The Basics:
- For ages 10 and up
- For 2 players
- Approximately 30 minutes to complete
Geek Skills:
- Active Listening & Communication
- Counting & Math
- Logical & Critical Decision Making
- Reading
- Pattern/Color Matching
- Strategy & Tactics
- Risk vs. Reward
- Hand/Resource Management
Learning Curve:
- Child – Easy
- Adult – Easy
Theme & Narrative:
- Call forth the animal spirits to collect stones and avoid the very annoying Coyote
Endorsements:
- Child Geek approved!
- Parent Geek approved!
- Gamer Geek approved!
Overview
In every culture and from humanity’s earliest days, we have looked at the natural world around us and seen the supernatural. Even to this day, with all our modern technology, we feel the hairs in the back of our neck rise at the very thought of walking alone in a dark wood. In our collective myths, legends, theologies, and superstitions, the Spirit World has been said to live in our own, a parallel to our everyday reality, as an unseen force that influences us, for good or ill. Such places feel a bit too close in the deepest parts of nature. In this game, you’ll be tapping into the spirits of animals, focusing on their unique talents and abilities to meet your own goals.
Spirits of the Wild: Awakening, designed by Nick Hayes and published by Mattel, Inc., is comprised of one plastic bowl, one cloth bag, one Coyote figure, 12 Action tiles, 56 stones, 30 Animal boards, and 36 Spirit Power cards. The game component quality is excellent, with solid, durable pieces throughout. Illustrations by Rachel Quinlan are beautiful, capturing the animals’ supernatural playfulness.
If you are a fan of the original Spirits of the Wild (released in 2018), the most significant difference is the increased variety of Animal boards and Spirit Power cards. Gameplay remains the same, with the only rule differences being noted on the Animal boards.
Into the Wild
To set up the game, follow these steps.
First, place the plastic bowl between the two players. Next to it, place the cloth bag filled with all the stones. Draw four stones and put them into the bowl. If any of the rocks are “iridecent” (special stones), return them to the bag and draw another stone to replace them. Continue doing this until there are four “regular” stones in the bowl.
Second, choose five Animal board pairs. Each Animal board has different conditions to meet to score it. Players are welcome to randomize which Animal boards they want to play with, or use the suggested ones from the rulebook. Regardless of which five pairs are selected, both players must have the same Animal boards. The chosen Animal boards are placed in front of the player, with any unused Animal boards returning to the game box.
Third, give each player their set of six Action tiles and place them face-up in front of them.
Fourth, shuffle the Spirit Power cards and deal six cards into two piles of three cards each. Cards should be face-up, but only the topmost card in each pile is visible at any time. Any Spirit Power cards not dealt are returned to the game box.
Fifth, decide which player will go first. The first player flips over their “Take Two Stones” Action tile, making it face down. This tile will not be available to the first player.
Spirits in the Mist
Spirits of the Wild: Awakening is played in turns with no set number of turns per game. A player’s turn is summarized here and comprises two possible actions.
Option One: Select Your Action Tile and Resolve
Each player has six Action tiles, but not all six will necessarily be available to the player on their turn, and a player can take only one action per turn. Each Action tile allows the player to complete one specific action.
- Take one stone from the bowl and place it on any of their accessible Animal boards of their choosing
- Take two stones
- Add two stones to the bowl from the bag, and then take one stone
- Add three stones to the bowl from the bag, and then move the Coyote
- Recover Action tiles (placing them all face-up) and selecting one of the two Spirit Power cards to resolve (can only be taken if the player has three or more Action tiles face-down)
When placing stones, each Animal board has a designated spot. Depending on the Animal board, specific stones can only be placed in certain spots. For example, the “Moth” Animal board requires the player to have three-of-a-kind stones of the same color and one other stone with no color restrictions.
Similarly, the “Rabbit” Animal board restricts the player by allowing stones to be placed only if the stone does not match any previously placed stones.
The upper-right space for a stone is reserved for the special “iridecent” stone, also referred to as the “Spirit Stone.” Once placed, it cannot be removed. When the Animal board is scored with a “Spirit Stone,” its total points are doubled.
