"Fun" Fun or "Challenging" Fun? (Review of Spirit Island)

If you are into board games and haven't heard of Spirit Island, then you must have been living under a rock over the last couple of years. It has been making a lot of buzz, especially in the solo community, as one of the best games around. Do I agree with that assessment?

TOTAL PLAYS: 10 solo, 5 co-operative

COMPONENTS

There is nothing to complain about here. The art is beautiful, evocative, colourful, fun! The one major complaint I have about the artwork is that the boards have two sides. One is colourful and easy to use, but not very thematic and realistic. They have a more realistic side, but it's impossible to tell which areas are which. Not very usable.

To Review or Not to Review?

Ok, the answer to that question is obviously "to review." The real question is WHAT should I review? I was going through all the reviews that I've done so far and was transferring them to BoardGameGeek, hoping to hit a bigger audience, when I realized there are a lot of games that I love that I have no review yet. I know that I originally starting review all of these games when I was working on my Top Solo Games of 2017, but I've missed a lot since then.

Really, this post is more for me to keep track of what I want to review yet and probably not so helpful to you. But hey, now you'll have an idea of where I'm going to go next and what to look forward to. Here are the games that I've played enough to write reviews for in the near future:

Leave a Lasting Legacy (Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated)

If you haven't gathered by now, I am a major Clank! fanboy. So, when I heard about a Clank! legacy game, I was beyond ecstatic. I'll admit, my excitement wavered when I realized that it would be not be solo playable. This is not a must for every game, but it's definitely an important perk for me. This has turned into a blessing in disguise, however, because I've now partnered up with two of my long time friends (since kindergarten - almost 30 years ago) to play through the campaign together. Not only do I get to experience this game with them, but they pitched in to pay for it! Win-win!

Last week we played the opening scenario (mission? quest?). This is a tough game to write about because I don't want to spoil anything! So I won't. I'll post a few pictures that don't give anything away and reflect on the game in a general way without giving away any details. I guess I could just not talk about this game, but it was so much fun, that I have to!

I'll start with a shout out to Apt To Game, my FLGS (Friendly Local Gaming Store) here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada! They have a zillion games for great prices and a whole whack of events and competitions throughout the week (none that I've been able to be a part of, yet, but hopefully sometime!). Crystal was nice enough to pose with the gigantic box that I picked up. Bigger is always better, right?

Took the box to my friend's house and we worked together to open it up and begin opening things. I'm the resident Clank! expert so that task fell mostly on my shoulders.

Conquer the Land of the Dinosaurs (Dinoblivion)

I've sort of decided lately that I'm not going to back any more Kickstarter games for a while. I'm trying to be more careful with my money and only buy games I know I will love. Well, today, one of those games came out.

Dinoblivion went live on Kickstarter today and this was a must-back for me. I LOVED the company's first game, Goblivion. It was my surprise game of 2018 and quickly moved into the number four spot for top solo games (sitting only behind Clank!, Spirit Island, and Gloomhaven). I know that Jean-Francois will not only put together another great game, but will also improve upon his last one.

I would never recommend a Kickstarter to someone withing feeling assured it's going to be a smart idea. Goblivion was not only a great game but it was delivered in a timely fashion and we were always kept up to date with regular communications. It was the most stress-free Kickstarter I've been a part of. Plus, it always feels good to a small, Canadian company.

It's only been a couple of hours since they went live and they're already halfway to their goal of $26,000.

If you're thinking about backing Dinoblivion, do it! I have!

The Battle for Cainfield Citadel (Playthrough of Castle Panic)

Sir Owain of the East, commander of the army at Cainfield Citadel, looked over the battlements at the army assembled there. They had the supplies necessary for a lengthy siege and a sturdy castle wall, but they had never faced a force with twelve foot trolls that could climb right over that very wall. If he hadn't trained all of his men personally he would be more worried about how they would react to these invaders, but he knew they were ready for anything these monsters could throw at them.

The first attack of the battle went poorly for both sides. A giant boulder, pushed along by several rock trolls, headed straight towards the keep. It collapsed a large section of the wall but also flattened one of those climbing trolls on its way.

Why is it SO Good? (Spirit Island)

It's currently the #14 overall ranked game on BoardGameGeek, it was #2 on the People's Choice Top 100 Solo Games list last year (and is looking to make an equally strong showing this year), and it is my second favourite solo game. Why? What makes Spirit Island so good? I've said it before and I'll say it again, even though Clank! is my favourite solo game (for the fun and deckbuilding factor), Spirit Island is probably the best made game I've ever played. Why? It all comes down to choice. Let me give you an example from my most recent solo game.

Quatro Qwirkles (Qwirkle)

This is not a new game, but it's new to me. My sister-in-law's (Jenn) family invited us over for a Remembrance Day barbecue yesterday which was so kind and generous. They fed us delicious barbecued chicken and steak and we had copious sides with which to indulge. After dinner and dessert, Jenn's mother asked if anyone was interested in a game of Qwirkle. Well, I'd never played it, but I'm always up for a game!

Caught Between a Rock...and a Bolt of Lightning (A Playthrough of Spirit Island)

For generation upon generation, Spirit Island had been a peaceful place. The Dahan, the indigenous people of the island, had named it for the spirits they lived in harmony with who helped them survive. Lightning's Swift Fury came with the rain that watered their crops and it had also brought them their first fire that they used to stay warm and cook food. They also relied on the Vital Strength of the Earth to grow their crops in and to find shelter in. They revered these spirits as gods and life was simple.