So I Played . . . Spirit Island - Played it Once
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
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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 Swedish Mining 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.
From BGG - boardgamegeek....
#Boardgame #SpiritIsland #Review
My apologies for the wall of text.
The thing is you absolutely can play this game as a puzzle with no theme and it will work fine as you said. The game is very mechanical: push this, gather that, destroy a town, protect a land - you see the same instructions on dozens of cards over and over again.
What makes this experience very thematic and unique, at least for me, is the level of details and the interconnection of all elements in the game which always spark my imagination. For example, to invoke the innate power of River Surges in Sunlight, you need to get enough elements of Water and Sun - and that's in the name of the spirit, this is literally what this spirit is: Water and Sun (and just a bit of Earth). When you invoke this power at the lowest level, it only pushes an invader out of the spirit's way. Make the power stronger and it will do some damage. Reach the maximum and it will destroy almost anything on its way - because this is how a river flow would work. And that's just one example out of two dozens of spirits that exist in the game (with both expansions and both promo packs). And every single one of them not only has this self-contained theme created by their innate powers, starting deck and special rules but they are absolutely unique in comparison to each other which is mindblowing to me.
You can ignore all of it and then the game still will be a great mechanical puzzle that is interesting to solve. But if beyond that you read the names of powers, connect those names with the effects, and run in your imagination the scenes that happen when these powers are used, then at the end of the game you will have not just the victory or defeat but a story of a spirit (or spirits) that used all their abilities and more to repel the invaders and protect the land where the spirits were brought to life.
And frankly, this is what I would like to see: a video about how Spirit Island is designed to use every little detail of itself to tell the story of a confrontation between invaders and spirits. And maybe a comparison with the designs of other games that also use every piece of itself to create a strong narrative alongside the tight and tense gameplay.
What a fantastic idea :) - thank you for suggesting it!!
Strategy guides for each spirit, including which other spirits they work well with, would be interesting and entertaining. This is one of the few coop games I really enjoy. I love the outdoor setting for this conversation!
Very nice!! I’ll dive into them and see if that’s possible!
Agreed what duo spirit works well is nice to watch.
And hopefully with jagged earth, though that might be too much too ask hahaha
Hands down the best cooperative game that I’ve played so far. I’m always stunned by how much content there is for this game when I’ve barely scratched the surface of the core box. Realistically you’ll never have the time to film all the possible content you could do for this. A few play throughs showing off how crazy different the spirits are would be nice tho :)
It is a very very good Cooperative game - there I would agree :)
3 - 4 playthroughs and you get the knack for the game. you can predict easily what will happen and how to counter what will happen. key is staying infront of the invaders and using your innate abilities through elements as much as you can. also, don't underestimate the power of slow powers. and don't switch spirits, get to know at least one. river surges in sunlight and lightning's swift strike are the best for begginers.
Good to know - I will do a solo swing with some that I have already played!
@@Quackalope River might be better than Lightning since Lightning messes too much with the fast/slow momentum so you might not get that part of the game properly.
@@Kentchangar yeah, it's the easiest one because it makes many slow powers fast but if you wanna learn the mechanics properly river is the best. also you can play without the blight card for the first few tries.
I was just thinking about how you guys should do Spirit Island stuff! I love the way you guys cover Root content, and that’s what attracted me to this channel. As a fan of Spirit Island as well, if you did strategy guides or maybe playthroughs like you have done with Root, I think a lot of people would love it! You guys are one of the only people that have good quality content for Root and I’d love to see that content for Spirit Island too! Also I really love the way you film when you play games where you zoom in on components and stuff, it’s really pretty!
Good to know :) I think it is going to happen!
Oooooooooh yeahhhhhhh let’s do some strategy guides
That’s another addition to the request - lord knows I need them :)
@@Quackalope also I think you would really enjoy the narrative aspect of the game. It’s not as in your face as a narrative focused game. But, much like Root, the board state during and after the game really tells the story. Also the cards your spirit took show how it changed and evolved over time. The jagged earth rule book encourages you to rename your spirit at the end of the game to reflect this.
I totally get you. It’s for sure maybe more of a puzzle than anything else. But, I will say, I think it’s an incredibly thematic game. to me the theme in this game is one of the major reasons why it’s my #1 favorite game. It’s for sure not
a narrative game, but to me, emergent theme is my favorite kind of thematicness in board games, and spirit island does this with incredible intricacy and potency. To me it feels like me as the player is actually collaborating WITH the game to tell a fantastic story and countless times as I play the game, while yes i am hyper focused on the incredible puzzle, am I taken aback for a moment, imagine what just happened and, and am just awestruck by how awesome it was, or how fascinating it was, or how beautiful it was even. This game to me is dripping with theme, but I actually get to discover it, which to me is much much more rewarding than enjoying the story in a narrative game while I play it. It’s the way Spirit Island is incredibly harmonious, and every mechanic supports the theme and it all comes together in a way that’s nothing short of beautiful.
