Spirit Island - Playthrough & Review (Beginner Setup)

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Sorry for the less than idea audio quality in this video, but Los Angeles finally got some good rain! 😂 What are your thoughts on Spirit Island?

[@MedicSV93]

My favourite game of all time! Can't wait to get newest expansion!

[@adityarajivratnam6863]

Great that you guys chose this game! It is one of my top-3 games, and I love playing it with the Branch & Claw expansion. I am looking forward to trying the new spirits in Jagged Earth.

[@tychay]

I think it deserves to be in the BGG Top 10, maybe it’ll make it with the expansion out. BGG and I agree that it is the #1 solo game. Jagged Earth is 🤯 in its design. But even Branch and Claw will show you aspects of the game you never considered even if you played the base game dozens of times before.

[@jacobmartin9679]

Absolutely one of my favourite games, particularly solo 3-player. It always feels like you are going to lose, right up until you turn the corner. Brilliant game! Thanks for the play through.

[@landsealion]

I love the sound of rain in the background! I'll need to play again, even with the beginner setup I was having trouble. Have you seen the new errata regarding the blight setup?

[@imadeadman01]

I watched a couple of “how to plays” for this and it seemed complicated, but the way you explained and played this it definitely helped me grasp it, thank you!

[@mickeyoconnor3846]

Just found you two, I can't belive you only have 12k subscribers. The internet is truly sleeping on you. Your quality is off the charts, your engaging and informative. Thank you so much!

[@MB-pf1yp]

Agreed! Was looking for a good playthrough of this game, and couldn't find one - but stumbled on this video (buried towards the bottom) and have been thoroughly impressed. Subscribed!

[@IamJFD]

It growed a lot now.

[@Infinity-0033]

Near 50k now: )

[@noahburke1637]

Almost 65k now, well deserved

[@robertaustin6302]

Hey here we are 3 years later and they’re up to almost 78k. Huzzah! ❤

[@coachj.landham1254]

First, thank you for the help with this game. i'm way more excited about it now! Secondly, i'm a huge fan of what y'all are doing and how you are real people just playing games; super rad channel. cheers y'all, thank you!

[@drewholloway5241]

Lol at 14:31. Dog just appears out of nowhere. With a sweater on no less! Love your videos Monique and Navin!

[@franloiecruz9139]

Omg the cute dog at 14:28 hahah. Thanks for the great explanation! And the enjoyable playthrough

[@MoxieSong]

I liked the rain storm 🌧️ in the background! I usually watch you guys because you are so calm, positive and kind. Thanks for the video, looking forward to my first play of this game

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Thank you so much!

[@shinjial]

Man, that was the smothess play of Spirit Island I've ever seen. Kudos to you for making great calls and making good use of the spirits synergies. Paired with a bit of luck in the explore draws made for an almost flawless run. When I first saw this game and 1h of video run time I figured you had lost, but boy was I surprised. I need to get mine to the table again. Maybe soon after the New Years.

[@tylerbrown9797]

Im so happy you both covered this game, I can't put into words how wonderful it is thematically and mechanically! Its my favorite game of all time. There are two expansions, the first called branch and claw adds events, two spirits and tokens which makes the game less deterministic but adds so much theme that any added randomness doesn't bother me. The second, jagged earth, adds in a massive dump of content and superficially might just look like another kickstarter game/expansion that mashes together tons of content to appeal to backers but its astoundingly well playtested. Some of the spirits are super strange thematically and mechanically but they all somehow work.

[@tylerbrown9797]

The theme of spirit island is so refreshing and the designer really seems to handle its anti-colonialism theme in a way that doesnt just feel superficial. This bgg thread by the designer about beginning work on a dahan focused expansion really demonstrates this boardgamegeek.com/thread/2517190/roadmap-and-some-requests-assistance

[@SteveRB511]

Just what I needed, this is an excellent video to get me started. Thank you!

