Lost your heart (and sanity) to the beautiful island you’re constantly trying to defend? Yeah, we’ve all been there. Spirit Island is an absolute thrill to play — it’s no wonder you find it hard to stop after starting.
If you’re looking for ways to add more complexity and strategy to your board game nights, you’re in luck. This guide will help you navigate the treacherous terrain of Spirit Island, helping you find thebest board game expansionsto supercharge your next fight for survival.
Spirit Island: Jagged Earth
Supercharge Your Spirit-Powered Defense
Spirit Island: Jagged Earth expands the hit cooperative game with new challenges and strategies. Fight back against a stronger invasion with 10 new Spirits that utilize Wilds, Beasts, Disease, and Strife. This expansion offers 3 new scenarios, 2 new adversaries, and increased replayability..
Spirit Island: Jagged Earth is a massive expansion to the complexcooperative board game, Spirit Island. Take control of powerful new Spirits, each with distinct abilities that bring fresh strategic approaches to the fight against the invaders. New tokens like Beasts, Disease, and Strife also add tactical layers to the game, while the Badlands token introduces a high-risk, high-reward element.
Events: Event cards keep the invaders and the island itself on their toes, creating a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Two new island boards allow for larger player counts, while three new scenarios and two new adversaries provide exciting challenges to overcome.
While Jagged Earth can be played on its own, it benefits greatly from having the Branch & Claw expansion. The two expansions share mechanics and terminology, and Jagged Earth builds upon the foundation laid by Branch & Claw.
If you’re a Spirit Island enthusiast, owning both is highly recommended. Speaking of which…
Spirit Island: Branch & Claw
Complex and Unpredictable
Spirit Island: Branch & Claw is an expansion for Spirit Island. Fight back against colonizing invaders with two new Spirits and a challenging new adversary. The expansion adds Events, new tokens, and more powers to increase the variety and challenge of your games.
Branch and Claw is the first Spirit Island expansion ever released. It brings four new types of tokens to the table: Beasts, Disease, Wilds, and Strife. They play a key role in your fight against the invaders. The Wilds token, for example, can prevent invaders from exploring new lands, buying you precious time. Beasts, on the other hand, can be used to your advantage to attack invaders, although they can also be unpredictable creatures.
Branch & Claw also introduces two new playable Spirits: Sharp Fangs Behind the Leaves and Keeper of the Forbidden Wilds. Sharp Fangs is a master of mobility, using beast tokens to zip around the island and unleash fury on the invaders. Keeper, on the other hand, is a more defensive Spirit, using Wilds tokens to create impenetrable jungles that invaders dare not enter.
The biggest change comes with the event deck. These cards throw curveballs at the perfect moment, forcing you to adapt your plans on the fly. Sometimes they might hinder your progress, but other times they can offer unexpected benefits. It definitely adds a layer of excitement (and maybe a touch of frustration) to the game.
Spirit Island: Nature Incarnate
More Spirits, More Choices, More Mayhem
This expansion injects the game with a fresh wave of content, particularly focusing on a new mechanic and a plethora of new Spirits. It injects the game with a fresh infusion of Spirits, aspects, and challenges, making every encounter with the invaders a unique strategic puzzle.
While not quite as expansive as Jagged Earth, Nature Incarnate brings exciting new Spirits with innovative mechanics to the table. Take control of thematic powerhouses like Breath of Darkness Down Your Spine or strategically maneuver water flow with Wounded Waters Bleeding.
Nearly two dozen new Spirit Aspects allow you to revisit and revitalize your favorite Spirits from the base game, Branch & Claw, and even the Promo Pack. These aspects can address weaknesses in older Spirits or offer entirely new ways to play them, keeping your strategic options fresh.
Nature Incarnate also throws new challenges your way with a fresh adversary and scenarios. Plus, additional power, event, fear, and blight cards add variety to every game.
Spirit Island: Feather & Flame
Fire and Fury for Experienced Players
Feather & Flame is a compact expansion for Spirit Island. It introduces a new adversary, two scenarios, and additional cards add variety to your Spirit Island experience.
Spirit Island: Feather and Flame might not be the first choice for new players, but seasoned defenders of the island will find exciting new challenges within. The expansion features four brand-new Spirits, each boasting unique mechanics and high complexity. Mastering these spirits will take time and strategic finesse, but the rewards are great for those who rise to the challenge.
The game also throws in two new scenarios to test your skills. “A Diversity of Spirits” injects a thematic twist by limiting communication between players, while “Varied Terrains” adds unique effects to different land types. To round out the expansion, a new adversary, Scotland, joins the fray with a base difficulty level, offering fresh strategic puzzles to solve.
Horizons Of Spirit Island
Great Island Experience at a Smaller Price
Take on the role of powerful island Spirits and defend your home from colonizing Invaders. Choose from 5 unique Spirits, each with special abilities, and work together to drive the Invaders back and save the island. This game can be played on its own or combined with other Spirit Island products for an even greater challenge.
Horizons is a smaller,more affordable tabletop gamecompared to the original. It ditches some of the fancy components like plastic miniatures for cardboard tokens, but the core gameplay remains the same. That means you’ll still get that deep strategic puzzle of defending the island and pushing back the invaders.
The big trade-off for the lower price point is in the production quality. Gone are the fancy miniatures and segmented player boards – you’ll get cardboard tokens and a standard game board instead. It’s functional, but not quite as luxurious as the original game.
Spirit Island: Premium Token Pack 2
Luxury for Spirit Island Fans
This pack includes 201 high-quality, wooden tokens for the core game and Nature Incarnate expansion. From Incarna tokens to fear markers and element tokens, this pack offers a luxurious upgrade for smoother gameplay. Contains enough tokens and reminder markers for all 9 player colors!
If you’re a die-hard Spirit Island player who puts a ton of mileage on the game, this pack is a luxurious upgrade. Replacing all those cardboard tokens with chunky wooden ones feels great – they’re smooth, the colors are supposedly quite vibrant, and they should hold up much longer than the cardboard.
Plus, there are enough tokens and reminder markers for everyone, even in a giant nine-player game (although most agree Spirit Island is best with three to four players anyway).
This upgrade is purely aesthetic - it doesn’t add any new gameplay elements. For casual players, the cost might not justify the benefit.
FAQ
What is the last expansion of Spirit Island?
The most recent expansion, as of April 2024, is Spirit Island: Jagged Earth.
What does the Jagged Earth expansion of Spirit Island add?
Jagged Earth is a massive expansion that injects a ton of new content into Spirit Island, including new Spirits, adversaries, scenarios, and game mechanics. Think new ways to interact with the land, fearsome new invaders, and even crazier challenges to overcome.
Is Horizons of Spirit Island an expansion?
Technically, no. Horizons of Spirit Island is a standalone game that’s fully compatible with the core game and other expansions. It offers a more affordable entry point with a slightly streamlined experience and some unique beginner-friendly Spirits.