Hi Jesse, Glad you got a couple of play in. I agree that the mechanics present an intriguing and complicated puzzle. The puzzle can certainly grab your focus and you might think that experiencing it a dozen or so times will mean that you will be ready to quit it, but I think the opposite is true. When you have developed enough skill to relax a bit during play, you begin to start looking at the theme a bit more. Each of the spirits has a mode of operating that is truly thematic with their name. The base powers are thematic but you will soon find that when selecting new powers you start seeing how the one that will help you fit the theme of the spirit you are playing.
I love the way the games theme has you as a spirit just waking up from a long rest and, being groggy, not really as entrenched and powerful as you would like to be and need to be to respond to the invaders. The game is indeed a race between your ability to grow into a powerful enough being and the invaders that are also growing an in infuriatingly increasing pace. It can really be awesome when you use that major power to destroy the last city and pull off a win.
I like the game quite a bit solo, but I think I agree that the real beauty shines as a coop experience where you can assist your fellow spirits in repelling the invaders from your island. Being able to share the experience with friends in really a great experience.
Hope you get past the mechanics and really grow into loving this.
And Quack!
A suggestion to bring out the theme. Always say loud the name of the power you are using (this feels like something you probably do anyway, ask everyone else to as well). The names are great and link to what they do so I can imagine what is happening.
Bonus thematic challenge, at the end of the game rename your spirit to reflect what you have done and powers you have acquired.
I find this is where most of the theme comes out, as you're directly or indirectly influencing the Dahan or Invaders' lives by killing crops, provoking wildfire, or outright crushing everyone with a Tsunami!
Great setting for this video. This is one of my favorite games due to the asymmetric variety in spirits, boards, adversaries, and scenarios. i would like to see videos about impressions on further plays. It's always fun seeing how different people will gravitate towards certain spirits as they get more experience with the game.
Honestly, I think the biggest barrier with Spirit Island is the intimidation factor. Not just in terms of mechanics and such, but in terms of the way the difficulty ends up being perceived. It makes me think of Ghost Stories, which is a favorite of mine. Ghost Stories has a reputation for being stupidly hard, but... it's not as hard as it looks. What it does is it creates super intimidating situations that LOOK way worse than they truly are, and this can cause players to panic and make dumb moves, leading to a loss, which then leads to the game seeming even harder next time because of how badly the players got stomped. Once that game clicked with me though, I could look at it and say "Okay, there's 11 out of 12 slots filled with ghosts, 2 village tiles are on fire, Bob was eaten by bees, the boss is about to show up... okay, all according to plan, doing fine for now". Spirit Island is a lot like that. I had that problem of just making a lot of panicked moves when playing originally because the whole board looked like it was always on the verge of falling apart, and when I went and looked up tips for it, a lot of what I saw was simply "dont panic, it's okay for the board to get kinda bad, focus on your plan instead of performing desperate acts". Generally, with the way the game is balanced, it seems to expect you to see a lot of damage to the island early on and such, but after you've built up your spirit, the final part of the game isnt a desperate fight, but more of an absolute massacre as your plan is put into action and you start swatting invaders like flies. Overall you're simply not whatsoever expected to put a stop to every bad thing the invaders do. It's more about the long-term with this game and sometimes you gotta just let the island get a bit blighted. The emphasis on the "slow" powers and abilities sort of reinforces this concept.
But of course it takes a number of playthroughs to hit that point where it clicks, since when you're just starting it's going to be very hard to recognize those points when things are *actually* really bad, and when it's not as bad as it looks.
The other thing though is that when you're learning it really is best to stick to the "easy" spirits. I'd say, keep at those few until the game does click for you a bit. And it's super important to get a feel for how each spirit is intended to work.
And one other big tip: When you're choosing cards to gain, DONT decide just based on the written effect that the card does. Those elements on the side are really, really important, because your spirit depends on its innate abilities to truly perform its role, and those abilities are usually meant to be used frequently. It can absolutely be worth taking a power card that has a written effect that wont seem to help much (particularly for minor powers) if it lets you get the elements needed to start making full use of your innate powers. I struggled quite a bit with this part at first.
Really, once the game does click for you... and it will... you're going to find yourself having way more fun with it. And at that point, you might want to consider adding in the expansions. My one real issue with the base game is simply that the invaders are too predictable, which seems kinda silly to me. The expansions add a new mechanic that creates a bit more chaos, forcing you to adapt more. Not to mention just having more adversaries, scenarios, and generally just more good stuff all around.
Geez, just writing about this game makes me wanna have a go at it. It really is spectacular.... even if I do sometimes have turns that last 15 minutes long because I'm a total min-maxer.
Personally, I would love to see multiple co-op gameplays of Spirit Island. I love the game, and bought it during lockdown. Haven't had a chance to play it co-op yet, and there isn't that many gameplay videos of the game out there (or at least not with video quality as good as yours). Don't know if this is feasible, but hey. Quack!
edit: Also I think a video which narrates the storyline of one game of Spirit Island would be cool too. That's probably a lot of work though.