[@annatarsoly941]

An amazing tutorial about one of my favourit games! I don't have any expansions, but I didn't get bored of that for 2 years. It's an amazing idea with beautiful cards, hard, but logical and understandable rules, and finally a really exciting and not repetitive game experience. I'm learning english now, and I think you are also perfect from that point of wiew. You speak clear, understandable, don't murmur (like some other channels/people that I found). I subscribed for both reasons: the quality of the content and the language.

[@Luclidity]

Take your time to enjoy the complexity of the game! Building up to higher complexity is a really big challenge. I love the game and am glad you guys enjoy it a lot. Can't wait to see the future Spirit Island video! Keeping putting out great gameplay and reviews!

[@dianthusjoy9027]

I love your dog! Typical dachshund that wants to be on a lap regardless of how inconvenient it is!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Dexter is the love of our life! You're totally right lol!

[@kelleyiswriting]

My bf and I watched this video before playing Spirit Island last night :) Thanks for the helpful tutorial, even this beginner setup was really difficult for us hahaha

[@BeforeYouPlay]

LOL yeah it can be really punishing if things get out of control. Hope you both had fun though!!

[@billturner]

Excellent! So glad to see this, as I could use all the help I can get. Even though I keep losing, I'm loving it. :)

[@MurkDaddyFlex]

Welllllll, this channel was the discovery of the summer for me. Exceptional stuff!

[@azuresparrow3453]

I feel incredibly pedantic for this small correction, but you even called attention to it so: 36:15 - Rouse the Trees and Stones says "Push 1 explorer" because it doesn't say "up to 1 explorer" you actually don't have a choice. You MUST push that explorer if one is present. Typically these forced moves highlight the thematic nature of the power (wouldn't you run if the tree's started coming alive and attacking things? :p) in contrast to say: Draw of Fruitful Earth, where that's just some good-good land you have, you can decide whether or not you want to draw in the explorer's with it, and the power reads "gather up to 2 explorers" leaving 0, 1, or 2 as all valid options. 38:09 - the power is still fast because lightning made it so, not because the innate is fast. It doesn't usually speed up powers, it just grants the spirit the ability to repeat in the fast phase (whenever that may occur). But lightning makes powers fast the whole turn, even through repeats :) so no actual foul.

[@shawnmincer8231]

Really nice video and I for one loved the thunderstorm sound effects!! They seemed so thematic for a playthrough of Spirit Island! I am really glad you walked through a basic level play of this game, and for your honest feedback of the first play. I played this game once at 4 player with 3 newbies and did not have a good experience. But I LOVE thinky co-ops so i will definitely go back and give it another shot using the suggestions you present here.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Hi Shawn! We were stressing out that the audio quality would be horrendous. It was dumping so hard when we filmed the playthrough lol. 4 player with 3 newbies haha sounds like you got overrun pretty quickly! Don't know if we would want to play at a count greater than 3 though.

[@AugmentedAugust]

Haven't commented before, but i've been watching a bunch of your videos since you were on Rahdo's list and your channel is so great, so glad to see a spirit island playthrough as well! Might be my #1 solo game and yall did great. Definetly agree on not underestimating letting the dahan do your work for you, especially if you can generate them like River Surges in Sunlight can. Playing River and taking the major power Wrap in Wings of Sunlight is so satisfying. The rainstorm in the background actually felt pretty thematic to me lol

[@CatLegoDiver]

It’s Playthrough has encouraged me to get into this game. I’ve also had it for about a year and never brought it to the table. Just look too complicated and when I did set it up to try and learn it, I really couldn’t figure out how to make the components work together and it just looked very confusing and difficult. But this Playthrough has really really helped me with the game. One thing you alluded to, But in my experience is one of the keys to winning is the use of the inate powers. Especially at the higher levels they are so powerful!

[@claudemauk2431]

Thanks for the game play video. I always enjoy your videos and was really happy to see you did Spirit Island. I find this game extremely hard to win and needed to see someone beat it! You did a great job covering the rules and I am feeling confident I could play it without too much reference back to the rule book.

