To me this is hands down the best channel for a boardgame goodness. You guys are cleary genuinely passionate about boardgaming. I love the weirdness and witty humor. Its like watching a Wes Andeson movie. Often these reviews goes to these poetic levels and leaves me with lingering feeling. Not to mention that the reviews are very informative and well executed. Keep up the good work!
Good review! I find this game is best played with people you are actually good at cooperating with. I played Spirit Island w/ my best friend of 16 years who doesn't actually play games (her hardest game until that point had been Smash Up) but who has worked on writing projects with me for over a decade and we CRUSHED the base level. It was obvious we needed a harder difficulty and she immediately wanted to play again. I also played with 3 close friends with whom we'd played Pandemic, Space Alert, Fury of Dracula, Whitechapel, Dead of Winter, etc. and we also won despite all being first time players. Yet, I played with 3 heavy eurogamers (think Vital game level) who I did not know and we just couldn't cooperate effectively. We were all doing things that were 'helpful' but we were constantly getting in each other's way and not collaborating well. Shadows flicker like flames was unable to help River Surges in Sunlight because River had failed to protect the Dahan on his board, preventing Shadows from getting there. Likewise, we were constantly fighting for Lightning's assistance in making powers fast. We did end up winning, but would have lost that very invader phase if we hadn't finally managed to learn to work together in order to destroy the remaining cities & towns. Our progression from a group that was downright dysfunctional to a team working together synergistically was nothing short of magical, but boy was it a hard game. This one is quickly becoming my favorite game and I am still nowhere close to trying all the things it has to offer. Money very well-spent.
+ 1 after a deep dive into spirit island pandemic transformed to a very relaxing and streamlined game i tend to play with people who are new to the genre (or even to modern board games) - as a veteran i explain the rules get a drink and let the others take the lead enjoyning their excitement ^^
First review I’ve watched from this channel. I’ve been following and supporting SU&SD for a while and this has a similar fun & informative feel. Great job 👍🏻
Yeah I love SU&SD and just discovered this channel about a week ago. I've been watching two or three videos a night and loving every minute! Better late than never I guess.🙂
Spirit Island is a steep learning curve and much was left out of the video...optional scenarios, optional specific invader rules...otherwise a good video. I lost my first 9 solo games in a row trying to learn how to play. Now that I have the rules down to a tee and I am developing some successful strategies, I am winning more than 50% of my games. This is game like no other that is incredibly fun and challenging. A must-have if you like co-op board games!
Absolutely wonderful review! Thanks for sharing, and wholeheartedly agree, your first game should NOT be 4 player or you will all be overwhelmed! With that being said, once you have 4 people who know the game, I feel that is one of the best cooperative experiences for our gaming group since Pandemic Legacy!! Thanks again for your hard work and great review!!!
This review reminded me of my childhood where I watched funny cartoons that actually influenced me so that I became what I now am. Great review - VERY entertaining, too. Chapeau!
I think they were ahead of the curve. More jaded and disliking all things before the pandemic happened. Although I’m here enjoying watching the jadedness and discontent. So cheers.
@@DadGotGamez Agreed. Lots of intellectual talk, which is their brand, but not enough sheer enjoyment of the act of gaming lately on this channel (in my humble opinion).
Thanks for sharing. Your commentary is very good and witty. Your opinion of Spirit Island agrees with most other reviews. It's a deep thinky game that isn't for everyone. Some will like it a lot, some not at all. Either way, it looks to be worth checking out.
Your camera work on this video was great. Loved all your close up and panning shots of the components. I love all the different spirit powers in this game. I've played a handful of times so far but haven't tried all the different spirits. It's amazing how different each one plays. I agree that the difficulty of the game can depend on which spirits you pick. Do you have a favorite spirit you enjoy playing the most yet?
I'm really excited to try out the nightmare spirit. It's interesting that it never does damage and just causes lots of fear. After playing and loving the base game, I went ahead and ordered the expansion so now I have even more spirits to try out. Love all the options.
They're $10 from Great Than Game's website but they're currently out of stock. I was able to get them at Gen Con, but haven't played either of them yet. Their boards are really interest with different upgrades along the path. Their special powers look really interesting as well. There's a lot of game in the base box and these extras just add even more quinoa.