Also you don't lose if all the Dahan die.
Oh - I love both those ideas :) - I have gameplay with BoardGameCo filmed! However - the narrative sorry would be fun!
If you feel the game is more of a mathemathical puzzle than anything else it really is quite barebones with only the base game, you're not wrong. I'd recommend you play it with expansions which add hundreds of power cards and they add events, which make the game more random and "gamey," so you won't ever play the base game alone again. I think this will scratch that narrative itch you're craving for, at least it did for me. Thank me later ;) I had a simillar feeling when I first played SI and I needed quite a bit of time to get into it. Now it's my favorite game of all time and I'm making guides for it myself.
Spirit Island really is amazing, but it has such a high skill ceiling that it can be quite daunting for some.
Thanks for the suggestions!!
And btw: For me personally Spirit Island solo is amazing BUT you have to play two or more spirits. I just can not fathom why would you play with only one spirit since half of them are made for speciffical roles and to help other spirits. You literally can't use some powers in 1 spirit games, so yeah... It's a team game, even if you play solo. It's amazing, but I really dislike 1 spirit games.
I have like 300 games of Spirit Island and I think I have less than 30 one spirit games, since that's just too mathematical and yeah, that's why I/we almost always play 2-6 players 😁
Have fun! 😏
Yes, this game is a big and deep puzzle. Why it stand out for me the most (beside other reasons) is, that AFTER i planned my turn/actions i can dive into the theme and enjoy, how beautiful the card names and illustrations immerse me while executing the mechanics.
Spirit Island is what I got for Christmas. First game of 2021 for me, played it three times (solo) already. Love it. I tried: A Spread of Rampant Green, Lightning's Swift Strike, and Shadows Flicker Like Flame. Had fun with all of them and they definitely all have a very different strategy. The amount of content in the core box is surprisingly high. That mixed with just how modular Spirit Island is with scenarios, adversaries, spirits, and island tiles themselves will lead to an very high degree of replayability.... and that's without considering the expansions.
What I've learned already is to not underestimate Slow spells. Instead of relying on Quick spells and playing for the current, it's very effective to play for next turn which allows Slow spells to shine. If you prevent the invaders from Building then that region will be safe during Ravage, completely bypassing Blight. Also, it's VERY important to pay attention to what your spirit's special rule(s) are. The strength of that spirit often comes from how they manipulate the rules.
Honestly, it feels like they replaced colonialism with xenophobia (fear of strangers/foreigners), but people are much more sensitive to the first than the second.
It’s one set of people goood! The other set baad! It’s condescending to the natives because they have no agency. Portrayal of the natives is an exercise in Eurobashing.
I’m sorry just can’t get past this.
When invaders Ravage, they damage the land and kill dahans (natives of the island). I would say it is a correct representation of colonialism methods in gameplay form. If you add a bit of imagination that when this happens in a coastal land then dahans aren't actually killed but enslaved and forcefully moved to another continent, this will complete the picture. Resistance to this isn't xenophobia.
One rule change could turn it into xenophobia - if during a turn dahans always attacked first and killed peaceful "settlers" and THEN survived settlers attack back to protect themselves - then it would be a game about xenophobia. Natives fear strangers and kill them on sight and spirits are helping them! That would be a different theme and a different game :)
As is, the order of actions during a turn is just another element of the game that shows how carefully the game builds its narrative around the theme.
@@BattMrt Let's ignore that in all starts from the presumption that the foreigners intend to do nothing but "ravaging" the land, and have no reason to do whatever it is that the natives would consider ravaging.
The basic hypothesis of the game is European/technologically advanced countries = bad, spiritual natives = good.
The generalization is pretty clearly xenophobic to me.
@@tomasxfranco The game doesn't present natives as "good". And in regard to "European/technologically advanced countries = bad" (to natives in particular) the game leans on known historical events, isn't it? Such countries had a technological advantage over natives and they used it to get resources and/or slaves from colonized lands. And they were killing natives in the process.
Just because the game now depicts these events with some fantasy elements about spirits of nature being real, doesn't make it xenophobic. My country is one of the adversaries that are in the game. All I can say about it is yes, it is as close to historical accuracy as I would expect from a board game that isn't trying to be historically accurate but takes some inspiration from certain periods of human history.
@@BattMrt You do you.
I'm not going to argue against your preconceived notions of reductionist history nor the game's generalizations just because they fall in line with the current counter-cultural trend where everything "western" is evil because of colonialism.
I'm not forced to dislike the theme any more than I have to sing its praises like everyone seems to do, you included.
Glad you enjoying the game Jessie! If your looking for theme I find the more complex spirits more thematic as they have 2 innate powers and special rules that can limit how they play. My favorite spirit before the jagged earth expansion was the heart of the wild fire, a promo spirit, even just putting your presence on the board causes damage. However eventually the intensity of the fire causes blight to be putdown in addition to the damage.