[@Iamwrongbut]

Been waiting for this since I found your channel. Excited for you to post more about Spirit Island and to hopefully get jagged earth at some point! Great content!!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

We definitely want to do another video with the higher complexity Spirits for a challenge. Thanks for checking out our videos! :-)

[@calliwright5048]

So good to see you guys doing well! Haven't played this one - when you need 2 more players, you know where to find us.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Hi Calli we miss you! Can't wait until we can game together again!

[@ajsutty]

I really enjoyed this video and what a great win too. I liked the occasional appearance from the dog - they must have known the storm was coming in

[@Kojimalosophy]

awesome! I was having trouble with the rulebook (as per the usual) and seeing you guys play it - and thanks to how easily and clearly you explain things - my wife and I can now play it too, I love your channel! keep up this amazing work! thank you : )

[@FMD-FullMetalDragon]

This is one of the best Spirit Island videos I've seen.

[@darrenmatthews1667]

This my favorite game. First few plays are really hard then it clicks. Kinda reminds me of the first time we played pandemic. After that you can tailor the difficulty to your liking by adding blight cards, adversaries and scenarios. I picked up branch and claw a couple months ago and that made it even better for me. It adds event cards just after the fast phase where invaders get a boost and you get a boost and sometimes gives you a decision on what the invaders boost is.

[@MrFirefox322]

Just got this for christmas!! loving it so far. And though I only have myself to play with, it feels so tight solo. Excited to see how it plays with more. Thank you two for the awesome amount of content this holiday season, I hope you get some much needed R&R in the days to come :)

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Oh awesome! That's perfect timing!! How did you do your very first time lol. We got overrun so badly lol. Thanks for your kind words :-)

[@evilmanta]

It's great for all player counts 1-6.

[@MrFirefox322]

@@BeforeYouPlay I did pretty well my first play! but i think i cheated a few times, so we'll see how attempt number 2 goes later today...

[@smigmo]

What a great video. Really helps clarify the game and such good pacing, flew through the whole thing.

[@jasona8396]

Wow, you both rocked that play through!

[@alwaysplayblue]

I've been interested in SPIRIT ISLAND for a while and finally ordered it last week. Will definitely be rewatching this before our first play. Great content as always.

[@neverlooz]

Wow, you make understanding this game so simple. Thanks. This is the best "how to play" video of Spirit Island. Thanks!

[@JaySwag77]

I'm so glad I watched this, I was treating the entire edge of the board as ocean!

[@mudandbleach]

Thank you for the informative video. Also, thank you for the cute dog cameo.

[@laurenmendes9087]

Bought this game today because impulse serotonin and started reading the manual and got really lost. Thank you so much for explaining it so well cause now I feel comfortable to play!! You guys are amazing

[@mightyted1]

Spirit Island has been in our shelf of shame since June. Now I'm totally pumped to play it again. This is definitely the best spirit island video I've seen. Not only a great job explaining the game , but on how to own the game ( play a few times back to back ) and even mentally prepare the players on how to succeed. Well done you 2!

[@moregamespleaseUK]

Great video. Thanks to your playthrough I was able to play Spirit Island for the first time today with relative ease! Much appreciated.

[@18xxtraining625]

The best teach of Spirit Island I have seen so far. Outstanding job.

[@SamDeRoest232]

I am so happy you guys are covering spirit island. Such great quality and even better taste in games. Keep it up gang!

[@briandecastro88]

Fantastic game, looks like a lot of fun. Plus the way you explained your turns made it so easy to follow. I definitely going to get this game now.

[@mrpharisee]

I remember seeing y'all play this on twitter - I'm glad to see you ended up making this video and loved the game! It's one of my most played games and the only co-op I've ever liked.

[@jasona8396]

14 minutes in and I'm just now realizing you have a good boy on your lap! 🐾🐾

[@ThatGeekyMaker]

I've never looked into this one even though I have heard so many positive things from so many reviewers. Thanks for doing this video. You guys do such a great job explaining and showing how games are played. I'm going to have to add this one to my wish list.

