Greater Than Games Spirit Island - Cooperative Strategy Board Game | Expert-Level Solo or Multiplayer Thematic Game for Adults, Defend Your Land from Colonizing Invaders, High Replayability

It has a bit of a learning curve because of the complexity, but the complexity is what I enjoy most about it so I'm fine with the learning curve. It's well-balanced, with some luck involved because of card draws but not often unwinnable. The games where you have bad luck, you just have to have better strategy (sometimes just try to stay alive until the luck balances out). I love the systems they have for scaling the difficulty - various spirits are harder or easier to win with, especially playing solo. So I started with the easiest and worked my way up. I haven't even tried the scenarios or special invaders. The different spirits with their special abilities give the game variety and good replayability. I like that the multi-player games can still be played very independently. You don't HAVE to have a team strategy to win - if each player does well on their own board, the team wins. But if a player has bad luck and needs help, the others often can help, so multi-player games make it easier to offset bad luck. Great system for scaling up the size of the island based on the number of players. This is NOT a game for beginners or those who love simple board games. I like complex games and I'm good at remembering rules, but I still sometimes make mistakes in this one if I'm not careful. It is rather complex. If you don't want complex, don't buy this game. Otherwise it's perfect, especially for people who enjoy a solo game sometimes and other times want to play with others.

From Settlers of Catan to Puerto Rico, there are tons of prominent board games that feature an island being civilized by invading forces. Greater Than Games wanted to ask the question, “What if the island fought back?” To answer that question, let’s get to the review! OVERVIEW: You play Spirit Island on a board made up of one map per player. Each map is seeded with enemy settlements and allied Dahan natives. Players take their turns simultaneously, beginning by choosing one of their spirit’s growth options which will place presence on the board to allow them to use powers. Doing this lets players often increase either their energy income or the number of cards they can play per turn. They will then select the power cards that they will play for the turn, paying their cost (if any). Some cards are fast and will activate immediately. The invaders then take their turn ravaging some land types, defeating any Dahan there, and blighting the land. They will then build new settlements and other land types, and then send out explorers to repeat the process. The players then resolve any slow powers they played for the turn and discard all cards used for the turn. If the players can defeat enough of the invaders before too much of the land is blighted, they win. PRO, 5 out of 5: FOCUSED SIMULTANEOUS PLAY. Because each player begins on their own separate board with limited range on their powers, they can generally focus on the problems facing them on their map. This reduces analysis-paralysis and speeds up the game. But as the game progresses, players will be able to extend their presence to their neighbor’s maps, which slowly ratchets up the cooperation and creates more of a tactical puzzle as the game goes on. PRO, 5 out of 5: FEAR EFFECTS. Players have a pool of fear tokens. As settlements are defeated and card effects are resolved, the tokens are moved down to the “generated fear” section. When all of the fear has been earned, the tokens are moved up and one fear card is moved down, waiting to be activated later in the turn. When 3 fear cards have been earned, the terror level for the game increases. Increasing the terror level makes both the victory conditions for the game easier and also levels up the powers of the fear cards you earned. The fear cards themselves are a lot of fun. Since you never know what effect they have, they give you random boosts to your strategy. PRO, 5 out of 5: TACTICAL PUZZLE. The tactical richness of Spirit Island really is unparalleled. The invader actions are telegraphed multiple turns in advance, giving you time to defeat them. The tactical puzzle gets even more interesting with the use of fast and slow powers. Trying to coordinate how to best use your powers to address the telegraphed invader actions makes this one of the best tactical puzzles in co-op board gaming history. PRO, 5 out of 5: VALUE AND VARIETY. Spirit Island comes with 4 scenarios that drastically change the rules of the game. It also comes with 3 different European adversaries for you to face. Each adversary has unique abilities and step-by-step upgrades to provide the exact challenge you want. As if that wasn’t enough, you can even flip the game boards over to get a more challenging but more geographically realistic alternate board setup. All of this gives Spirit Island immense replay value and allows players to adjust the difficulty to the exact level they need. PRO, 5 out of 5: SPIRIT DIFFERENTIATION. Each spirit has unique setup rules, abilities, growth and power options, innate powers if they get combos from certain cards, and an entirely unique set of 4 power cards that only they can use. It’s a staggering amount of differentiation, and the game really feels almost completely different each time. And I haven’t even mentioned the ridiculous variety of minor and major powers that you can upgrade your spirit with throughout the game. This can culminate into ridiculous superpowers like lightning bearing down on the land or floods to wash enemy cities away. The variety in how your spirit will play game to game is truly spectacular. OVERALL SCORE, a resounding 5 out of 5. Spirit Island is absolutely one of my top co-op games of all time. I just love this game. Both serious and casual players that I’ve introduced the game to have loved it as well. The combination of incredible variety, fast gameplay, and deep tactical puzzles is amazing. To keep my thoughts brief, Spirit Island is a co-op that every gamer should have in their collection. As a side note, the expansion “Branch & Claw” adds a ton of content to the game. I honestly don’t play the game anymore without it. It should also come as no surprise that Spirit Island is excellent when played solo. When I play with just one spirit, I can complete a game in about 30 minutes, which is an amazing amount of gameplay for such a short time invested. Adding in a second spirit makes the puzzle that much tougher and exciting. All of my previous recommendations hold for people who want to play Spirit Island solo. It is GREAT. Happy gaming! This is Dr. D, and I’m out!