This is my Favorite game. It is a bit crunchy but once you get the flow it, things make sense and I never look at the rule book. Maybe the online FAQ for those weird interactions.
Teen Spirit joke was amazing, then the splashing explorer made me die :) There is a 5-6 player expansion/thing, and although I never want to go that high, I love the idea of it. We have about 40 plays logged and it just keeps getting better. The beauty of the variable difficulty means you can try new pairings and scale up as you learn to complement each other more. Probably my fave of the year and easily top 3 co-op. Hopefully the reprint hits soon so more can get at it, it's just such a great time. Thanks for the beautiful review!
Was anyone else disturbed by the participation of the flower spirits in this video? That's the real story here. The full story is richer and more complex than I have time to write, but starting, for instance, about ten-and-a-half minutes in you can see that the flower spirits on the shelf look distracted and bored. Perhaps the ennui that sets in after being beheaded, set on display, and awakening to the futility of resistance against an entrenched hegemony. Now we see the violence inherent in the system. (I'd give more precise timestamps were it not such a punctilious colonialist gesture.) But the flower spirit on the table seems genuinely interested in Efka's review. It stares fixedly at the game board. Perhaps there is an avenue of protest after all? But then when Efka gets to the bad bits, the flower spirit's hopes are dashed. It averts its gaze. It would stare out the window were the blinds not closed. An apt metaphor. But then toward the end of the video, there is a ray of hope. Did the flower spirit exert its powers to open the blinds? We will never know for sure. But there it sits, staring out the window, dreaming of a world without humans. Will it wake?
Great review Efka. I honestly think this is less about "Do you have coop experience?" and more about "Just how much do you love heavy euros?". If you love the genre, this is a must buy. If you think you _may_ love the genre, stay the hell away and buy Great Western Trail instead. 2 plays of this game kicked off a mad scramble to track down the promos and the expansion, because I couldn't bear the thought of waiting for the next print run, and they had sold out of most local game stores by that point. BUT I also proudly display the three EGG mega deluxe Lacerda games on my mantle :)
I bought one of the last three copies available. Then realized I don't like coops. Panicked and sold it asap without opening. So happy to have made $5 profit. Of course it went up considerably more in value as it was instantly oop.
Hi Efka! Thanks so much for this review it was super fun to watch! I hate coop games generally speaking, but this one feels magical and eccentric. I'm definitely interested to give it a go asap! Speaking of difficulty and the card- driven aspect of it, how would you compare it to Robinson Crusoe? Long live Inception! :D
I feel like your image/production quality has gone up considerably over the last year or so. Some really beautiful shots in here. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of camera are you using?
I'm sad this video got unlisted, while it's a bit rough on the edges especialy if compared to more recent stuff, but it's still the best review of Spirit Island I've ever seen.
It may not have been your main point, but your synopsis of the aversion against but liking of Euros using colonialism theme was on point. Internal conflict galore.
this game rocks. i agree with everything you said. the comparison with business meetings is also true - funny though i had the same insight during the last episode of smacking the sweedish (lvl 3) .. during the brain meltdown phase in the late game (2 player / 3 ghosts match) i suddenly could make a long suspended choice for my professional life my " i have a plan" talk was completely out of place .. ^^ anyway to win the game we had also to hope for that lucky punch provided through a strong power we needed to draw .. o.0 no risk no fun and now its time to get the expansion :P
Yeah they can be quite hard. We really like that extra level of variety they add though. I really wanna try the expansion adversaries, should be a load harder!
Spirit Island looks amazing and I kind of want to love it, but I'm trying to be a Good Person and not Buy Everything. One thing I have seen though is a bunch of people think ending the game feels a bit anticlimactic. Did you feel that? Thanks for another great review! 10/10 reminded me of my childhood
Whitney Baker Ummm, some games can feel that way, I suppose, but those are the games you usually lose. The games you win typically take some great cooperative move, such as the one he describes in the video, which, as you saw, was quite tense. You can stumble your way to defeat, but you rarely stumble your way to victory.
Wait wait wait... I see Lisboa on the shelves, and you throw us some co-op, like a bone? Outrageous! Nah, just kidding... Thanks for this one, I never had it under my radar. Just a curiosity. Now sir you have my attention. P.S. But please, do the Lisboa. You were the one who got me sold on Gallerist, when I was pondering on a decision whether to take Trickerion or this weirdly looking game from a guy who made this ugly Kanban (oh, naive me). You know, this has consequences. I'm really interested what you will have to say about it (since of course I already have it :>)
I purchased this game because it looks and sounds awesome. But I'm really worried that I won't get to play it. It sounds like it really benefits from repeat plays and the first play will be a slog.
