Spirit Island
Cooperative anti-colonial strategy game. Designed 2017 R. Eric Reuss. Greater Than Games. 1-4 players, 90-120 min. Players are SPIRITS defending native Dahan from European colonizers. Reverse-Colonial theme — you're the resistance. Complex + heavy game. TOP-10 BGG ranked cooperative game. Multiple expansions (Branch & Claw, Jagged Earth, Nature Incarnate).
What is Spirit Island?
Spirit Island is 2017 COOPERATIVE ANTI-COLONIAL STRATEGY BOARD GAME designed by R. ERIC REUSS + published by GREATER THAN GAMES (Colorado, USA). 1-4 players play NATURE SPIRITS defending native DAHAN people + island from EUROPEAN COLONIZERS (Explorers → Towns → Cities). Considered THEMATICALLY REVERSED COLONIAL GAME — you're the RESISTANCE, not the invaders. GAMEPLAY: each spirit has UNIQUE POWERS + ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES + PRESENCE TRACKS. Each round: (1) SPIRIT PHASE — grow presence, gain energy. (2) FAST POWER PHASE — play power cards + resolve. (3) INVADER PHASE — invaders EXPLORE → BUILD → RAVAGE (do damage). (4) SLOW POWER PHASE. (5) TIME PASSES. Invaders escalate: EXPLORER → TOWN → CITY. FEAR TOKENS earned by damaging invaders — reach fear threshold = INVADERS LEAVE. WIN CONDITIONS: (1) Fill Fear tokens + no cities remain. (2) Fill Terror Level 3 + no cities/towns remain. (3) Adversary-specific win conditions. LOSE CONDITIONS: (1) All DAHAN dead. (2) All BLIGHT (environmental damage) placed. (3) Any Spirit destroyed. 8 STARTER SPIRITS in base game; 20+ across expansions. ADVERSARY OPTIONS: play against SWEDEN, ENGLAND, PRUSSIA, FRANCE, HAPSBURG, RUSSIA with escalating difficulty. EXPANSIONS: BRANCH & CLAW (2017), JAGGED EARTH (2019), NATURE INCARNATE (2022). Considered HEAVY cooperative game — 90-180 min; steep learning curve; deeply rewarding.
Quick facts
Category
Board Games
Type
Team sport
Players
1–4
Duration
~105 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
island map (4 boards + coast)
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
Designed 2017 R. Eric Reuss; base game + Branch & Claw 2017; Jagged Earth 2019; Horizons 2022 (streamlined intro); Nature Incarnate 2022
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Frighten invaders off island via fear, destruction, or terror level 3 win.
Rules
Basic rules
Each round: Growth → Fast Powers → Invaders → Slow Powers → Time Passes
Structured phases; invaders escalate each round.
Grow spirit: presence, energy, reclaim, add cards
Choose 1-2 growth options based on spirit board.
Play power cards costing energy
Fast = before invaders; Slow = after invaders.
Invaders: EXPLORE → BUILD → RAVAGE per land type
Ravages damage lands + Dahan; buildings become towns/cities.
Fear tokens gained by damaging invaders
3 fear tokens = fear card resolves during invaders phase.
Win: no cities remain + fear at maximum (or Terror 3 no towns)
Multiple win paths + adversary-specific.
Scoring
Cooperative win/lose. No traditional scoring. Difficulty rating tracked (0-10+) based on adversary + scenario chosen.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Fear at max + no cities | Win! |
| Terror level 3 + no cities/towns | Win! |
| Adversary-specific win | Varies |
| Difficulty rating | 0 (base solo) to 10+ (max adversary) |
Win condition · Cooperative win — invaders driven off before Blight exhausted or Dahan destroyed.
Playing area
Called
island map (4 boards + coast)
Dimensions
modular island map from 4-8 land boards
4-6 land boards form island; ocean spaces around; each board 8 lands split into mountain/wetland/jungle/sands.
