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Box art via BoardGameGeek
Spirit Island
A co-op where you are the island fighting back, and it does not go easy on you.
Designed by R. Eric Reuss · 2017
The thinking person's co-op. Brutal, brainy, and the rare game where you play the land defending itself.
Best for: Co-op players who want a real puzzle and don't mind losing a few times
What it is
Spirit Island flips the usual colonial board game on its head. You're not the settlers, you're the spirits of an island pushing the invaders back into the sea, and that theme runs straight through the rules instead of sitting on top of them. Each spirit plays completely differently, and between the spirits, the maps, and the difficulty options, there's a mountain of variety in this box.
The catch
It is not gentle. People love it precisely because it's a hard, satisfying puzzle, but that comes with the usual co-op hazard. Information is tricky to share across the table, and the most experienced player can drift into quarterbacking everyone else's turns. Some also find that once your spirit powers up, the endgame can tip from tense into a foregone conclusion.
Who it's for
If you want a co-op you can beat on the first try, this isn't it, and that's the whole point. For players who are happy to lose a few times, learn the island, and slowly get good, it's about the most rewarding cooperative game on the shelf. Start on the lowest difficulty and climb from there.
What other players say
This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:
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