There is also a "post play option" in the expansion rule book that you would enjoy. Basically after the game you rename your spirit based how it grew and changed from it's initial state. The example it has uses River Surges in Sunlight which grew in a more destructive way using a variety of fire powers, a more suiting name might be River Shines with Renewing Fire or Torrent of Life's Flame.
Best be careful of Spirit Island. Its the game with the highest experience to enjoyment curve out of any game I have played (You like it more as you get better at it). From your video, I think you liked it more then I did my first plays and yet here I am dozens of plays later and Spirit Island is far and away my favourite co op ever.
Spirit Island has puzzle layers. The puzzle for a beginner is average, putting out fires, standard co op fare. The puzzle after several games starts to bloom is amazing, slow vs fast, countering at the build or ravage phases, when to defend, when to grow, the variety of spirit combos. A marvelous puzzle.
Also its great to introduce to new players like your first experience. I grab an all rounder spirit for myself and keep us afloat while the new players experiment and learn the game.
I love Spirit Island, and it's really great when you make that perfect synergetic play. It's also fun being pushed to the brink of defeat only to come back and win.
I would love to see them do a competitive version of the game, or a legacy version.
super excited to watch this and hear what you think!!!!
Like I tell a lot of new players to the game, you must not think about what is going on right during that turn. So many people get hung up on fighting against what is currently happening, and not spending enough attention on what is going to happen next turn. I focus most of my attention on preventing builds throughout all the islands in play, not caring much about explores or ravages. Because if you can deal with builds, you won't have to worry as much about ravages. Also movement in this game is incredibly powerful. Being able to move settlers out of lands that are going to build, or towns/cities away from lands they are going to ravage, is huge! Look at the invader cards - if there is a place where moving them won't cause any problems (most of the time a single settler won't blight a land, so move it into a ravage area if it will be the only one there), then do it.
one of the things i really loved about this game is the way the art tends to line up with the spirits the cards are useful for them. it was cool seeing different artists representing each spirit and the fact they all play very differently gave the game a good sense of variety the theme comes through more once u add scenarios and adversaries . that coastal card is a killer lol the real fun from playing solo comes from playing 2 or 3 handed and burning ur brain and figuring out the synergies .also best digital version out there if u want to practice on the road
great video dude! Stay Hexy!
Highly recommend trying the game with 3 or more people, your instinct that it shines as a multiplayer game is spot on. With the expansion that adds Events I think you may appreciate it having a much more thematic feel to each turn as each turn has a set of opportunities and problems that you need to decide how to face together.
The expansion also adds a tremendous amount of variety for the Blight Card scaling, which I greatly appreciated. I did not even use the Blight cards when I just had the base game because my play group found them so frustrating. The expansion ones allow you to create a pool of ones you enjoy playing with, and it adds a lot to the experience as you see how the Island, the Dahaan, and the Invaders react to the changing ecosystem.
I highly recommend the Event expansion if you can get your hands on it, and playing the game with 3 or 4.
I haven’t tried the game with 5 or 6 players yet, but look forward to it once the pandemic passes.
awesome game that already provided so much challenge and good experiences...in my top 5.
It is very very intriguing to me :P
Make sure you play it with the Branch and Claw expansion. It transforms the game from an intriguing puzzle into a real game.
Personally, one of my favorite things to do after a game of Spirit Island is to sit there with my friends and have a little story redux with my friends and enjoy the narrative that the game gave us through it's mechanics. Like that time we had Bringer of Dreams and Nightmares give the invaders a Nightmare of the Islands Sinking that was so terrifying that they decided to fling themselves into the Ocean's Hungry Grasp now and accept their salty overlord. Or maybe it was a Lovecraftian sort of dream, that delusionally appealed to the sea-creature in us all, and made the invaders yearn for the briney embrace of the sea, returning to the simplicity of our long, lost, scaly ancestors beneath the waves. The cards and enemies are so dripping with history and flavor that it doesn't take us long for us to hammer out a cohesive and unique narrative to our games that we reference over the years and stay distinct despite having had over a hundred sessions of the game. I've been tempted to post the stories on the BGG forums, but often I just do not have the time or energy.
I would love to hear some of your own specific stories/experiences with the game though, should you feel so inclined.
I think this is something I will have to try :)
I am not a fan of puzzle games but I like Spirit Island as I find the cooperative nature makes it a shared puzzle. I also find it highly narrative, in that I have a distinct identity that shapes my game and I love the idea of fighting against colonists. As a fan of Root, the asymmetric player styles are intimidating but it’s rewarding to learn them and also how they interact with other players’ styles.
The highs and lows of controlling the invaders while growing your powers is the story I enjoy in this game, and you described it well. I also love that it is complex enough to dissuade alpha gamers from trying to dictate gameplay.
Absolutely :) - I am looking forward to playing it again!
