Spirit Island Board Game

About this product

The island is alive. And it will not fall quietly.

An award-winning cooperative strategy game where powerful Spirits grow, adapt and work together to defend their island home.

Harness elemental powers, protect the Dahan and drive relentless Invaders from the island before Blight overwhelms the land.

Product Description

Spirit Island is a deep cooperative strategy game set in an alternate-history world where the island itself rises against those trying to claim it.

You play as powerful Spirits of the natural world, each with their own identity, strengths and elemental Powers. Invaders have arrived from beyond the known sea and begun spreading across the island, building settlements, disrupting the natural balance and leaving Blight behind them. Together, the Spirits must grow in power and drive them away before the island is damaged beyond recovery.

Every Spirit approaches the struggle differently. Some act quickly and aggressively, while others develop more slowly, manipulate the land or support the Dahan — the island's native inhabitants. Each Spirit has its own panel, Growth options, Presence tracks, Innate Powers and four Unique Power cards, giving every choice of Spirit a different strategic feel.

Each round unfolds across five phases. The Spirits first Grow, gain Energy and choose the Power cards they will use. Fast Powers resolve before the Invaders act, while Slow Powers resolve afterwards. Players act simultaneously and can coordinate their plans throughout the round.

Meanwhile, the Invaders follow their own relentless cycle of Ravage, Build and Explore. They spread into new lands, establish Towns and Cities and damage both the island and the Dahan. Because their actions follow a visible sequence, careful planning lets the Spirits anticipate future threats and decide where their Powers will matter most.

Victory is about more than simply removing pieces from the board. Destroying Towns and Cities generates Fear, gradually changing the conditions required to win as the Invaders become increasingly terrified of the island. But if too much Blight spreads, a Spirit loses all of its Presence or the Invader deck runs out before the island is saved, the Spirits are defeated.

The Dahan can also become an important part of your defence. They coexist with the land and Spirits and will fight back against Invaders after surviving a Ravage, while many Spirit Powers can move, protect or work alongside them.

Spirit Island is designed around cooperation and planning, but it also supports solo play. For groups who want a greater challenge, optional Adversaries introduce specific colonising powers with escalating difficulty levels and rule changes, while Scenarios alter the situation, victory conditions or capabilities available to the Spirits.

The four modular Island Boards also feature an alternate thematic map on the reverse. These maps are intended for more experienced players and favour a more natural geography over the balanced layout of the standard side.

Expand Your Spirit Island Experience

Take the defence of the island further with new Spirits, challenges, mechanics and ways to play.

Spirit Island: Branch & Claw Expansion
Add two new Spirits, Events, new tokens, Scenarios and the Kingdom of France Adversary.

Explore Spirit Island: Branch & Claw Expansion

Spirit Island: Feather & Flame Expansion
Discover four additional Spirits, Aspect cards, new Scenarios and the Kingdom of Scotland Adversary.

Explore Spirit Island: Feather & Flame Expansion

Spirit Island: Jagged Earth Expansion
Expand the island with 10 new Spirits, additional island boards, new Adversaries and Scenarios, and support for games of up to six players.

Explore Spirit Island: Jagged Earth Expansion

Spirit Island: Nature Incarnate Expansion
Awaken eight additional Spirits and discover Incarna, new Aspects, Scenarios and the Habsburg Mining Expedition. Jagged Earth is also required to use Nature Incarnate.

Explore Spirit Island: Nature Incarnate Expansion

View the Spirit Island Rulebook (PDF)

Why You’ll Love It

• Deep cooperative strategy: Work together as different Spirits while coordinating Powers, priorities and threats across the island.
• Eight distinctive Spirits: Each Spirit has its own Growth options, Presence tracks, Innate Powers and Unique Power cards.
• A living island to defend: Protect the land and work alongside the Dahan while resisting the Invaders' expansion.
• Plan around the Invader cycle: Explore, Build and Ravage create an evolving threat that rewards anticipation and careful timing.
• Fast and Slow Powers: Decide what needs to happen before the Invaders act and what can wait until afterwards.
• Fear changes the path to victory: Frightening the Invaders unlocks easier victory conditions as the game progresses.
• Adjustable challenge: Optional Adversaries offer multiple difficulty levels, while Scenarios introduce different situations and objectives.
• Solo play included: Defend the island alone using the dedicated solo rules.
• Modular island setup: Build the island from modular boards and explore an alternate thematic map once you know the game.
• Built to grow with you: Begin with lower-complexity Spirits and introductory Power Progressions, then move into more challenging Spirits, Adversaries, Scenarios and expansions.

Quick Details

• Brand / Publisher: Greater Than Games
• Game: Spirit Island
• Designer: R. Eric Reuss
• Product type: Cooperative strategy board game
• Players: 1–4
• Recommended age: 14+
• Play time: Approximately 90–120 minutes
• Play style: Cooperative
• Solo play: Yes
• Spirits: 8
• Modular Island Boards: 4
• Adversaries: 3
• Scenarios: 4
• Setting: Alternate-history Spirit Island
• Condition: New

Good to Know

• Spirit Island is a complex strategy game: New players are encouraged to begin with a low-complexity Spirit and use that Spirit's Power Progression card.
• Learn the base game first: For an introductory game, the rulebook recommends leaving out Adversaries and Scenarios until players are comfortable with the core system.
• Players act simultaneously: Discussion and coordination are encouraged, and the rulebook notes that table talk is likely to be important for success.
• Adversaries are optional: They add additional strategy and can be increased through multiple difficulty levels as your group becomes more experienced.
• Scenarios are optional: They can change rules, capabilities or victory requirements and may be combined with an Adversary.
• Thematic maps are for experienced players: The reverse sides of the Island Boards trade some balance for a more natural and thematic geography.

What’s in the Box

• Includes: 1 Invader Board, 4 Modular Island Boards, 8 Spirit Panels, 36 Dahan, 20 Cities, 32 Towns, 40 Explorers, 38 Blight, 52 Spirit Presence Tokens, 12 Single-Turn Effect Markers, 8 Player Aid Cards, 4 Power Progression Cards, 32 Energy Markers, 20 Fear Markers, 15 Fear Cards, 2 Terror Level Dividers, 2 Blight Cards, 15 Invader Cards, 22 Major Power Cards, 36 Minor Power Cards, 32 Unique Power Cards, 3 Adversary Panels, 3 Adversary Reminder Tiles and 4 Scenario Panels.