Small Islands (2018) Board Game

Small Islands is a board game released in 2018, designed by Aurélie Guarino. It falls under the categories of exploration, nautical, and territory building, with gameplay consisting of push your luck, solo/solitaire game, and tile placement mechanics. The game is suitable for 1 to 4 players, with a runtime of around 30 minutes and an age recommendation of 8 and above.

Game Components of Small Islands

Landscape Tiles: Feature various icons like temples, orange fruit, green leaf, pink flower, and anchors/ports.

Ship Tiles: Used for landing and ending the exploration phase.

Navigation Tile: Manages the face-down stack of Landscape Tiles.

Objective Cards: Secret cards with goals for each round.

House Tokens: Used for scoring points on islands.

Bonus Tokens: Double-sided tokens to cover unwanted icons on Landscape Tiles.

Prestige Tokens: For scoring points.

Discovery Tokens: Provide additional scoring opportunities.

Starting Tiles: With flying seagulls, used to create the initial landmass.

How To Setup Small Islands

To set up Small Islands, players start by choosing their player color and taking the corresponding Houses and Bonus tokens. The first player determines the placement of the four Starting Tiles, ensuring that islands connect and seas flow logically. The Landscape Tiles are shuffled and placed face down as a Reserve Stack. Three Landscape Tiles are drawn and placed face up beside the Navigation Tile. Each player receives two Landscape Tiles and one secret Objective Card. The remaining components, including Ship Tiles and Prestige Tokens, are placed within reach.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Preparation Phase: Draw six Landscape Tiles and place them face down on the Navigation Tile. Each player draws two new Objective Cards and chooses one for the current round, one for the next round, and discards the third.

Exploration Phase: Players draw a Landscape Tile and add it to the communal map, ensuring land and water connect correctly. They can use Bonus Tokens to cover icons. The phase ends when a player lands a Ship Tile.

Reward Phase: Players reveal their Objective Cards and place Houses on islands that meet the scoring criteria. Score points based on the Objective Card requirements.

Game Objective: The goal is to earn the most Prestige Points by placing Houses on islands that match the secret Objective Cards and by utilizing the Landscape Tiles effectively.

Player Experience

Small Islands offers a engaging and strategic experience, despite its simple rules. Players must balance exploring new islands with strategically placing their Houses to maximize their score. The game is highly replayable, thanks to the variety of Objective Cards and the different setups each game can have. It is particularly entertaining with the full player count of four, as it introduces more complexity and interaction among players. However, it remains enjoyable in solo mode, where the player competes against an AI opponent, Alexis Allard.

Pros

High Replayability: With numerous Objective Card combinations and an Advanced Mode, the game offers a lot of variety.

Strategic Depth: Simple rules but complex decision-making.

Solo Mode: A well-designed solo mode that challenges the player against an AI opponent.

Family-Friendly: Suitable for players aged 8 and above.

Cons

Luck Dependency: Some players find the game reliant on luck, particularly in tile draws.

Limited Houses: Players must manage their Houses carefully, as they are limited to four per round.

Complexity for New Players: While the rules are simple, the gameplay can be tricky for new players to grasp immediately.

Personal Thoughts on Small Islands

Small Islands is a solid and sleek tile-placement game that will appeal to both casual and experienced gamers. It is an excellent gateway game for those new to more complex tile-placement games like Carcassonne. The game’s high replayability and the inclusion of solo and advanced modes make it a valuable addition to any game collection. However, it may not be as strategic as some players expect, and the reliance on luck in tile draws can be a drawback. Overall, it is a fun and challenging game that encourages strategic thinking and adaptability.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more.