Maybe one thing ? When playing solo. I think you have to play it with 2 spirits. Much better! Nice video! Thx again. You're great!
I agree but man does it make it harder on my brain trying to handle more than one spirit lol
A note on the theme: The Spirits are not by default on the side of the Dahan. Some cooperate with them a lot, others cannot coexist with them. Saving the Dahan is not always a priority...
Yep, I may not have said it clearly - but I read through all the flavor text. The Spirits were there before and at times have gone to battle with the Dahan - this game is more about the balance and the peace these two groups have found.
I never played Spirit Island, but as the theme is already not too much my cup of tea, not sure if I will ever do it. But interesting to know that the puzzle it present is that strong! Also, really love the idea of you doing these videos outside. It makes for a real pretty combination between the scenery and the b-roll.
I would highly recommend playing this with either (or both) of the expansions, especially Jagged Earth (the two promo pack expansions just add two new spirits each, which are worth it if you can find them). The Event cards add unknown variables that transform it from a fairly strict puzzle game to a less unpredictable but more strategic game. Yes, sometimes an Event card will make some of your powers worthless for that turn, so they can be frustrating. However, they do make it a far richer experience overall.
This game also works very well on Tabletop Simulator, and several of the team that created it (including Eric) are active in the Discord channel that created the most complete version of the TTS mod.
What would I like to see on your channel in regards to Spirit Island? Definitely play throughs similar to your Root play throughs. Different personalities coming together but actually working together would be lots of fun to watch. If you tap into the Spirit Island community, you’ll have comments about which rules you broke and which of your wins have asterisks, but that might already happen currently 😜
I think some play throughs are going to happen :)
Spirit Island has been my favorite game for a while now. For me the mechanics took a bit to become second nature. Once they did though, and I could see ahead a turn or two without struggling, that's when the theme kicked in and I could immerse myself into the spirit's role. The narrative came alive and I was no longer "placing Fear" and "pushing explorers" I was raining blood and they were fleeing in terror.
This game 100x better with the expansions... The spirits in jagged earth are masterpieces. A fantastic blend of creativity and strategy. There's a lot of content to unpack. You're absolutely right it's like a puzzle of figuring out the right moves to stay alive
I think an interesting take would be to see a game played with just the spirits and base rules. Then a game with an adversary and the same spirits, then a game with adversary and scenario and the same spirits. Show how each element adds to the game.
I was sad to hear at the beginning that he had only played 3 times because I knew what he was about to say. It took me at least 5-7 plays before I truly understood what I was doing and my goals on each turn. It’s so hard to see what you should be aiming for each turn until you’ve played enough to see what is important and urgent on the board. For example, knowing when to allow blight on purpose is SO hard to learn, but you must learn it to beat high level adversaries.
I hope you put out another video after you have played much more.
Would you consider interviewing the team behind The Kindred Spirit Podcast, a dedicated Spirit Island podcast? I believe they are based in Ohio as well. Other content creators in the Spirit Island space include One Pip Wonder, Being Friends, and Broken Meeple.
There are other channels that do gameplay. I love spirit Island, but I feel like gameplay isn't as engaging for me personally. I think a few of them every now and then would still be very cool to watch. But I would also love to just hear about your opinions and what you enjoy about spirit island. Strategy guides/opinion on spirits and even other gameplay. One thing that hasn't been talked about a lot is how spirits can work together. You could do 2-4 spirit gameplay, either solo or with other people. So maybe strategy guides on how you went about play and work cooperatively between spirits and other people! I love just hearing people talk about it, and would love to listen to more about it.
Also, I love this series. Probably my favorite in addition to Root gameplay(although I still haven't been able to play it myself yet). I like just being able to listen to it and hear your opinions, just like the Terraforming Mars one.
I think it's interesting how you see it as more of a puzzle. I also love theme, and I think Spirit Island has a great themed mechanics. The puzzle itself is very thematic to me in terms of the powers and their effects, the spirits in how they spread across the island, etc. So I love the theme in this game, and hopefully you can see that too!
One question for you, or maybe a possible video idea in the future. What are your suggestions for your favorite games because of a strong theme and gameplay? I love theme as well, but theme itself is not enough for me to enjoy the game, which is why I love Spirit Island because of its great theme tied to mechanics.
(The setting sun affecting the brightness of the video is unfortunate, but I love the setting and background you are in!)
The Spirit Guide iOS app deserves some more attention! The ability to track multiple spirits for a solo game or to pass around the table while also being able to track your previous games is amazing!
I spent 6 years in the Easley, SC and Clemson, SC area. I would highly advise that you check out Planet Comics in Anderson, SC (about 25 minutes from Pickens). Great selection of games and great prices.
Oh, and I love your work!!
Love the conversational pieces. Love first takes. Great video
I love Spirit Island, but I'll admit it took me a few plays to get it. I lost the first 4 or so games I played One of my favorite things about it is thematic; maybe you picked up on it, maybe you missed it; the Dahan huts and Spirit's presence, that which is "natural" is made of wood, while the "unnatural" - the Invaders and Blight - are made of plastic. Some time when you play solo, play a normal 2 player game solo, it's not as tough as it might initially seem.