short summary: very complex game that takes a long time to set up, and understand the rules. set aside a lot of time for your first playthrough. but it goes quicker once you get a handle on it, and builds to a big splashy climax that everyone can contribute to both individually and collaboratively. Longer review: Just got this game and played once through with a 12/15 yo, and both are familiar with complex tabletops. We played it (and pretty easily beat it) with both of the two nerfing rules in play, as we were learning the game; next time I'll play with just one of the nerfs. It still took about 4 hours to play, after setup, and that only got us through about 1/2 of each of the game timer decks before we won outright. (I wouldn't expect a game that consumed those decks to necessarily take 8 hours--it's just the learning curve). The below notes are feedback from just the first play through. I really think it'll get much much easier with experience. Cons: -it took about 90 minutes to follow the setup instructions. I'd expect subsequent games to be closer to 30 mins now that we understand the nomenclature of the pieces. There's still somethings that will take time, like deck building. -it needs a good size table. There are lots of cards for the players to manage individually that cycle in and out of play. -the rules are daunting. I spent 2 hours reading them and grokking them, and then another 30-45 mins teaching the kids, and it took about two turns before we really all got it what each thing was and was going to do. -lots of pieces and cards to manage Pro: once you get through the rules learning curve, it actually becomes quite straightforward and intuitive and goes quickly. I fully expect future games to play much quicker, even if we add rules complexity/difficulty. most games like this I'll re-read the rules after the first play to see what mistakes of understanding were made; this was the first time that I've done a reread and really found no mistakes in our play of fundamental understanding. that is to say, once you get it, it's pretty intuitive. I like the card management for powers. it allows individuals to easily understand their own abilities and how they can play a role. complex games like this are often a struggle between remembering the rules and then how to best use those rules for your strategy to win. We obviously struggled with that in the beginning ("I don't understand, what is the best choice?") but once we could see the path to victory the options for each player actually became pretty clear. Individuals can both contribute independently but also need to work together to stack power effects. The best part of the game, and really it's most interesting feature, is that it's back loaded. Most resource management games you start out with a lot of stuff and burn it down; the question becomes do you win or lose before you run out of resources. That's hard because you don't know the pace of consumption, so you're either too cautious or too frivolous with resources in the beginning. For instance, Dead of Winter plays like that. Spirit Island on the other hand is the first game that I've played that is the reverse of that. Individual character's powers build throughout the game, leading to increasingly flashy effects. It builds to a nice climax. The win conditions actually become easier, not more difficult, over time, and the game increasingly works against itself over time through a progression of disadvantaging the AI (game opponents) the more rounds that are played. It could be a trap, actually, to count on late-stage win conditions that whoops fail to materialize in time. It has the benefit that, as we're learning the rules and making mistakes of strategy in the early rounds, those mistakes are surmountable by later play with bigger effects once you know the pace and what's coming at you. The only thing that I think we might have regularly forgotten is that while villages and cities each have 2 and 3 HP respectively, and do 2 and 3 damage respectively, destroying them only add 1 and 2 fear respectively. I wish there were more fear tokens to consume in order to allow for villages and city destruction to consume 2 and 3 fear tokens respectively, in alignment with their HP and damage, it'd be easier to remember. How often we made that mistake really would inform how easy it was to meet the win conditions. But that's really just a mistake, not a core misunderstanding. I've definitely played games with more pieces and cards to manage. This one is probably medium, and most of them are on the play board not in a player's personal management responsibility. Bottomline is that the three of us are all looking forward to playing it again, with different and harder starting conditions; now that we know the rules and the pace of play it'll go much faster and be much easier to design strategy against it. But if you're not a gamer that enjoys setting aside a whole afternoon to get started with a game, this may not be the game for you to approach. It's therefore more of a family game for players that will return to it, than a social game that you want to teach to visitors for just one playthrough.