Well, no way to know for sure now aside from playing it. And since you bought it already, it would be a darn shame if you didn't play it. My advice - start two player. You'll be OK.
I've tried to play this game with many people and I was kinda put off by how many didn't like it, I needed the reality check this video had to fully understand why.
I am always staunchly of the opinion that the Alpha gamer/quarterbacking thing is an issue with the players, not the game. It can be solved in every game by self-confidence on the part of the person making the move and trust on the part of the other players.
Pandemic Legacy is nowhere even close to Spirit Island as far as amazing co-op game IMO. All Pandemic Legacy games are is standard Pandemic (amazing game) with variants (which are mostly meaningless, just do a RNG to block off a few routes, make a disease incurable, etc. Was a huge disappointment to me after hearing all the hype. Pandemic standard should be higher on BGG than Legacy since legacy is just variants on the actual thing that makes it good,.... Pandemic)... anyways Spirit Island is amazing.
Hated this game, and we stopped without finishing. That scenario you described where it all hinged on a card pull is the absolute worst in a game about planning. I should have the tools or know where to get the tools to succeed. I should not have to gamble on if I'm going to get the tools. Doing so robs you of feeling clever. Taking offers on my barely used copy.
This game makes no sense. Its a boring, ineligant mess. Vital strength of the earth getting 6 energy each turn and only having one card that costs one energy. (In the beginner deck) Did they even test it?
vital strenght of earth dont get 6 energy every turn by default it only happens if you allready put some presence tokens on the board from the energy bar until that you may allready have drawn some minor ability cards wich cost less then 3 during the growth phase if necessary this spirit engine builds up slowly while being very streamlined and easy to play
6 years later, and I'm glad I found this video and this channel!
To me this is hands down the best channel for a boardgame goodness. You guys are cleary genuinely passionate about boardgaming. I love the weirdness and witty humor. Its like watching a Wes Andeson movie. Often these reviews goes to these poetic levels and leaves me with lingering feeling. Not to mention that the reviews are very informative and well executed. Keep up the good work!
I love this channel as well, but I think comparing it to a Wes Anderson movie is going a little far lol.
SUSD?
It's official Efka is the new Bob Ross of board game reviewers with those happy little games.
This is not a happy little game 😂
Good review! I find this game is best played with people you are actually good at cooperating with. I played Spirit Island w/ my best friend of 16 years who doesn't actually play games (her hardest game until that point had been Smash Up) but who has worked on writing projects with me for over a decade and we CRUSHED the base level. It was obvious we needed a harder difficulty and she immediately wanted to play again. I also played with 3 close friends with whom we'd played Pandemic, Space Alert, Fury of Dracula, Whitechapel, Dead of Winter, etc. and we also won despite all being first time players. Yet, I played with 3 heavy eurogamers (think Vital game level) who I did not know and we just couldn't cooperate effectively. We were all doing things that were 'helpful' but we were constantly getting in each other's way and not collaborating well. Shadows flicker like flames was unable to help River Surges in Sunlight because River had failed to protect the Dahan on his board, preventing Shadows from getting there. Likewise, we were constantly fighting for Lightning's assistance in making powers fast. We did end up winning, but would have lost that very invader phase if we hadn't finally managed to learn to work together in order to destroy the remaining cities & towns. Our progression from a group that was downright dysfunctional to a team working together synergistically was nothing short of magical, but boy was it a hard game. This one is quickly becoming my favorite game and I am still nowhere close to trying all the things it has to offer. Money very well-spent.
My absolute favorite game. If you like co-ops and but want something that requires a lot more thinking and strategy than pandemic, this is it.
+ 1
after a deep dive into spirit island pandemic transformed to a very relaxing and streamlined game i tend to play with people who are new to the genre (or even to modern board games) - as a veteran i explain the rules get a drink and let the others take the lead enjoyning their excitement ^^
First review I’ve watched from this channel. I’ve been following and supporting SU&SD for a while and this has a similar fun & informative feel. Great job 👍🏻
Yeah I love SU&SD and just discovered this channel about a week ago. I've been watching two or three videos a night and loving every minute!
