Spirit Island

Designer	R. Eric Reuss
Publisher	Greater Than Games (Fabled Nexus)
Players	1-4
Playtime	90-120 mins
Suggested Age	13 and up
Expansions	Spirit Island: Branch & Claw   Spirit Island: Jagged Earth  Spirit Island: Feather and Flame Spirit Island: Nature Incarnate
Accessories	Insert Here - Spirit Island Organizer E-Raptor - Insert Spirit Island and Branch & Claw Expansion Folded Space - Spirit Island & Branch and Claw Expansion Broken Token - Spirit Island Organizer Spirit Island: Premium Token Pack Folded Space - Spirit Island and Branch & Claw Expansion or Jagged Earth Expansion (v2) Laserox - Spirit Organizer (Compatible with Spirit Island and Branch & Claw Expansion) Laserox - Spirit Expansion Organizer (Compatible with Spirit Island Expansions)  Spirit Island: Deluxe Invader Board Spirit Island: Foil Panels
Honors	2019 Spiel der Spiele Hit für Experten Recommended 2019 As d'Or - Jeu de l'Année Expert Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Thematic Board Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Solo Board Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Cooperative Game Nominee 2017 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork & Presentation Nominee 2017 Cardboard Republic Striker Laurel Nominee
Additional Info	162886/spirit-island http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/162886/spirit-island/forums/63

In the most distant reaches of the world, magic still exists, embodied by spirits of the land, of the sky, and of every natural thing. As the great powers of Europe stretch their colonial empires further and further, they will inevitably lay claim to a place where spirits still hold power - and when they do, the land itself will fight back alongside the islanders who live there.

Spirit Island is a complex and thematic cooperative game about defending your island home from colonizing Invaders. Players are different spirits of the land, each with its own unique elemental powers. Every turn, players simultaneously choose which of their power cards to play, paying energy to do so. Using combinations of power cards that match a spirit's elemental affinities can grant free bonus effects. Faster powers take effect immediately, before the Invaders spread and ravage, but other magics are slower, requiring forethought and planning to use effectively. In the Spirit phase, spirits gain energy, and choose how / whether to Grow: to reclaim used power cards, to seek for new power, or to spread presence into new areas of the island.

The Invaders expand across the island map in a semi-predictable fashion. Each turn they explore into some lands (portions of the island); the next turn, they build in those lands, forming settlements and cities. The turn after that, they ravage there, bringing blight to the land and attacking any native islanders present.

The islanders fight back against the Invaders when attacked, and lend the spirits some other aid, but may not always do so exactly as you'd hoped. Some Powers work through the islanders, helping them (eg) drive out the Invaders or clean the land of blight.

The game escalates as it progresses: spirits spread their presence to new parts of the island and seek out new and more potent powers, while the Invaders step up their colonization efforts. Each turn represents 1-3 years of alternate-history.

At game start, winning requires destroying every last settlement and city on the board - but as you frighten the Invaders more and more, victory becomes easier: they'll run away even if some number of settlements or cities remain. Defeat comes if any spirit is destroyed, if the island is overrun by blight, or if the Invader deck is depleted before achieving victory.

The game includes different adversaries to fight against (eg: a French Plantation Colony, or a Remote British Colony). Each changes play in different ways, and offers a different path of difficulty boosts to keep the game challenging as you gain skill.