Spirit Island Review

Reviewing the base game of Spirit Island. Giving this game a second chance.

0:00 Intro
0:54 Quick Overview
6:35 Theme & Aesthetics
8:14 Complexity
10:07 Length
11:05 Gameplay
11:45 Variability
13:33 Multiplayer
16:05 Solitaire
17:50 Final Thoughts & Outro

[ShoopDaWhoop]

Great, un-biased review! Looking forward to your spirit tier list.
Agreed that the more experienced everyone is, the more the game "unlocks" and you can start combo-ing off each other.

What are your thoughts on the game's ending?
I find a "game master" is required to hype up the last city's destruction for the group and the last blight being added, otherwise the game falls flat and players are surprised that it ends so abruptly.

Favorite spirit is Ocean's Hungry Grasp. It made the game "click" for me by showcasing how unique and thematic every spirit can be.

[chosenoneunmatched]

Spirit Island has pipped unmatched for me as my favourite game... mostly since I can play it solo. I also don't have a group i can regularly play unmatched with.

But they both have theme, strategy and tactics.
One is "me VS you" (minus the coop variant which although good is, i feel, not the heart and core of the true maingame experience); and the other is "me WITH you"

I love both.

But SI has won top spot for me

[olivierjodoin]

Given the overlap in taste we have, as I mentioned in your top100 video, I'm not surprised you like my #1 game. Fun fact however: Spirit Island is my favorite game because of multiplayer. It's outside my top 5 solo because of how heavy it gets to play 2 handed, and true solo is not as fun. I absolutely love the cooperation between players, but I also play it only with more experienced players. We all have between 60-400 games of experience with it.

[donnakeferlis]

Soooo, I should hold on to my copy... IDK, I get this to the table several times a year to see if it'll click. It hasn't. By now I know the rules backward and forward but it still doesn't sit well with me. I keep trying bc everyone talks about what a great solo game it is. I have it boxed and ready to donate, then I came across this vid and yet again I'm questioning myself. The idea of immersing myself in this fantasy world, defending my island with abundant ability choices... Sounds like a great solo adventure🤔

[danielmarlett]

Play enough and you can do a single player solo session in 15-20 mins easily. For me it is faster than Marvel Champions true solo. But I'm also a nut and play it a LOT

[jonathanpickles]

I prefer this 2 player to solo. Single handed feels a bit lacking and 2 handed melts my brain :) I would recommend the first expansion for the events, which take some of the determinism out of it and add a bit of drama. I have lost and won due to events when I thought I was safe/dead.
It was designed as part of the game but taken out to reduce the complexity (!). They are also not on that summary of the turn which is really annoying.

[ivanstanic]

Play this game with open card, you and your friend need to know what other player have, then you can make strategy.