Spirit Island

Players take the roles of powerful island spirits defending native lands from waves of colonizing Invaders. Each spirit has unique elemental powers and a presence on the map; players spend energy to play power cards, combining cards with matching elements for bonus effects and timing fast or slow powers to influence the Invaders’ sequence of Explore → Build → Ravage. Between spirit actions, spirits Grow to reclaim cards, gain energy, unlock new powers, or spread their presence across the island. Invaders expand semi-predictably, towns and cities form and bring blight, and islanders can sometimes aid or be affected by powers. The game escalates as both spirits and Invaders advance, with variable adversaries that alter difficulty and behavior.

Players: 1–4 best 2
Playing time: 90–120 min
Age: 13+
Complexity: 4.1 / 5

8 on Ludoya from $57.26MythologyTerritory BuildingSolo / Solitaire GameCooperative GameAutomatic Resource Growth

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About the game

Design: R. Eric Reuss
Art: Jorge Ramos
Nolan Nasser
Lucas Durham
Loïc Billiau
Kat G Birmelin
Rocky Hammer
+9
Publisher: Greater Than Games, LLC

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Full stats in Ludoya

3,015
Plays logged: 941
Players: 1h 35m
Average play: 554
In collections: 85
On wishlists: 3
Pre-ordered

8.0/10

from 218 Ludoya reviews

Fun9.5
Interaction10.0
Replayability10.0
Uniqueness9.5
Looks9.0
Accessibility7.4

Garfield7.0
#2.2 BGExpansions im Dach Schatzkiste #55 Hm, not quite sure what to write here. The theme was interesting. Gameplay flows. But we had the feeling regardless what we do or how many enemies we killed, they become more and more and more and there is little you can do about this. Too much luck based? Have to replay it. [c] Theme: ★★★☆☆  Gameplay: ★★★☆☆  Interaction: ★★★★★  Artwork: ★★☆☆☆  Luck: ★★★☆☆  Strategy: ★★★★☆  Components: ★★★☆☆  Play duration: ★★★☆☆  Easy to teach: ★★★☆☆  Rules quality: ★★★☆☆  Setup time: ★★☆☆☆  No downtime: ★★★★☆  Replay value: ★★★★☆  [/c]
BWizard9.0
[c] (15x) GAMING EXPERIENCE: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (5x) DEPTH / WEIGHT: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (5x) LUCK: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (10x) REPLAYABILITY: ★★★★★★★★★★ (6x) MECHANICS: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (6x) PLAYER INTERACTION: ★★★★★★★★★★ (3x) SCALABILITY (PLAYER COUNT): ★★★★★★★★★★ (2x) LENGTH: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (2x) CLARITY OF RULES: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (6x) COMPONENT QUALITY: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ [/c] :thumbsup: I think this is the best coop game in my collection. Usually I'm not a big fan of coop games, but this is one of the exceptions. :thumbsup: With translated, printed rulebook.
Jan Solo10.0
Eurogame duro colaborativo en el que asumimos el papel de un espíritu natural que debe defender la isla de los colonizadores. Iremos adquiriendo más poder y presencia al tiempo que usamos nuestras cartas para combatir, defender, atacar, causar miedo o muchas otras acciones. Sencillo de reglas, pero con mecánicas muy elegantes y con muchísima estrategia. Increíblemente REJUGABLE, un juego que cuanto más lo juegas más descubres lo bien que fluye y por ende más te gusta. OBRA MAESTRA.

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

If I play a Slow power, do I get its Elements right away so I can use them for Innates or other cards this turn?

Yes — you gain all Elements the moment you pay for a Power Card, even if the Power is Slow, but those Elements last only while the card is in play (they do not persist between turns). (pp. 8, 14)

What order do the Invaders act each turn — Ravage, Build, Explore — and when do you advance the Invader cards?

During the Invader Phase you resolve in this order: Blighted Island (if any), Fear, then Invader Actions: Ravage, then Build, then Explore; after Explore you slide the cards left so Build becomes Ravage next turn and Explore becomes Build. (pp. 9–10)

Do Dahan fight back during Ravage even if they were damaged or killed by the Ravage?

Only surviving Dahan fight back: after Invader Damage is fully resolved, any Dahan still alive each deal 2 Damage to the Invaders; Dahan destroyed by the Ravage do not fight back (damaged but surviving Dahan recover at end of turn). (pp. 9, 16)

When Blight is added to a land, does it remove Presence from every Spirit in that land?

Yes — whenever you add Blight to a land, destroy one Presence from each Spirit with Presence there; if the land already had Blight it also cascades to an adjacent land. (p. 15)

Can a land hold more than one Presence from the same Spirit, and what is a Sacred Site?

A land can hold any number of Presence from any spirits; a Spirit’s Sacred Sites are any lands where that Spirit has more than one Presence. (p. 13)

Do Fast Powers have to be used in the Fast Power Phase, or can I wait and use them after Invaders act?

Fast Powers must be resolved during the Fast Power Phase and cannot be delayed until the Slow Phase; you may choose to skip a Fast Power instead of delaying it. (p. 8)