Equipment
Base game (8 spirits + adversaries)
€80-100 retail
8 spirit boards + player mats
Each spirit unique
Land boards (4-8) + island map
Modular setup
Invader deck (Explorer + Build + Ravage cards)
Drives invader phase
Power cards (~50 minor + 50 major + spirit-unique)
Deep card variety
Fear tokens + terror level tracker
Win condition tracker
Blight pool
Environmental damage; loss condition
Dahan + invader tokens
Native + colonizer units
Strategies
Choose spirits with synergistic elements
Air + Fire + Earth combos amplify each other.
Kill towns/cities before they ravage
Prevention > cleanup; damage before ravage phase.
Manage blight carefully
1 blight per land space; run out = lose.
Fear generation vs invader elimination
Fear cards can win game without destroying all invaders.
Terminology
- Spirit
- Player character; 8+ in base + 20 in expansions.
- Presence
- Spirit's manifestation on map (limits range + power).
- Element
- Sun/Moon/Fire/Air/Water/Earth/Plant/Animal on power cards.
- Explorer / Town / City
- Invader unit tiers (weakest to strongest).
- Dahan
- Native people; must be protected.
- Blight
- Environmental damage token.
- Fear
- Frightens invaders; wins game when maxed.
- Ravage / Build / Explore
- Invader phases.
- Adversary
- European power choosing (Sweden = easy; England = hard).
Major competitions
Not competitive — cooperative
n/a · worldwide
BGG top-10 cooperative game
ongoing · worldwide · since 2017
Origins Best Cooperative 2018 nominee
annual · worldwide · since 2018
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Greater Than Games (publisher)
Founded 2011 · USA (Colorado)
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- R. Eric Reuss (USA) — Designer
- Loïc Berger (France) — Artist
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Buy SPIRIT ISLAND HORIZONS ($40) — 5 easier spirits, simplified rules
2022 intro version specifically for teaching.
- 2
Or base game with 1-2 players + no adversary
First game 2-3 hours; use simple spirits (River, Lightning, Shadows, Vital Strength).
- 3
Master 1 spirit through 3-5 games
Each spirit has unique flow — repetition helps.
intermediate
- 1
Add SWEDEN or PRUSSIA adversary (low difficulty)
Learn adversary mechanics.
- 2
Try BRANCH & CLAW expansion
Adds events + beasts + wild spirits.
advanced
- 1
JAGGED EARTH expansion + higher adversary levels
Massive content addition.
- 2
True Solo (1 spirit, 4 boards, difficult adversary)
Ultimate challenge.
Frequently asked
What is Spirit Island?+
COOPERATIVE ANTI-COLONIAL STRATEGY BOARD GAME (2017) designed by R. ERIC REUSS. 1-4 players play NATURE SPIRITS defending native DAHAN people + island from EUROPEAN COLONIZERS. THEMATICALLY REVERSED colonial game — you're the RESISTANCE. Complex + heavy game (rated 4/5 complexity BGG). 90-180 min. Deep asymmetric spirit powers + escalating invader difficulty. TOP-10 BGG cooperative game. Multiple expansions (Branch & Claw, Jagged Earth, Nature Incarnate). Digital version on Steam.
How is Spirit Island different from Pandemic?+
PANDEMIC = lighter (30-45 min), simpler rules, symmetric roles. SPIRIT ISLAND = heavier (90-180 min), complex power cards, DEEPLY ASYMMETRIC spirits (each plays radically different). PANDEMIC = save the world from disease; SPIRIT ISLAND = defend island from colonizers. Both cooperative + both excellent, but different weights. Start with PANDEMIC if new to cooperative games; move to SPIRIT ISLAND when ready for complexity.
Which Spirit Island expansion should I buy?+
JAGGED EARTH (2019, $60) is CONSENSUS BEST — adds 10 new spirits (doubling base), plus tokens, adversaries, events. Massive value. BRANCH & CLAW (2017, $40) — smaller expansion with events + beasts + 2 new spirits + 2 adversaries. Good but less content. NATURE INCARNATE (2022, $60) — newest; 8 new spirits with unique 'incarna' mechanics; considered advanced. HORIZONS (2022, $40) — INTRO version standalone; NOT expansion. Buying order: base → Jagged Earth → Branch & Claw → Nature Incarnate.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Spirit Island— Wikipedia
- BoardGameGeek — Spirit Island— BGG