Our friends who wanted to check out my new Giant Box of Everdell had announced an afternoon visit (we get the day off on October 3rd) and I decided I could squeeze in a quick game of Spirit Island—or not so quick for that matter—as I decided on two hand Shifting Ages with Keeper against France Level 1.
My game was interrupted after a couple of rounds by something that evaporated my concentration and I had to chill on the couch for a bit. When I got back to the game I had forgot about the escalation of France and so my „win“ is on very shaky ground. On the other hand if not for the maximum unlucky event that prevent me cleaning that inland mountain on the left island board, I would have won 2 turns earlier with or without escalations. I also had to hurry the last 3 rounds quite a bit because I knew I had 20 minutes when our friends texted they were en route. This was probably the quickest 3 rounds of two handed Spirit Island I have ever played.
I must say that I have never played so many major power cards. But both spirits have a lot of power gains even through cards and that was actually my first turn. Play just that card on each spirit and grow my handsize quickly.
Then our friends arrived, we had some Zwetschgenkuchen (a seasonal slice) and then I taught Everdell to everyone. Which isn‘t very difficult at all.
In the first season everyone was stumped how they were supposed to do anything with just 2 workers. But to their—not mine—surprise there was quite a lot one could do with just 2 workers Everyone quickly got into the game. Spring went quite well for everyone as well.
But then it happened. My partner had played the Clocktower and then added the Historian of which I was envious because it allows all those card draws. Then someone took a card he wanted from the meadow. And he wanted revenge. But by the time he wanted to move to summer, his hand was full and he had no more workers to get rid off cards and he couldn‘t draw his two bonus cards from the meadow and so his revenge floundered. That caused him to declare the game was horrible and he hated it. One of the others also got in a bit of a dead-end and grumbled that he didn‘t know how to proceed he had no cards to play.
I rolled my eyes and played another Mine with a Mole The fourth player just happily kept playing cards and comparing the game with Terraforming Mars and Ark Nova (her favorites).
Long story short, my partner was in a terrible mood throughout the rest of the game, even though everyone could see he was winning. He had 2 basic and 2 special events and the King by the end of the game… while I had to hide a fool in a dungeon just to be able to build a castle (without a King).
And of course the two grumbly men took home first and second place in the game. I came in third. I enjoyed myself. Our friends now want to buy their own copy. I quote Mrs 4th Place: „We just don‘t meet enough, I need a copy of this, so we don‘t play Ark Nova so much. And why didn‘t you buy Ark Nova when it was on sale the other day?“
PS: we all agreed that the tree is not a good place to keep the special events. I do like it though for the deck—we almost got through the whole deck btw.