[@dannybartel3844]

I played Spirit Island once, years ago. I did not enjoy it. While half the players were new, we did not start with a base level scenario, had random spirits, and did not get much of a teach. While we did win, probably due to an alpha player, I had no idea what was happening, nor how to make synergies work, as that needed really good communication between players. I wrote it off and never went near the game again. But having heard so many good things about it, I figured it would be good to learn it properly. I can only say I wish I'd seen this video before playing. Great job with the teach and playthrough, I'm now keen to give it another go.

[@evilmanta]

Yessss my favorite game!!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

It's so good!

[@Iamwrongbut]

Same!!

[@gerardcristofol5425]

Great playthrough and explanations. I did find it more helpful that the game tutorial. However that dog is so cute that steals the show a little bit

[@jacobdelrosario4205]

Wow! I didn't expect this video to have really good content! Very informative and you guys explained things clearly. Thank you! You definitely earned another subscriber!

[@jamierufe]

My favorite game of all time! Love it so much.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

It's so good!

[@ExestentialCrisis]

bought this a few months ago and still waiting to find the right people to play ot with, but this video helps immensely! Have shared it with the people that I think would enjoy it the most, so hopefully will get to see it in action soon!

[@Tr1n1tyNZ]

Never considered this until now. The theme initially put me off but now I see it’s an area control game with objectives. Thanks for shedding light on this in a way that makes sense.

[@saintsalieri]

I bought this over a year ago, tried it solo twice as learning games before teaching it. I first played with Naveen's spirit, and won easily because of the ability to ignore fast/slow powers. My second game I couldn't even wrap my head around it and got so discouraged I quit! I've played a lot more games since then, and have also heard this is way better with two people/spirits, so I think it is time to teach this to a friend and give it a proper shot. Thanks for inspiring me to pull it off my shelf as well!

[@deeelle6567]

Great intro and coverage for new players!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@mich_mash]

Nice video! You two explained it very very clearly. Thanks for posting this!

[@joserafaelbellonava2319]

I bought this game after I watch your gameplay and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

[@Console_Yourself]

This game is beautiful and is a great theme. On my “to buy” list for sure!

[@annealonzi-aw6346]

This video REALLY helped me learn how to play. Really like this game!

[@edwardburke6556]

I think this convinced me to buy the game, thanks for this. I haven't seen this style of review before, really enjoy seeing some gameplay when I'm interested in a game.

[@kindredspiritm]

Thank you so so much for this amazing playthrough. I've had the game for so long but haven't attempted it because it seemed too intimidating. Your playthrough helps so much in understanding the flow of the game and the rules. Thank you thank you!!

[@timwoodhams217]

On the theme of the game the spirits and powers are so brilliantly named (reminds me so much of Exalted for RPG crossover people in the audience). Our group initiated a practice of always reading the power name before using it, acts like a one line flavour text and to me brings the theme out particularly in a game that isn’t going well. I read somewhere a suggested challenge to rename your spirit after the game to reflect it’s new powers and what happened in the game. (Maybe for the RPGers)

[@hugotavaresgomes9539]

02:13 looks like you guys have your own spirit protector. 🥰

[@Dehalove]

The Arkham Horror Card Game is one of my favorite games, so seeing the card-play in this has convinced me to make the buy! Building your own randomized deck each game is the cherry on top of the production and the awesome spirits

[@jonahpappas9955]

This is so helpful! Played along for my first run through, made learning way easier

[@Freddy_da_fox]

Hi, I want to thank you for all the really really good rule and review Videos you make. You made me buy a lot of games :). I am even just looking the videos because I enjoy looking. Your portfolio lacked of good coop games :). But then I watched Spirit Island which is my No. 1 here at home. Where cool you played and enjoyed it. Happy to see more Spirit Island Videos coming up ☺️

[@spazticdrummer7]

Yes! This is my favorite game! I got it right before the pandemic, and I haven't been able to put it away. There is so much customization and things to explore. Great for solo and for group play. I've used each Spirit to beat an adversary at its maximum level and I'm still not tired of it. I've also been playing with my brother on TTS as well as with other people on "play by forum" on BGG. Looking forward to watching the video when I have time!

