth of play. There is also a much cheaper mass-market Goliath version called Fireball Island: Race to Adventure, which is a far more simplified experience with reduced components and less strategic depth.
They share a name and theme, but they are very different products, and if you are looking for the full experience, it is absolutely the Restoration Games version you want.
Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar is a game I have been aware of for quite a while. It has always intrigued me and has a very loyal following. Part of the reason I never really looked into it properly until now was because I knew it was a remake of an old mainstream game. Now, having spent more time with it, I can comfortably say that it perfectly blends the nostalgia and old-school sensibilities of the child-focused family board games of the 80s and 90s that I grew up with, but with a modern coat of paint and mechanics that are genuinely enjoyable.
The concept of the game is simple. You play a character landing on Fireball Island via a helipad, and you have a limited number of turns to navigate around the island collecting treasures, taking snapshots, and attempting to retrieve the Gem of Vul-Kar.
The original version released back in the 80s was a very simple roll-and-move game. Here, movement is handled entirely through cards that allow you to move and also rotate parts of the island, such as trees, to change the routes that the fireballs will roll down. You can also rotate Vul-Kar himself, again altering the paths that the fireballs are likely to take. This works really well and adds a surprising amount of strategy. Alongside the equipment cards, it gives a decent amount of depth for the type of game this is.
Do not get me wrong, this is not some massively heavy euro game. Essentially, you are going around making the best use of the cards in your hand to navigate the island and collect as much as possible. You can gather treasure sets that score more points the more of each type you collect. You can visit snapshot locations worth five points each, or you can go for the big gem in the centre of the island. Sometimes when you move, you can activate an ember, which lets you nudge one of the orange fireballs in an attempt to hit another player and send them tumbling back down the mountain.
At some point, someone is going to play a Cataclysm card. This adds the Cataclysm board to the scar and sends the Cataclysm balls crashing down from the top of Vul-Kar, causing absolute chaos as they bounce and collide across the island. There are bridges, ladders, and all sorts of clever features that make every game feel unpredictable and exciting.
Production values are extremely high. The plastic components are beautifully made, there is a great balance of plastic and cardboard, and the whole game looks fantastic when laid out on the table. There are a number of expansions that I am very keen to try and will do my best to track down, although they can be quite difficult to get hold of in the UK. Visually, the game is incredibly impressive and huge fun to play. Even kids who are not usually very engaged with board games are likely to be drawn in purely by how cool everything looks.
We have had an amazing time with Fireball Island, and the kids cannot wait to play it again. It is absolutely the sort of game they will want to get out when friends come over. I will say there is quite a bit of setup time, probably around ten minutes once you know what you are doing, which is a little longer than many games aimed at this age group.
For me, the real magic here is how Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar blends modern hobby game design with the big, bold, family-friendly spectacle that defined so many games of the 80s and 90s. Restoration Games have done an outstanding job of bringing a classic back to life in a way that feels both faithful and fresh.
A strong recommendation from me, but I cannot stress this enough, make sure you get the Restoration Games version, Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar, and not the cheaper Goliath version if you want the full experience.
