In addition to its great theme, the game brings a ton of strategic depth. Gameplay is driven by cards, and as the game progresses, you'll get more and better powers and instill more and more fear into the invaders' hearts. The island's natives are there to help you fight back when they can, but it's mostly up to you and your teammates to destroy the settlers' nascent cities, remove the blight they introduce as they ravage your pristine lands, and gain more and better powers to help you on your way. Instead of playing as settlers building out villages and roads on a new island-a theme well-trod in board games-you take on the role of the elemental spirits charged with protecting the island's various landscapes from those pesky invaders, who are controlled by the game itself. Spirit Island is like a co-op reverse- Catan that plays like a weird and wonderful mashup of Pandemic and Magic. After a handful of sessions, I can report that I am head over heels for this game. EnlargeWe first saw Spirit Island at this year's Gen Con, but, due to the game's limited availability, we were only recently able to get ahold of a copy.

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