Official Spirit Island Rules
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see our disclosures here.
Objective: Work together with your fellow players to prevent the Invaders from destroying the island and achieving their dominance.  You win by driving the Invaders back and achieving specific victory conditions outlined on your chosen scenario.
Number of Players:Â 1-4 players (cooperative)
Playing Time:Â Around 60-90 minutes
Components:
Game board depicting the island with various land types (beaches, jungles, mountains)
Spirit panels for each player, showing unique abilities and power cards
Invader tokens representing explorers, towns, and cities
Dahan tokens representing the island's native inhabitants
Blight tokens representing environmental destruction
Card decks containing Power cards for Spirits, Event cards, and Minor/Major Fear decks
Energy tokens used to play Power cards
Various tokens for tracking elements, health, and other game elements
Setup:
Choose a Scenario: Select a scenario depending on player count, desired difficulty, and preferred starting conditions. The scenario booklet outlines setup instructions, Invader placement, and victory conditions.
Choose Spirits: Each player selects a Spirit and takes the corresponding Spirit Panel, Power cards, and starting tokens. Briefly review your Spirit's special abilities and starting power options.
Island Setup: Place the game board in the center of the playing area.  Following the scenario instructions, place Invader tokens, Dahan tokens, Blight tokens, and any other specified tokens on designated locations on the board.
Power Card Setup: Shuffle the Minor and Major Power decks separately and place them face down near the board. Each player draws their starting hand of Power cards according to their chosen Spirit.
Gameplay:
The game is played in rounds, with each round consisting of a Spirit Phase followed by an Invader Phase.
Spirit Phase:
During this phase, players take turns in clockwise order performing the following actions:
Gain Energy:  Receive a specific amount of energy based on your Spirit's starting energy tracks.  Energy is used to play Power cards.
Growth (Optional):Â Â Some Spirits have growth options that allow them to upgrade their abilities or gain additional Power cards by spending energy.
Play and Pay for Power Cards:  Select Power cards from your hand and play them. The number of cards you can play is limited by your current Presence track (indicated on your Spirit Panel).  Pay the required energy cost for each Power card played.  Power cards can have various effects, such as destroying Invaders, moving Dahan, generating elements (used to play certain Power cards), or providing other beneficial actions.
Invader Phase:
During this phase, the Invaders take actions to spread, ravage, and build, aiming to destroy the island and achieve their dominance.
Event Card Draw:  Draw an Event card and resolve its effects.  These events can introduce challenges or benefits for the Spirits.
Invader Spread:Â Â Invader tokens move and expand their presence across the island based on predetermined rules.
Ravage:  Invaders attack lands containing Dahan or Spirit Presence, causing damage and potentially removing Dahan or destroying Presence markers.
Build:  Under certain conditions, Invaders can build Towns and Cities, further increasing their presence and threat to the island.
Winning and Losing:
Victory:  The players win the game by achieving the specific victory conditions outlined in the chosen scenario.  This might involve destroying enough Invaders, preventing Blight from reaching a critical level, or fulfilling other objectives.
Defeat:  The Spirits lose the game if the Invaders destroy the island by reaching certain Blight or Invader presence levels, or if all Spirit Presence is destroyed.
Additional Notes:
Cooperative Play:Â Â Discuss strategy and coordinate your actions with your fellow players to effectively combat the Invader threat.
Spirit Uniqueness:  Each Spirit has unique abilities and preferred playstyles.  Explore different Spirits to discover which ones fit your strategic preferences.
Variable Difficulty:  The game offers various difficulty levels through scenario selection, Adversary encounters (optional), and Blight card usage (optional).
Spirit Island provides a challenging and thematic cooperative experience. So, gather your fellow defenders, unleash the power of your Spirits, and drive back the Invaders to protect your island home!