Spirit Island

About

Spirit Island is a single player and multiplayer casual strategy game. It was developed by Handelabra Games Inc. and was released on July 29, 2020. It received very positive reviews from players.

In Spirit Island, players embody spirits defending their island home from colonists in a cooperative strategy game. Working with native Dahan, players use unique elemental powers to drive invaders away and protect the land from blight and destruction. The number of spirits chosen determines the island's size, offering varied experiences for 1-4 players.

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,530 reviews

gameplay46 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

Faithful adaptation of the beloved board game with excellent automation that simplifies gameplay and reduces setup time.
Offers a deep and challenging strategic experience with high replayability due to the variety of spirits, adversaries, and scenarios.
Great for solo play, allowing players to focus on strategy without the hassle of managing physical components.

Lacks true online multiplayer functionality, relying on Steam's Remote Play Together, which can be clunky and frustrating.
Some users report issues with the user interface being unintuitive and difficult to navigate, especially when managing multiple spirits.
The game is missing expansions like Jagged Earth and Branch & Claw, which limits the available content and variety.

gameplay
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The gameplay of Spirit Island is characterized by its deep strategic mechanics and asymmetrical gameplay, where players control unique spirits with distinct powers to defend against invaders. The game offers a challenging puzzle-like experience, enhanced by a variety of scenarios and a cooperative format that encourages thoughtful decision-making. While the mechanics are moderately complex, they are well-integrated with the game's theme, providing a satisfying and engaging experience, especially in solo play, though some players note the need for better tutorials and the inclusion of expansion content for a fuller experience.
- “Spirit is a great example of a heavy strategy co-op game; with player characters that feel wildly different, an enemy that feels organic and alive, and lots of emergent variety in the middle of gameplay that makes even the same scenario feel different each time.”
- “The concept of the game is fairly simple, but the decision making and gameplay mechanics are what cause you to stop and think about every move you make prior to making them.”
- “Gameplay wise, it is fascinating, addictive, thinky, and deeply satisfying.”
- “Very buggy gameplay.”
- “Excellent 'crunchy' board game which had quite a few administrative tasks to manage as a result of the variety of token and card-based game mechanics (somewhat of a hassle to set up, manage during play, and clean up).”
- “If then else cold legalistic gameplay driven by needlessly convoluted cards, effects frequently changed by a spirit or adversary or scenario's special rules that are not immediately at hand.”
replayability
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with a vast array of spirits, adversaries, and scenarios that ensure each playthrough feels unique. Players appreciate the deep strategic elements and customization options, which allow for endless combinations and varying difficulty levels. Overall, it is regarded as one of the most replayable board games available, appealing to both solo and multiplayer experiences.
- “With near infinite replayability, an absurd amount of variety, and the fact you can scale the difficulty in so many different ways makes this game my all-time favorite board game. I own it and all expansions physically, with dozens of games played.”
- “The game is just supremely well balanced, has a lot of customization, and because the spirits are all so vastly different, there is a lot of replayability.”
- “The difficulty scales to exactly the level you want it to remain challenging, and there is so much replay value in mixing up different spirits with asymmetric abilities, different colonial adversaries with different behaviors, and different scenarios which tweak the rules.”
- “The current edition of the game (1.0, at the time of this review) only includes the base game; while there's plenty of replay value to be found here, the lack of features from the Branch & Claw expansion (events, new tokens for the game board, etc.) leaves a pretty large hole.”
- “With the amount of different spirits, adversaries, and scenarios, replayability is sheer endless; every game is completely different, even with the same setup.”
- “The difficulty scales to exactly the level you want it to remain challenging (though even the base level may be hard for new players), and there is so much replay value in mixing up different spirits with asymmetric abilities, different colonial adversaries with different behaviors, and different scenarios which tweak the rules.”
graphics
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the evocative artwork and functional design, while others criticize the 3D visuals as unattractive and in need of improvement. Many users appreciate the game's intuitive interface and smooth gameplay, but express frustration over the lack of distinctiveness in graphical elements. Overall, while the graphics may not be high-end, they serve the gameplay well, and some players recommend using the 2D mode for a better experience.
- “The spirit island digital app is a fantastic adaptation, seamlessly bringing the beloved board game to life with beautiful visuals, intuitive gameplay, and endless replay value.”
- “The sound is delightful, the artwork authentic, the graphics supplementing this fit very well with the original, and the maps and tokens and pieces all feel original.”
- “The artwork and graphic design is both functional and pleasing to the eye.”
- “The graphics in the game are seriously ugly and need a complete overhaul to be digital friendly.”
- “My primary negatives would come from the graphics of the board, especially the 3D board (it looks pretty bad in my opinion).”
- “From what I can tell, it's a good port; really the only thing I would like to improve are the graphics, the 3D board has very ugly textures.”
music
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
49%
13%
The music in the game is generally praised for its immersive and relaxing qualities, effectively complementing the game's atmosphere and enhancing the overall experience. However, some players find it repetitive over time, leading them to turn it off in favor of other music. While the soundtrack is considered fitting, a few reviewers noted that it lacks the inspiration found in other works by the same composer.