I did notice this - and I think it is a helpful touch. However, the narrative roots to the systems and card play don't stand out to me yet! Certainly not above the puzzle - but that is just due to the way I experience games :)
Thematically, some spirits are better than others. I believe ocean is amazing, mechanics make you feel the tide, going back and forth between the ocean and the coast, like high and low tide. hearts of wildfire fits very well too, mixing the powers of destruction and purification of fire incredibly well. Personally, I find one of the strongest thematic games I know, because it is not a line of text that gives you the narrative, but the mechanics themselves.
I can understand though if you don't feel the same, the game is not easy to understand and to do well, it is original enough it requires effort before it can be played casually enough to see the narrative
IMO it just takes a few plays and some spirits are better multiplayer or take vastly different strategies to win.
Solo.. it's quick to setup and play so losing isn't an issue unless you don't learn from it. Once your able to accept and enjoy the losses the game opens up.
Main issue is there are some cards which if you get them can seriously overpower certain spirits or at least make it much easier.
Once your used to the rhythm of the game and sequence it stops being a brain burner... and it's the fun of learning how a new character works or synergises with others.
I am looking forward to growing with this game!
I love that game! And you'll love it more after at least 5 plays!
Good to know!
Welcome to SC! knew I recognized the Spanish moss in your other video. Like the nature scenery, keep it up!
Thats one I really should play more often. Its really cool. I found I dont really enjoy a lot of coops despite really wanting to...but this and aeon's end I do enjoy a lot coop
IT is my second day with this game.. I just discovered it some time ago and got my hands on 2 days ago.. I never won.. I am not sure I am even close.. but not other game draw me so much in recent times.. it occupies my mind and I want more.. It is all you say.. but honestly it is one of the few chase like games that really really bends your mind folds your brain bruises even more.. first game so rich, deep and complex with its rather simple rules! Love it!
I would be interested in the common mistakes video
Jesse plays all the big games finally :-)
I think a top 100 is coming soon !!!
Quack!
Catching up :) - I said I would!!
@@Quackalope dont forget Uderwater Cities!!!
This game is in my top 3! I do not agree with you about the lack of theme, I think it's full of it. It creates unique stories and memories like almost no other board game has done for me. I hope you'll enjoy it more and more :)
I'd recommend to new players of the game to write down the special powers for the race or photocopy the manual. There's many times where I've forgotten to use a power on the board or have twisted it in my mind.
Also pay the same Spirit a few times, before moving on. Helps you get your head 'round the mechanics and interactions with other players.
The design of Spirit Island is intriguing, but it's not a game that I like to play often.
Love the on location videos!
Yes, spirit island is the best! Would definitely watch more content about it
Bought this game a few years ago and just never got around to playing it. This seems intriguing though. I'm even more tentative because I don't do well having everything I've built up being stripped away, but the puzzle sounds intriguing enough to try.
Looks can be deceiving, this game is INTENSE
Oh man!! I fricken love this game! BUT I never get it to the table even solo. For the exact reasons you’ve mentioned in this! It’s intimidating but my god it’s fun. The whole idea for the game where you are basically the board instead of the characters in the board I just love. I love the complexity of it but my god it’s brutal
I’d really like to see you try two-handed solo at some point. It’s my favorite way to play my favorite game.
I love this game and doing strategy guides would be awesome!
A wonderful game multiplayer and solo
If you find it fiddly, you can try playing the digital version in Steam it helps you manage a lot of stuff
I might try it out - however, I really don't play digital games unless forced :P
I feel the way about this game, still wanna try it to be a 100% sure if I want to add to my collection. It looks really pretty and like a very good puzzle. On a side note, you looks more and more like you are part of a Viking Metal band xD.
I am ok with that look XD
I love Spirit Island. If you like it a lot, what would be useful would be "guide for spirits". That also makes your channel very linkable.
The spirits are quite different, and often make it hard to understand for new players how to actually use them. A bit of help could certainly help newer players - and your channel.
As for the theme...I am not sure I agree. As you play, you may notice that the play itself of the spirits is incredibly thematic, from the way the thunderspeaker plays to the Serpent under the Island, whose skills will end up affecting a literal line over the board, like a giant serpent coiling over it (because the skills that are really important for this spirit affect neighbouring lands too, meaning you will tend to rather make a line to get distance. In my plays, my influence was usually spread out in a big fat line over the land to reach as far as I could and as many lands as I could).
The theme is less the individual skill, and more what each spirit does and how. Ocean ebs and flows, wildfire burns the land itself (but also removes blight, as new life blooms) - lots of theme in the spirits!
I 100% agree with the theming in the spirits, however, in my plays so far I did not feel that theme as deeply as I would have liked :) I am excited to dig in and I think some strategy guides would be a lot of fun to craft!
