Spirit Island, the co-op strategy game where you play island spirits driving off colonial invaders, is one of the most beloved games in the hobby, and its future has finally been mapped out. Designer R. Eric Reuss has confirmed the game is moving to a new publisher, getting a complete art overhaul, and, crucially for fans, still getting new expansions.
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Set up your group for freeIn an update posted in June, Reuss explained he is not renewing the game's agreement with Flat River Group, which laid off nearly all Greater Than Games staff in April 2025. He is in talks with a new publisher, with dozens of others having reached out, and will self-publish if the negotiations fall through. Because of licensing disputes over the current artwork, entirely new, non-derivative art is being commissioned. The gameplay stays put: same spirits, powers, adversaries and expansions, just a fresh visual identity.
This matters for a game that still punches at the very top of the hobby. Published by Greater Than Games back in 2017, Spirit Island sat at number 10 on BoardGameGeek as of May 2025 and has topped the site's People's Choice solo rankings three years running. Reuss says a long-in-the-works Dahan-focused expansion remains his priority and will arrive before any potential second edition, which he stressed is not imminent. New publisher talks should wrap "within the next year or so," with reprints to follow. For now, the game many fans consider a co-op masterpiece is not going anywhere. It is just getting a new coat of paint and, in time, more spirits to play.
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Find events near youSources: R. Eric Reuss | BoardGameWire | Wikipedia