- “The music is subtle but great and fits the tone; the sound effects are tailored to the different spirits and elevate the game for me.”
- “Everything about this digital version is worth the money... the music, sound effects, interface, ease of access.”
- “Also, the soundtrack and sound design overall took me by surprise with how great and fitting it is.”
- “The only advantages this version has are the music (which, while serviceable, is uninspiring compared to some other works by the same musician) and the setup speed.”
- “The graphics are fine, the music annoying, and the interface a bit tedious.”
- “I also found the music to be annoying and turned it off.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
Overall, players find that the game effectively automates many tedious aspects of the physical version, such as setup, scorekeeping, and invader movements, making it quicker and more enjoyable, especially for solo play. However, some users note that the strategic complexity can lead to a more time-consuming experience, particularly when needing to undo multiple actions. Despite these challenges, the streamlined gameplay allows for a greater focus on strategy rather than tedious upkeep.
- “All in all, playing the game was a tedious affair, even with the computer doing all of the automated invader movements that you'd have to do by hand with a physical copy.”
- “My only complaint is that it is significantly harder and more time-consuming than the physical game due to having to think very carefully about the order of actions; while there is an undo button, it can be tedious when you have a difficult turn and you have to retake many actions over and over while you tweak something from 20 decisions ago several different times.”
- “The graphics are fine, the music annoying, and the interface a bit tedious.”
stability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
85%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting severe bugs, particularly in multiplayer mode, which can render the game frustrating and unplayable. While some players have noted that early access versions appear more polished, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial quality assurance and support to address its many issues. Players are advised to approach with caution, as the experience can vary widely depending on the circumstances.
- “For an early release, it seems polished and bug free.”
- “Early access has been bug free for me so far.”
- “Buy at your own risk - this is extremely buggy and unplayable.”
- “Unfortunately, I found the process of actually playing with even one other player to be frustrating, poorly conceived, and outright buggy.”
- “Love the board game but this digital adaptation is awful and buggy unfortunately.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
The game's story is minimal, with some players noting that it lacks a traditional narrative, as it is primarily a co-op strategy board game focused on mechanics rather than backstory. However, the spirit powers reflect a thematic mission of protecting the land from invaders, which can inspire players despite the absence of a detailed storyline. Overall, opinions vary, with some emphasizing the lack of story while others appreciate the thematic elements present in the gameplay.
- “This is a difficult game, and the mechanics of the spirit powers are very different, and reflect the spirit's story if you read them.”
- “A story all games can be inspired by.”
- “It is your mission as the spirits to keep the land pristine and drive the unwanted invaders from your shores!”
- “✅ this game has no story (co-op, strategy board game with no backstory in mind/not needed)”
- “ 0 (no story)”
- “This is a difficult game, and the mechanics of the spirit powers are very different, and reflect the spirits' story if you read them.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its depth and immersive qualities, with a soundtrack that effectively creates an idyllic setting, though it can become repetitive over time. Reviewers compare its atmospheric richness to that of other acclaimed games, highlighting the delightful sound and animation that enhance the overall experience.
- “The deepness and atmosphere is more than enough.”
- “The sound and animation are delightfully atmospheric.”
- “It is the best board game ever made; it's as deep as Mage Knight, has an atmosphere like Robinson Crusoe, is as cool as Mage Wars, and yet is as perfect as Commands and Colors: Ancients.”
- “While the soundtrack is great at creating an idyllic atmosphere, it does get very repetitive after a while.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly with no reported bugs, allowing players to focus on gameplay rather than technical issues. However, the optimization appears to cater more to scenarios involving multiple spirits, resulting in underutilized screen space that could enhance the interface for the more common single-spirit gameplay.
- “I have experienced 0 bugs and the game runs smoothly enough that I don't need to think about running the game, only playing it.”
- “This optimization means that there is a lot of unutilized screen real estate that could be used for making the interface easier to use (making your one spirit easier to see) during the most common game; one spirit per player.”
- “It seems to have been optimized for one player to play upwards of four spirits, which I can't imagine happens very often.”
- “This optimization means that there is a lot of unutilized screen real estate that could be used for making the interface easier to use, particularly for making your one spirit easier to see during the most common game mode: one spirit per player.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for feeling like a cash grab, with users pointing out issues such as in-game advertising, bugs, and a frustrating main menu, alongside the absence of multiplayer features.
- “Until then, it feels more like a cash grab using such a great game this way.”
- “But it has bugs, in-game advertising, an annoyingly main menu, and -worst of all- no multiplayer.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the reviews is characterized by a playful exaggeration of desire, with users expressing their eagerness to play the games in a lighthearted manner. This suggests a light and engaging tone, though the specific comedic elements of the games themselves are not detailed.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers express disappointment over the loss of tactile engagement and visual appreciation in the game, noting that the absence of physical interaction with components diminishes the emotional connection and overall experience.