Any Animal board with the Coyote is considered “off limits” until the Coyote is moved. No stones can be placed on the Animal board until the Coyote moves to another Animal board. The Coyote is moved when the second of the two “Take One Stone” Action tiles is flipped over by the player. When done, it will show the completed image of the Coyote’s head. The player may immediately place the Coyote on any Animal board or keep it on its current Animal board. Note that the Coyote only stops the player from placing stones. It does not block any actions that would remove stones from the Animal board or stop it from being scored at the end of the game.
The Spirit Power cards provide the player with special actions. Each of which is listed in order. To resolve the Spirit Power card, the player does what the card says, starting with the first action and continuing with any that follow until the entire Spirit Power card is resolved. Once resolved, it’s placed at the bottom of its pile, revealing a new Spirit Power card.
Option Two: Pass
If the player is unable to take any legal action, and the player’s opponent agrees, the player selects one of their Action tiles and flips it over without resolving it.
Once the player has completed their turn, their opponent takes theirs. This continues until the endgame is triggered.
Ending and Winning the Game
The game continues until five or more “Spirit Stones” are visible. This includes any of the player’s Animal boards or in the bowl. The game immediately ends, even if the current player hasn’t finished their turn yet.
Each player now determines the total number of points earned. This is done by looking at each Animal board and calculating the number of points it awards based on the stones placed on it. Remember that the “Spirit Stone” doubles the points earned from the Animal board, and the Coyote does not stop a player from scoring points.
The player with the most points wins the game. If there is a tie, the player without the Coyote wins.
To learn more about Spirits of the Wild: Awakening, visit the game’s web page.
Final Word
The Child Geeks enjoyed the game a great deal, finding it easy to understand what each of their Spirit animals wanted and how to earn points. They also greatly appreciated the surprise of each stone being pulled and the thrill of completing Spirit animal requirements in the moment. According to one Child Geek, “The Coyote can be rough, but it is easy to move if you really want to. The hardest part of the game is simply making a choice. Either way, I always had fun.” Another Child Geek reported, “I really liked this game, and I really liked all the ghost animals. I had a lot of fun playing it!” When the Child Geeks took a vote, it was clear that Spirits of the Wild: Awakening really had their rapt and positive attention.
The Parent Geeks also enjoyed the game, finding it casual yet surprisingly deep when played against their partner. In all cases, the Parent Geeks praised the intuitive icons and theme, as well as the simple setup, play, and learning. According to one Parent Geek, “This was a delightful two-player game experience. Every aspect of it not only made sense but was enjoyable. I would play this again without hesitation.” Another Parent Geek said, “This is one of those games that was just as challenging, just as engaging, just as entertaining with my ten-year-old as it was with my husband. It’s a real gem.” When all the spirit animals had crossed over, the Parent Geeks took a vote and found the game to be truly divine.
The Gamer Geeks were most impressed, expressing admiration for the game’s replayability, balance, and its ability to remain strategic and tactical at all times. As one Gamer Geek put it, “This is a great example of a game that has taken into account the importance of keeping a two-player game similar to a seesaw. There will be downs, but there is always an up. Players are never trapped or cornered. I appreciate that they have a rule that allows players to note if they can’t take a legit move, but for the life of me, I don’t know how that could ever be. The game is just too perfectly balanced.” Another Gamer Geek said, “Fast, fun, and engaging. I enjoyed every moment of it. The theme is not of real interest to me, but the gameplay was a lot of fun.” When the last stone was placed and the points counted, the Gamer Geek’s vote clearly showed that Spirits of the Wild: Awakening was a true winner.
This was a fantastic game. From component quality to gameplay, it was pure quality. Not once was I ever bored or disengaged. Every turn was meaningful and exciting. Not all of my available actions were what I wanted, but the need to manage them like stones—a reliable, necessary resource—just made each turn all the more important and interesting. Truly, this game made me smile from start to stop.
I have nothing more to add. The Child, Parent, and Gamer Geeks hit all the right points, and I couldn’t have said it better.
Do try Spirits of the Wild: Awakening when your time permits. I believe you’ll find it to be a genuine delight!
This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.