[@elit529]

I struggled the first time I tried it, but I will def give it another go. I would love to watch you play this again with other spirits and a more complex set up! Thanks for the great video!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Thank you! Yes, stay tuned. We have another video coming soon!

[@Ajim9018]

I love the playthrough. You 2 have been the deciding factor on the “Get it” decision on my last 2 games. Not to be an ass, but for future ease, Harbinger is pronounced härbenjer. It means a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.

[@Bonzoso21]

I feel pretty much the same way about Spirit Island and had a similar introduction to it. My first play was at 3-players and we were so overrun and so AP prone that one person really did not enjoy the game at all, but like Monique, I was the one who had read the rulebook and could sense what the game would become when things finally clicked. The puzzle intrigued me and I played 3 solo games the following weekend. I haven't gotten it back to the table with my group, but I really hope I can convince them to give it another try sometime.

[@Infinity-0033]

Exactly. People need to be able to grasp what’s going on and what to do…if they do not than they will feel lost and get overrun. If they can grasp what is happening and what must be done then it is a great game. I just got this game a few days ago for my birthday and I’m learning the game…the game is increasingly more exciting the more I understand how to operate a successful performance. When you know what you’re supposed to do you can enjoy the flavor of the game

[@GetThisBoardGame]

Just got this for Christmas and the vid was very helpful!!! Thank you so much :)

[@Duxa_]

Love Spirit Island. Wish more people played it. Such a great game.

[@TimChuon]

The way that dexter just popped in! 😭😭😭

[@wiscowilz]

I love your videos. I love how you break it up to set up with some rules and then a full playthrough and then a review. I am looking at this game as a purely solo game as I've seen it on a lot of people's top solo games. I know this game is not one my wife would really play with all of the things you need to keep track of. It has me interested enough to look into it more but I definitely have to see if I think the price tag is worth it for just a solo.

[@number3729]

Good on you for taking on the challenge that is Spirit Island! There is a lot of "game" in the base game so no need to rush into an adversary or scenario. I've been playing his game since it was releases and have all the expansions but have yet to play a scenario or adversary. I will eventually but I am taking my time and enjoying the the different combinations of spirits.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Next step for us is trying to play with the higher complexity Spirits. I think now that we have a grasp on managing the threats we are ready to level up! But we want those expansions badly. :-)

[@olegyd]

Funny story for me sane. Game stay 6 months in my shelf but everyone speaks is amazing game. So I start to play get headeack but now I start to understand it and I fall in big love! Very very cool game! Thank you !

[@joerobert7847]

Convinced me. I am going to put it back on the table and solo it this weekend

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Hope you got to play it!

[@TheHappyLuza]

Thank you so much for this video! I think I am ready now

[@BeforeYouPlay]

You're so welcome! ENJOY!!

[@Bansheeeable]

More spririt island!!!!,awesome video btw :)

[@YTEEsenior]

Perfect. Thanks guys for a fantastic play-through and teach.

[@sylvernale]

Great video! As a friendly reminder, harbinger has a soft G sound, like binge drinking

[@BeforeYouPlay]

It’s weird we know that’s how it pronounced but always have trouble reading it out loud lol 😆.

[@sylvernale]

@@BeforeYouPlay would've been better to say it incorrectly with more confidence haha. btw your video lead me to buy Spirit Island today, thanks for the video

[@mbalazs3544]

explaining wise this was a super wide, also was fun to watch thx :D

[@quailman]

YESS!!!! I bought this game like 8 months ago on a coworker's recommendation but haven't gotten to playing it yet. Hard to find someone to sit through the learning curve with me. I should probably just give it a go solo.

[@chemtrail_brew_Que]

Can't wait for your playthrough with more advanced spirits

[@Andrewkellymagic]

So glad you guys did this video. Such an amazing game. Both the expansions are incredible too!!

[@BeforeYouPlay]

We are sold on the expansions site unseen! lol

[@corpsious]

You guys are wonderful! Liked and subbed. Really looking forward to another Spirit Island playthrough.