Spirit Island lives up to its incredibly high hype and I wish I was not so late to the party. Every aspect of this game is incredibly thoughtful (well designed), fun, and offers so much variety. The replay value is insane. Typically, I'm one of those people who believes that a board game should never take more than 1 hour of time otherwise it turns into more of a stressful experience. Spirit Island completely proves me wrong . . . even with the 2+ hour play times (including set up and play through) I can't get enough and never feel board. I also love how all of the game mechanics make sense and feel completely natural to the story of the game itself. Nothing feels like a mechanic that was just added to "fix" some issue. I've also read that the makers of this game go through years of game testing to make sure they get everything right: it really shows. My only word of warning is that this game does take at least one or two play-throughs before you get your bearings and you should sit down with it for the first time on a day when you are not tired from work, but the instruction booklet is very well written and that helps a lot. If you are on the fence after hearing good things about this game, just get it. You won't be disappointed.

This game is not related or connected to Settlers of Catan in any way, but follow along with me for a minute here - the following "story" will give you a good idea of the highly thematic game-play present in this game. Imagine the world/game of Settlers of Catan. A new island is discovered, and invaders from afar flock to the new lush land in search of new homes and resources. Ready to conquer and colonize the new paradise, they begin by creating a few modest towns, and then the race for territory begins. Eventually one particular group of colonists win the race for land, and are crowned the new de-facto rulers of the not-so-newly-discovered island. But something awakens from the land itself. The colonists actions have blighted the land, displaced and taken advantage of the native tribes of the land, and disturbed and upset the spirits that the natives worship. The ancient god-spirits of the island have been angered and they now exert their powers and influence upon the land. Crops wither, volcanoes erupt, the jungle grows rapidly to take back the land claimed for townships and roads. The rains, rivers, and ocean itself seems intent on destroying bridges and boats, flooding crop land, and sometimes raining destruction from above. Raging storms of thunder and lightning, savage wildlife, and the very earth beneath seem intent to drive the invaders out, or kill them. Wicked nightmares plague the settlers, and the natives themselves revolt. Welcome to Spirit Island. The game is, like I said, highly thematic, and a ton of fun to play - with a huge variety of game setups and play choices - no two games are ever the same. You take on the roles of the Spirits of the island, attempting to drive away the colonists through fear and population reduction. The Dahan (the natives) can help, but are mostly powerless until/unless aided by the players/spirits. A fully cooperative game, all players either win together, or lose together. The core game mechanics of the game are "deck-building", "resource management" , and "area control". Although the area-control is done in an interesting manner that is slightly different from most other area-control games; you're actually trying to reduce the invaders area-control, and you do so by using your cards/powers - which are limited to being 'cast' on areas near your 'influence markers'. All in all a very good modification on some popular traditional core mechanics. I really can't say enough good things about this game. There are several different spirits to choose from, and each have unique abilities, making the game quite varied from play to play, and spirits will even change from player to player based on play style of the person. There are several optional (and highly recommended) adversaries to choose from (basically you get to pick who won the island - choosing from historical kingdoms like France, Brittan, and Prussia) that keep the game challenging as you progress in player/group skill. And finally, the expansion, and a few of the promo items available out there are really awesome as well and add a lot to the game - as well as a new expansion slated to show up in 2019 sometime. tl;dr: This is my (and my friends) new favorite game. Hands down.

I love this game but it’s not a game to casually grab and play with just anyone. Took me about 3+ hrs to learn how to play and a few 1-2 hr play throughs before I got the hang of it and there’s probably still something I’m overlooking. The game is fun and easy once you understand how to play but it’s very complicated and could easily overwhelm new players. There’s just a lot to keep track of. There are a lot of moments where we pause and question if there’s anything we missed which makes the game feel like it’s going slower. Also, while I think they nailed some parts of the rulebook, like visually showing game setup and having an index, I think in a lot of ways the rulebook could’ve been done better. I frequently have to flip through several different pages to better understand one thing and I’ll feel like I still didn’t get an answer. The game is supposedly designed to prevent “alpha players” but there’s really no built-in defense against delta players. My current designated playmate, despite having played several games, has me hold their hand through almost every single step for their own play and requests my guidance to the point that I can’t focus on my own play until they’re done with theirs. When I prompt for coordination for just a small portion of my play, whether due to being a poor team player or not having the confidence with the rules, it’s not reciprocated and then I’m somehow a nuisance to them for “taking forever” because I’m finally able to set up my own play. Granted, I might not have the most ideal playmate right now but hosting a game night, especially with multiple new players, currently seems like a nightmare. So with that... it’s great for solo play!! Again, love the game

