As someone who never playtested or even played earlier versions of Spirit Island, I have been over the top excited to get my hands on this and experience this game. I'll be doing a short series of first impressions for this forums as I go through everything the game has to offer. First up, Unboxing!
I open the shipping box to see the main SI box, the expansion, and the promo spirits and cards. The first thing I get to look at are the promo spirit panels. I dont know why, but I wasn't expecting them to be so...sturdy! Thick cardboard and a very nice finish makes these things look and feel great and I have no doubt that these will surivive the beating of time. Off to a great start.
While opening the main box and looking through the components for the first time, I am stunned and amazed at the storage design. Everything has its place and there are small cutouts everywhere making sure that every single component fits where it belongs. I've seen a lot of 3rd party companies do this for other games (BrewCrafters I'm looking at you), but to see it so well designed and thought out right from the start makes me so happy I could cry. I really don't want to undersell just how amazing this small detail is. Tactics really could have used the touch of whoever was responsible for this masterpiece of box space solutions. Hell, 90% of the games on my shelf could. It's impeccable.
However, I will say that the promo spirit cards, as well as the 2 from the expansion, will not play nice in the main box in the space designed for spirit panels. I dare say that this feels like, maybe not an oversight, but more of a missed oppertunity. You will need to keep all avaliable spririt panels in 3 seperate locations between 2 boxes for them to fit nicely. For as great as the storage design is, I have to point out the obviously glaring flaw.
The map pieces are a thing of beauty. I've seen them in pictures, but to have them in hand just reinforces how elegant the design is. Truely the most unique thing about the game visiually.
The invader minis look good. They are very small and very frail with slender features (by design of course). If anything in the box will not withstand the afformentioned beating of time, these will surely be the first to go. I'd caution handling them with care when cleaning the game up and putting them back in the box.
The rulebook, or the rule novel, is big, bright, and easy to read. Which is nice considering just how much reading there is for new players such as myself. I'm a seasoned gaming veteran at this point in my life, and I gotta say that the rulebook is the most daunting thing I'v tackled since I bought Arkham Horror on a whim all those years ago. While the text is dense in places, the large text font and colorful image helpers that are splashed everywhere help.
As soon as I clear an afternoon to read this book, we will get to my first solo game, and then, my first 2-4 player game.
Stay Tuned!