Horizons of Spirit Island

OnOnbasestar8.0

I liked the main Spirit island, but I never picked it up because I thought the barrier to entry may be too high for my game groups. This new, smaller, simpler version was exactly what I was looking for! The way all of the mechanics work together without feeling overwhelming is masterful. There's such a good balance between all of the different aspects of the game: hand management, power timing, elements, and the presence. It feels like there'd be too much to keep track of, but it just works wonderfully. I can't think of another game that does such evocative storytelling with so little. + Small box + All 5 spirits are balanced well and have good synergies ++ The innate powers and elements really bring the hand management to another level. I love the interplay between using the cards for their powers and/or their elements ++ The structure of the turns (Fast powers, invaders, slow powers) leads to a ton of strategic thinking and interplay between all players. Great balance between putting out fires and thinking ahead + The art on all the cards and board is colorful and great to look at + I appreciate the more simple spirits and card guides to give new players a good way to advance without feeling lost + Adjustable difficulty settings in the box, but can easily add adversaries and scenarios from main game to increase difficulty ++ The amount of storytelling present in just the card art, evocative names, and power descriptions is incredible.

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