Better late than never I guess.🙂
This is the first video I’ve ever watched from you and I am thoroughly impressed. Very descriptive, very charming, and very thought provoking.
Another great view.
3 years old - but a new hobby for me.
Realisic. Balanced. Fun to watch.
The game has become popular, that's for sure!
First time watching this channel (preparing to play this game for the first time tomorrow).. outstanding writing in this video. You've got my sub.
Great review. Bought it to try it out. Thanks for the warning of the complexity. We'll be more patient.
Spirit Island is a steep learning curve and much was left out of the video...optional scenarios, optional specific invader rules...otherwise a good video. I lost my first 9 solo games in a row trying to learn how to play. Now that I have the rules down to a tee and I am developing some successful strategies, I am winning more than 50% of my games. This is game like no other that is incredibly fun and challenging. A must-have if you like co-op board games!
It does look pretty. ( Mostly the game, but Efka too.)
Great review...candid, honest, and letting the viewers decide for themselves.
Love the Inception reference at the end. :)
Not a huge fan of co-ops, but this game is brilliant! Just a few plays, but beat it on beginner and it was very satisfying. Great review as always.
Absolutely wonderful review! Thanks for sharing, and wholeheartedly agree, your first game should NOT be 4 player or you will all be overwhelmed! With that being said, once you have 4 people who know the game, I feel that is one of the best cooperative experiences for our gaming group since Pandemic Legacy!! Thanks again for your hard work and great review!!!
A really lovely view, full of fun and insights - many thanks!
Awesome Inception reference to the end. One of your best videos if you asked me.
This review reminded me of my childhood where I watched funny cartoons that actually influenced me so that I became what I now am. Great review - VERY entertaining, too. Chapeau!
Great review! We've just bought this one (somehow managed to find a copy) and really looking forward to it.
You haven't positively recommended a board game in a while. I'd like to see a top ten games from you.
My sentiments exactly. Every video I watch is a complaint.
I think they were ahead of the curve. More jaded and disliking all things before the pandemic happened. Although I’m here enjoying watching the jadedness and discontent. So cheers.
@@DadGotGamez Agreed. Lots of intellectual talk, which is their brand, but not enough sheer enjoyment of the act of gaming lately on this channel (in my humble opinion).
?? He spent the whole video saying how much fun he had during his time playing.
Thanks for sharing. Your commentary is very good and witty. Your opinion of Spirit Island agrees with most other reviews. It's a deep thinky game that isn't for everyone. Some will like it a lot, some not at all. Either way, it looks to be worth checking out.
this guy is an energy
Your camera work on this video was great. Loved all your close up and panning shots of the components. I love all the different spirit powers in this game. I've played a handful of times so far but haven't tried all the different spirits. It's amazing how different each one plays. I agree that the difficulty of the game can depend on which spirits you pick. Do you have a favorite spirit you enjoy playing the most yet?
Not yet, there's so many!
I'm really excited to try out the nightmare spirit. It's interesting that it never does damage and just causes lots of fear. After playing and loving the base game, I went ahead and ordered the expansion so now I have even more spirits to try out. Love all the options.
I am sad I missed out on the promo at GenCon. Two extra spirits is one heck of a promo.
They're $10 from Great Than Game's website but they're currently out of stock. I was able to get them at Gen Con, but haven't played either of them yet. Their boards are really interest with different upgrades along the path. Their special powers look really interesting as well. There's a lot of game in the base box and these extras just add even more quinoa.
This is my Favorite game.
It is a bit crunchy but once you get the flow it, things make sense and I never look at the rule book. Maybe the online FAQ for those weird interactions.
Great review man! You give off really good vibes
Will I enjoy this if I can't remember anything about my childhood, or if I possibly don't want to?
Remembering your childhood requires security clearance, you are not authorised.
I focus on preventing Builds when possible over Ravages, and try to defend Ravages secondarily.
You didn't draw a fast card that destroyed a city, did you Efka? :)
You'll never know!
This is game is simply awesome!!! Played over 20 times
I love this game, we started off with 4 players and will be moving to 6 players in a couple weeks, can’t wait, true chaos!
Teen Spirit joke was amazing, then the splashing explorer made me die :)
There is a 5-6 player expansion/thing, and although I never want to go that high, I love the idea of it.