I had similar thought on Spirit Island. A great game but not sure if its a prefect fit for my collection.
Still haven’t played Spirit Island yet. But I already understand how much of a masterpiece it is. Ill be ordering it soon 😁
Let me know!
yessssssssss
Save your money. My first impression was to burn my copy and pretend I never wasted 2.5 hours of my life.
This game seems to always have been the counter example to "coop games fall into Quarterbacking issues".
Thoughts on that?
(Oh wow, I havent got the chance to watch one of your videos for some time and I have to say the format feels so much more ...intimate? Ah ha
But very nice !)
I hated Spirit Island after my first play, but my friends loved it so I played it a few more times for them. It ended up being one of my favourite cooperatives after 3 or 4 games and I even added it to my own collection. Sometimes our first impressions are just wrong :)
Strange... To me, this game is dripping with theme. Playing the sea spirit, for ecample (I don't recall its name) perfectly emulates the motion of the waves coming and going, for example.
Indeed!!!
Boardgamemanagement :D like good tips for closets if you sell or trade how best where ... good discounts maybe a good AFFORDABLE boardgmetable
With spirit island content to go with Root I would never have a reason to go elsewhere
It’s in my top 4 games with Root, TMB and Terraforming Mars
Tmb?
Too Many Bones
Here's an idea for another title. Have you played Gloomhaven / does it qualify for "played it once"?
I love GH, been playing almost everyday for the past ~5mo.
You have a friend that has been sitting on a box of GH having played only 2 scenarios, his name is Alexander Sandstorm the 3rd. Maybe you guys would play and discover/rediscover the magic of it, or he'll finally sell his copy. :×
I’d love some opinion and analysis from a pure solo perspective!
For some reason I can't wrap my head around it. The instructions that come with it are horrid, and I just get stressed out thinking about it.
Love me some Pickens, SC.
XD it has been nice to see my sister!
My problem with cooperative games is the replayability going away after successfully winning. I had that problem with horrified, which I’m going to keep for seasonal purposes but after winning we were just like so what’s next? Arkham horror series keeps releasing so much content which is why I enjoy it so much. I’ve been skeptical to buy this game regardless how good it is because I feel if we win the game we won’t feel we need to bring it to the table again
The amount of variability may change that for you.
It is actually not that hard to win in Spirit Island when its gameplay "clicks" and you start to understand how it works and what you should do to succeed. But if you like a challenge you are unlikely to find yourself being satisfied with one victory.
There are multiple scenarios that change the normal flow of the game. Adversaries with different levels of difficulties change invaders' behavior and make them more challenging (and you can combine an adversary and a scenario). This is on top of different combinations of spirits and different layouts of the island. And then 2 expansions bring new mechanics, a lot of new spirits, new rules, new challenges, new possibilities to develop spirits with new cards, etc.
There are virtually endless possibilities to explore this game but only if it interests you as much as victory.
Is the gameplay still coming to the channel?
After a few plays I found the game to be pretty boring for me. Which is a shame as I like the idea of it, and assumed it would be something I would enjoy. But everytime I just wanted it to hurry up and end.
Pretty good office, very roomy :)
How is the card play, combo and strategy compared to primall the awakening?
I like this more.
@@Quackalope I like spirit island too, one of my favorite solo and co-op game
I've heard a lot about this game but now I've seen it .....It's far too complex for my old brain to get round.
So the good thing is i can ignore this in future.
Masterpiece but of course is not for everyone and need i think 10-15 play to really start to be pulled in... More you play more you want
Strategy guide for each spirit in the base game. Also which are suggested and best combinations for spirits in 2p game and why?
It’s hands down my favorite game, and I’m excited to see some content on the channel. Not sure how you’re playing solo, but I find one-spirit solo to be lacking. It can be done but sometimes you just rely too much on getting lucky as this game is REALLY built around spirits with strengths and weaknesses that you learn how to find make compliment each other. My recommendation is not really to solo this until you feel comfortable winning basic multiplayer games and then to try it two handed. It’s a lot of cognitive load to play multiple spirits before you’re really comfortable with the mechanics but once you’re ready you can really delve into balancing two spirits strengths to mitigate poor luck and it’s VERY rewarding for solo play. But I’d take a multiplayer experience any day.
This may be a factor - I have not played double fisted yet!
@@Quackalope I pretty much only play this game by myself while controlling 3-4 Spirits. I have never actually never played true solo (single Spirit/board) but I feel confident in saying that you're missing out if that's the way you're playing this game. The asymmetry between the spirits is great and adds so much but more importantly, since each Spirit adds another board to the island, I think it helps decrease the randomness and high-variability you may encounter from each draw pile. I'd like to think on a single board you may often encounter situations where the invaders explore or ravage lands that you can easily deal with just as often as you get dealt a situation that is virtually impossible to fend off, all because it ended up happening in neighboring lands that are unique to that board. I don't feel like adding more boards makes the game any harder or easier, but it does seem to make it less swingy
I love trying out a new spirit true solo the first time to understand its strengths and weaknesses first hand. I find the game balances out true solo by picking minor/major powers to mitigate these weaknesses or double down on your spirit's strengths. But I agree coop or multi-handed is where the games shines by giving you the opportunity to do awesome combos that sometimes multiple people hadn't seen coming (as you can't keep tabs on everybody's game plan).
