Purchase Guide
Welcome! If you're looking for information on which game box for Spirit Island you should buy next, you're in the right place! Whether you're brand new to the game or already own some of it, this guide will help steer you toward the boxes that are right for you.
You can click game box names and images to access their own wiki page, where you can find additional info about that particular box.
List of Spirit Island games/expansions
The following table is a quick reference for identifying which game boxes you need to experience a particular expansion.
Box Type | Game Box | Game Name | Required Games | Required Game Names |
---|---|---|---|---|
Base Game | ![]() |
Spirit Island | None! | |
Standalone Game | ![]() |
Horizons of Spirit Island | None! | |
Small Expansion | ![]() |
Branch and Claw | ![]() |
Spirit Island |
Small Expansion | ![]() |
Feather and Flame | ![]() |
Spirit Island |
Large Expansion | ![]() |
Jagged Earth | ![]() |
Spirit Island |
Medium Expansion | ![]() |
Nature Incarnate | ![]() ![]() |
Spirit Island Jagged Earth |
Illustration of Spirit Island games/expansions
The following is a graph visualization to help players understand what boxes they need in order to play with certain expansions. Trace the lines upward from the expansion you want to play to see which boxes you need to purchase to play it. Nature Incarnate, for example, requires both Jagged Earth and Spirit Island (the base game).
Helpful Tips & Important Details
I'm brand new to Spirit Island, so where should I start?
The standalone games are the perfect starting point.
- Spirit Island is the base game, is playable on its own, and is required for all Spirit Island expansions. Compared to Horizons of Spirit Island, the Spirit Island base game has a wider variety of content. This includes Adversaries which provide the opportunity to tackle a much more difficult game experience.
- Horizons of Spirit Island is a standalone game with the same rules as the base game, making it 100% compatible with the rest of the Spirit Island collection. Compared to the Spirit Island base game, Horizons of Spirit Island is a much gentler introduction into the game with its low price point and its five well-designed low-complexity Spirits.
If you only own Horizons and want to buy an expansion, it is highly recommended that you buy Spirit Island first to get access to components you wouldn't have otherwise, like the Island Boards, Invader Board, the base game Adversaries, and base game Scenarios.
If you already own the base game but don't own Horizons of Spirit Island, it is still worth buying Horizons for the five unique Spirits it comes with that you cannot get anywhere else.
I'm interested in buying an expansion, but which should I buy?
If you only own the base game, and you're looking into buying an expansion, there are many available to choose from. If you want additional information on exactly what each expansion provides, follow the links to their wiki pages by clicking on the expansion name.
- Branch and Claw is a small expansion. This expansion is not required for any future expansions, but includes many important game pieces which add replayability. This expansion increases complexity by introducing new rules systems - particularly the Event Deck, but also Spirit Tokens - and it also expands the Minor Power, Major Power, Fear, and Blight Card decks.
- Feather and Flame is a small expansion. This expansion is not required for any future expansions, but includes many important game pieces which add replayability. This expansion has twice as many Spirits (4) as Branch and Claw, but keeps the complexity lower by not introducing any new rules systems.
- Jagged Earth is a large expansion. Jagged Earth is required for all future expansions.
The Minor Powers deck becomes more balanced (in terms of element pairs and effects provided) as you add expansions. The base game, plus either Branch and Claw or Jagged Earth, provides a more balanced Minor Power deck than just the base game on its own. Including all three boxes provides the most balanced Minor Powers deck.
I own both the base game and Jagged Earth, so what next?
Once you own both the base game and Jagged Earth, you can purchase Nature Incarnate and include it in your games. It's also a good idea to pick up a copy of Horizons of Spirit Island, Branch and Claw, and Feather and Flame if you don't already own them.