I’ve owned Spirit Island for seven years and only recently started playing it with others. Until then, it was my main solo game, usually with three spirits at once. I’ve never won against an adversary or a scenario, but I always enjoy the challenge. Components: Beautiful art, solid pieces, and spirit boards that feel alive. The production quality matches the depth of the game. Set up time: Long, especially with expansions and multiple spirits. It takes a while, but the table presence makes it worth it. Ease of teaching: Not simple, but learnable with patience. My roommates were better at keeping track of everything than I am, though they’re used to long D&D campaigns and complex games. What I find great: It’s endlessly replayable. Every spirit, power card, and combination changes the experience. The strategy runs deep and always feels fresh, even after years. What I like less: Bookkeeping can get heavy, especially when managing multiple spirits solo. I often switch to the Steam version for convenience, but I still prefer the physical game when I have the time. If I were stranded on an island or stuck in a zombie apocalypse, this is the one game I’d pack in my bunker.

Lots of rules to follow for your first time playing! But super cool concept and love the replayability aspect

Original and in proper condition.

A (longish) TL;DR: This game is very good. People who are experienced with board games can pick this game up and play fluidly in just a few turns, but it can initially be overwhelming for casual players. The game is quite difficult, especially at first, but everything is tied together very well thematically and is very much less luck based than most cooperative board games; therefore, the (base) game is easier to play and win the more you play, but there are several ways to increase the difficulty once it feels too easy. Everyone playing feels important and all choices matter. Replay value is very high, and nobody I've played it with has had anything negative to say about it. Pros: + Thematically Consistent + Truly 1-4 players (even single player is fun and challenging) + Various difficulty levels and options for gameplay variation offer high replay value + High-Quality pieces with great art + Very hard to take control of other players - everyone feels important and their choices matter POSSIBLE Cons: - Overwhelming at first (many different pieces and gameplay elements) - Can be difficult to teach because of the above point - Seemingly few 'scenarios' and 'adversaries' (but ultimately enough once you understand how they work) - Generally very challenging for new players even with the most simple set-up Neutral Points: ~ Long play time for casual players (30-40 minutes for single player, 60+ minutes with 2 players, and easily 90-120+ minutes with 3 or 4 players, especially if playing with new players) ~ In-box dividers/piece holders are flimsy and bulky, but box includes many resealable plastic bags for pieces ~ Random elements are a small part of the game, but are very predictable, fit with the theme, and don't feel 'luck-based' ~ NOT kid friendly. Don't be fooled by the colourful art - This game is challenging and complex for many adults, and I wouldn't even want to try playing it with anyone younger than a board game savvy 13 year old (I'm thinking of my younger siblings and cousins around that age as examples: some are definitely able to play and some I wouldn't let touch the box) Things to keep in mind when first playing the game: * If you can, learn the game with 2 players first, with the rule book and online FAQ open - learning with a single player will likely result in a quick and brutal loss that won't teach you enough, and learning with more than 2 players will likely result in a jumbled mess which will take far too long. Playing with several people is much easier when at least one person already knows how to play. * USE THE 'EASY' CHARACTERS - Seriously, their rules and powers are much easier to manage, and you can eliminate the deck building portion of the game as you learn the more integral elements * Don't be discouraged by the difficulty of the game. This game is hard to beat at first. Once you learn some strategy through trial and error, victory is much easier (which is why scenarios, adversaries, and blighted island cards are in the game, all of which increase the difficulty and/or complexity)

Jogo veio em perfeito estado. É um jogo muito complexo, com uma dificuldade bem alta. Ele é coop, o que pode ser frustrante quando é tão difícil de ganhar.

Se lo he regalado a mi novio que es un fanático de los juegos de mesa. Lo único malo (aunque eso no es problema del producto) es que está en inglés. Pero el juego es genial

This has to be one of the most enjoyable co-op games I've played. The game offers a wonderful amount of replay-ability with 8 unique feeling characters (spirits) and multiple scenarios and options to add on difficulty or slight variance without a change to core game play. The game also has wonderful art for it's characters and card backs that help make the game feel more vibrant, that also adds to tie into the already well maintained theme. For new players or people not used to very complex games, this game may seem a little overwhelming at first, so the first game will be a learning experience that may have players only learning how to effectively play after a whole game which takes 1-2 hours. The game has a recommended first play setup and I would recommend utilizing this for a smoother and easier first game. The delivery itself was fast with everything contained in perfect condition and no missing pieces.