I like your let's plays. But if you do strategies look at more general play style guides instead of min/max do this and you win.
Where’d you hike to?
Spirit Island is, simple: one of the best game so far
I've played spirit island twice. I abhor the game. It is so difficult and there is such little room for error, yet so many choices and possible combinations to make, that it feels incredibly overwhelming to play. As someone who is not prone to analysis paralysis at all, I was absolutely paralyzed in my decision making. By the time I had finished the game (we called it quits after about 3 hours when it looked like there was no possible way to come back from being flooded with colonists), I had a legitimate migraine. The second time I played it wasn't much better.
I appreciate the game for what it is, but also realize that what it is, is not at all for me.
Good to know :) - I can certainly understand how this game can be a bit much - for me I am intimidated but intrigued!
I can totally understand why you would have a migraine if your only experience with the game was with multiple spirits, especially if the game was new for all players.
When I first started with Spirit Island I jumped in solo 2-handed, got smashed and was pretty overwhelmed. After that I pulled the game back to basics: 1 spirit using the start-up cards, no healthy island card, no adversary, no scenario, no other players, and I played the same spirit and the same island board til I got a win, then I repeated this for every spirit in the box. By the end I was fluent with the mechanics of the game, I had a better grasp of how to use the fast & slow powers, and I'd discovered which spirits were hard and easy for my brain (not necessarily the same as the rating on their board). For me there were several spirits where I won first time, and no spirit took more than 3 attempts, with most games less than 45mins. I highly recommend this approach, by the time you get through these plays you shouldn't be getting a migraine and you will know whether or not you enjoy the game, and which spirit(s) you enjoy playing with.
If at this point you get it, but it's a little too much of a dry puzzle, give the game one more shot with the event cards (from either expansion), I agree with a previous poster who said this adds more of a game element to the puzzle.
If you're not enjoying the game now, then it's probably not for you.
By this point I could see the potential in the game and am slowly working my way through different combos of adversaries & scenarios enjoying the increasing challenge, and am only now feeling like I am familiar enough with the game to introduce this to my gaming group in such a way that new players could enjoy the experience, and we wouldn't all be fumbling round in the dark together.
Imperialism is bad, mkay.
Spirit Island is asymmetric so the number one strategy is to really get to know 1 or 2 of the spirits.
That was all very well said. I hadn't thought about it before but you're right, it really is more of a puzzle than anything else isn't it?
I think so :)
I heavily disagree. While the puzzle is so strong it appears to be the main thing, if you just hold on for a moment and actualy think about what the power or card you just used means, it makes all thematically sense. Every single action in the game is thematic, be it the tidal mechanic of the Ocean spirit, the 'invaders' who 'ravage' (farming and gathering resources), the fact that you have wooden components for the spirits and plastics for the invaders...
I agree you can completely ignore the theme and focus on the puzzle. But if you go to it a bit less min maxing and slow and just take a look at what happens you will suddenly see theme everywhere and experience moments in this game like in fantasy blockbuster movies.
@@SentecaMorvan Agreed! This game is just as thematic, if not more, than Root.
0:33 spirit island have tons of expansions? What I’m missing?
Branch and Claw, Some Promos, and the new Jagged earth expansion
2 expansions, 2 promo packs. If you have these, you aren't missing anything content-wise. I think "tons" is a bit of an overstatement :)
Played it 4 times. Did not like it. To much work, not enough game. It was every time to hard and exhausting. Had no fun at all.
I am not that far away from it XD but I can see how you could be!
It's tower defense. Think about it for a minute.
No it isn't
@@Reggie1408 Meaning you don't understand the foundation how the game works.
I'll point it out.
Presence are towers, performing within their radius of influence to eliminate invaders. Invaders are the danger which appear and march through the island to achieve getting populated enough to damage the island.
It doesn't have to be exactly a single file mob marching to a singular designation with towers to kill them off to be a tower defense. There are various tower defense games which branch off from this basic premise.
Dungeon Defenders has non-tower characters to run around and deal with threat, and even has bosses that don't care for the dungeon heart.
@@Kindlesmith70 Wrong.
@@Reggie1408 A troll. I see. Bye
@@Kindlesmith70 If you stretch the definition that much Parcheesi is a tower defense game as well.
This game was the second worst gaming experience I’ve had in my life. The design is absolutely terrible and I’m frankly shocked by how many people are duped into believing this train wreck of a ‘game’ is good or even playable. It is dull, ugly and so, so bad.
Cool story, bro