We have about 40 plays logged and it just keeps getting better. The beauty of the variable difficulty means you can try new pairings and scale up as you learn to complement each other more.
Probably my fave of the year and easily top 3 co-op. Hopefully the reprint hits soon so more can get at it, it's just such a great time.
Thanks for the beautiful review!
Was anyone else disturbed by the participation of the flower spirits in this video? That's the real story here. The full story is richer and more complex than I have time to write, but starting, for instance, about ten-and-a-half minutes in you can see that the flower spirits on the shelf look distracted and bored. Perhaps the ennui that sets in after being beheaded, set on display, and awakening to the futility of resistance against an entrenched hegemony. Now we see the violence inherent in the system. (I'd give more precise timestamps were it not such a punctilious colonialist gesture.) But the flower spirit on the table seems genuinely interested in Efka's review. It stares fixedly at the game board. Perhaps there is an avenue of protest after all? But then when Efka gets to the bad bits, the flower spirit's hopes are dashed. It averts its gaze. It would stare out the window were the blinds not closed. An apt metaphor. But then toward the end of the video, there is a ray of hope. Did the flower spirit exert its powers to open the blinds? We will never know for sure. But there it sits, staring out the window, dreaming of a world without humans. Will it wake?
Now I'll just have to wait for my friends to arrive. I'm sure they'll be here. ...Reminds me of my childhood. Great video!
That spinning top at the end was gold. Good review.
Great review Efka. I honestly think this is less about "Do you have coop experience?" and more about "Just how much do you love heavy euros?". If you love the genre, this is a must buy. If you think you _may_ love the genre, stay the hell away and buy Great Western Trail instead.
2 plays of this game kicked off a mad scramble to track down the promos and the expansion, because I couldn't bear the thought of waiting for the next print run, and they had sold out of most local game stores by that point. BUT I also proudly display the three EGG mega deluxe Lacerda games on my mantle :)
We try to avoid making generalizations. We'd rather give a detailed view and let people decide for themselves. But we get where you're coming from!
I bought one of the last three copies available. Then realized I don't like coops. Panicked and sold it asap without opening. So happy to have made $5 profit. Of course it went up considerably more in value as it was instantly oop.
Such a fantastic game.
I love it! The rules overhead takes a little while to overcome, but is absolutely worth it.
Hi Efka! Thanks so much for this review it was super fun to watch!
I hate coop games generally speaking, but this one feels magical and eccentric. I'm definitely interested to give it a go asap!
Speaking of difficulty and the card- driven aspect of it, how would you compare it to Robinson Crusoe?
Long live Inception! :D
Video start: 3:00
Wondered - how many games are in your collection?
I feel like your image/production quality has gone up considerably over the last year or so. Some really beautiful shots in here. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of camera are you using?
www.nopunincluded.com/faq/
I'm sad this video got unlisted, while it's a bit rough on the edges especialy if compared to more recent stuff, but it's still the best review of Spirit Island I've ever seen.
I broke his jaw with a spirit punch
Ive seen this a couple times and just got the inception reference...
Just come across your channel. Really good!!!! This game is great, so hard, my partner and I are yet to beat it.
It may not have been your main point, but your synopsis of the aversion against but liking of Euros using colonialism theme was on point. Internal conflict galore.
Isn't it just the best feeling?
Great game & and awesome review.
If we play with 4 players is there going to be a winner once the game ends ?
Great video, thanks so much for the content. I purchased this game based on your review.
Double Quinoa all the way across the island. What does this mean?!
It wobbled! Right...?
Another quality vid
Intro was Epic
this game rocks. i agree with everything you said.
the comparison with business meetings is also true - funny though i had the same insight during the last episode of smacking the sweedish (lvl 3) ..
during the brain meltdown phase in the late game (2 player / 3 ghosts match) i suddenly could make a long suspended choice for my professional life
my " i have a plan" talk was completely out of place .. ^^ anyway
to win the game we had also to hope for that lucky punch provided through a strong power we needed to draw .. o.0
no risk no fun
and now its time to get the expansion :P
Engagement for the engagement god!
Loved the opening! Laughing my ass off!
This game was one of the hardest one I've played I keept getting overrun with explorers.
