Spirit Island, the co-operative game where you play ancient nature spirits scaring colonising invaders off your island, is in for the biggest shake-up of its life. Designer R. Eric Reuss has confirmed he is moving the game to a new publisher and commissioning a complete art overhaul, according to an exclusive report from BoardGameWire. If you have ever shepherded the Dahan through a blight-ridden board, this one matters.
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Start organising for freeThe trigger was Flat River Group gutting Greater Than Games, Spirit Island's long-time publisher, laying off nearly all of the studio's staff in April 2025. Reuss declined to renew the publishing deal and has been quietly talking to new homes for the game ever since. He says dozens of publishers have shown interest and expects to sign within the next year or so, with self-publishing kept in his back pocket as a fallback.
The art is the eye-catching part. Rather than pay what he calls an unreasonable fee to keep the existing illustrations, Reuss is commissioning entirely fresh artwork. The new look is promised as "vibrant, colorful, representational art", and every spirit, power and expansion will play exactly as it does today. No second edition, no rules changes, no relearning your favourite spirit. Reuss has also ruled out generative AI for the new art.
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See how it worksOne knock-on effect: the long-awaited Dahan-focused expansion is on hold while the art is recommissioned, so patient fans will need to wait a little longer.
For now it is business as usual on the shelf, but expect a glow-up. If Spirit Island is a fixture at your table, it might be time to round up your group and squeeze in a few more games with the art you grew up on.
Sources: BoardGameWire