[@softshoes]

Thanks for this. I, like you guys it seemed, had a hard time getting into this game. It can be overwhelming and this was a great video.

[@Speedyolrac]

I hope you guys continue playing. I hope you guys make an a video on how Adversary works. I love this game and will encourage everyone to play it

[@Kingjoffrey12]

This is my first video of yours and I'm so impressed with this channel! I'm more of a newer board game fan and I don't have friends that are interested in playing games, such as spirit island due to complexity. Do you or anyone else reading this have any suggestions for finding people to play with?

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Hi there, when we first got into the hobby we used a site called meetup.com There’s a lot of board game groups on there, hopefully you can find one that meets regularly close by to you!!

[@synthastro]

thank you, I look forward to your next visit to Spirit Island! I have 36 games of experience (at least one game with every spirit, most solo and some duo) and both expansions and I really highly recommend you add both. Events, environmental tokens, new spirits and powers, new scenarios and adversaries, new island boards, and more. Replay goes through the roof, and everything is beautifully balanced. The intelligent and thematic design in this game is off the scale. It is a masterpiece, and I am hard to impress.

[@joepinkston6842]

Great teachers! We'll done! So stoked to play this but I was so confused...

[@spazticdrummer7]

Finally got around to watching this video. I loved it! This is one of the few youtube videos out there that actually explained everything correctly and clearly. Very well done! Definitely get the expansions! The designers actually intended the game to be played with the "Branch and Claw" content, but they decided to throw that into an expansion since the base game already had a lot included in it. Funny enough, it does include a hidden Event deck you were talking about at the end of the video! Definitely looking forward to watching more play throughs. This is still by far my favorite game, and I don't see myself ever getting tired of it after hundreds of plays. Also, if you ever want to try it out on TTS with more people let me know 😉

[@gbdomingo]

Its so easy to make mistakes in the invader steps! The app really helps keeping one on track.

[@BeforeYouPlay]

Nice an app! We'll have to check it out!!

[@damiracle5767]

I’m curious what you two will think of the Branch and Claw expansion. One big difference that detracts from the pro you mentioned is that the expansion adds more unpredictability in the form of events. I know some people dislike that aspect since it takes away some of the planning aspects so it’ll be interesting to hear what you think.

[@lisamarin8836]

I was thinking exactly this. Event cards can completely counter the benefits of your fear cards and/or upend your carefully laid plans for the slow phase. They do add variety but can also be very frustrating when you are looking forward to a powerful turn.

[@IamJFD]

@@lisamarin8836 add jagged earth it wont be that way now.

[@quibily]

Good video. I actually loved the ambient rain and thunder at the end! I'm thinking about buying this game to solo as I really like very challenging games, and I don't think any one I game with now is going to be able to play this with me enough that we would get a rhythm going. Gotta stick with lighter games to play with others, for now.

[@MrChrisevans9738]

loved this play through! Thanks!

[@maips4996]

"Purple powers can go first" is not technically correct for Lightning's Swift Strike. Its special rule allows you to use 1 Slow Power as if it were fast for every "purple" (air element) you have in play. That way, you can make a Power fast even if it doesn't have the Air Element on it.

[@georgiaskoumpi5583]

Thank you so much!!! I just bought this game and your video is really helpfull!!!

[@troyajohnson26]

I just played my first game solo...god destroyed. But, I certainly see the quality in this game. Not just the components, but all the mechanics as well. Cant wait to play it again.

[@Sem5626]

just started playing this finally after its been in my collection for a few months... it actually plays really well solo, but it's pretty difficult great video though, it was very handy to confirm a few things in terms of the rules... turns out i was playing it right, just failing really hard ha

[@amandarhodes763]

Had to replay the teach a couple of times because kept getting distracted with sleepy dexter🥰

[@jeffgoggin1394]

Great choice Patreoners!!!! ☺️

[@BeforeYouPlay]

We think so too! We were very pleased with the game!

[@mbrochh82]

This game has been sitting on my shelf of shame for about 2yrs now 🙈 Maybe your video can motivate me to finally open it up 🧐