Is this a JP Sears video? I'm confused
Inception reference...wow, so good. I like your reviews, really. I want to try this game, thanks to you:)
This is a good video, but wow their production quality has improved a lot since this video was made.
Great review! It's one of our current favourites for sure. Have you tried out any of the scenarios/adversaries?
We tried it with England and a few of the scenarios yes. Feels like we hardly made a dent.
Yeah they can be quite hard. We really like that extra level of variety they add though. I really wanna try the expansion adversaries, should be a load harder!
Spirit Island looks amazing and I kind of want to love it, but I'm trying to be a Good Person and not Buy Everything. One thing I have seen though is a bunch of people think ending the game feels a bit anticlimactic. Did you feel that?
Thanks for another great review! 10/10 reminded me of my childhood
Whitney Baker Ummm, some games can feel that way, I suppose, but those are the games you usually lose. The games you win typically take some great cooperative move, such as the one he describes in the video, which, as you saw, was quite tense. You can stumble your way to defeat, but you rarely stumble your way to victory.
Can I play as the colonists?
this review reminds me of my childhood...
Wait wait wait... I see Lisboa on the shelves, and you throw us some co-op, like a bone? Outrageous!
Nah, just kidding... Thanks for this one, I never had it under my radar. Just a curiosity. Now sir you have my attention.
P.S. But please, do the Lisboa. You were the one who got me sold on Gallerist, when I was pondering on a decision whether to take Trickerion or this weirdly looking game from a guy who made this ugly Kanban (oh, naive me). You know, this has consequences. I'm really interested what you will have to say about it (since of course I already have it :>)
Hang in there buddy!
Dream... dream... dream...
Face front kick sent
15:00 nice Inception quote
I purchased this game because it looks and sounds awesome. But I'm really worried that I won't get to play it. It sounds like it really benefits from repeat plays and the first play will be a slog.
Well, no way to know for sure now aside from playing it. And since you bought it already, it would be a darn shame if you didn't play it. My advice - start two player. You'll be OK.
Lol love this!
Amazing as always, Efka. I love this game. Glad to see you do, too. I'm bummed that I missed you at GenCon.
F U
You need PIZZA to have friends.
Dead
Just saying hi!
Like for the inception ending
I've tried to play this game with many people and I was kinda put off by how many didn't like it, I needed the reality check this video had to fully understand why.
I am always staunchly of the opinion that the Alpha gamer/quarterbacking thing is an issue with the players, not the game. It can be solved in every game by self-confidence on the part of the person making the move and trust on the part of the other players.
Is it a SUSD parody?
POM POKO The Game.
I love you.
Lmao, spicy 💧
love the Incepction refrence
Efka had a cream dream at the end of this review
???
Whatever. Pandemic Legacy makes me want to punch a wall.
And your face sent
Please don't ever say a game gets your crotch wet again
hi efka!
the dickficulty level bothers me sometimes too
Pandemic Legacy is nowhere even close to Spirit Island as far as amazing co-op game IMO. All Pandemic Legacy games are is standard Pandemic (amazing game) with variants (which are mostly meaningless, just do a RNG to block off a few routes, make a disease incurable, etc. Was a huge disappointment to me after hearing all the hype. Pandemic standard should be higher on BGG than Legacy since legacy is just variants on the actual thing that makes it good,.... Pandemic)... anyways Spirit Island is amazing.
Here are all the things I hate about this review. Now tell me why? JK
oh don't.
don't.
Another great video as usual.
Hated this game, and we stopped without finishing. That scenario you described where it all hinged on a card pull is the absolute worst in a game about planning. I should have the tools or know where to get the tools to succeed. I should not have to gamble on if I'm going to get the tools. Doing so robs you of feeling clever. Taking offers on my barely used copy.
?? Ha
Don't like this game. It's too exhausting and feels to much like hard work.
the worst kind of should have been "european colonialists"
The intro was so bad I stopped watching
This game makes no sense. Its a boring, ineligant mess. Vital strength of the earth getting 6 energy each turn and only having one card that costs one energy. (In the beginner deck) Did they even test it?
vital strenght of earth dont get 6 energy every turn by default
it only happens if you allready put some presence tokens on the board from the energy bar
until that you may allready have drawn some minor ability cards wich cost less then 3 during the growth phase if necessary
this spirit engine builds up slowly while being very streamlined and easy to play