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Rules assistance for Small World: Necromancer Island
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 40–80 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.2/5
Rules assistant for Small World: Necromancer Island
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Small World: Necromancer Island is an expansion for Small World released in 2010 for 3–6 players, 40–80 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Philippe Keyaerts and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
Publisher blurb: A Small World Scenario for 3 to 6 players At first no one noticed the small island on the lake - nor paid any attention to the gnarly pretense of a man who drifted onto it, sitting astride a wooden log with a huge grimoire on his lap employing a shovel as his unlikely paddle. A ghastly green mist soon shrouded the island, wrapping it in a ghostly silence pierced only by a maniacal laughter and some intermittent curses. Then, one moonlit night, an impossibly crooked tower emerged high above the mist, casting a long and dark shadow on the surrounding land... The Necromancer had arrived! In Necromancer Island, one of the players assumes the role of a dreaded Necromancer who inhabits an island in the center of Small World's central Lake region. He captures the souls of all Race tokens lost to conquests, using them to progressively spawn Ghosts who invade the surrounding Regions. To make matters worse, his Powers grow as his reach across the land increases. If the Necromancer succeeds in bringing all of his Ghosts into play, anytime before the game's end, he wins!
Designers
Publishers
- Days of Wonder
Questions and answers
Small World: Necromancer Island supports 3–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Small World: Necromancer Island is 40–80 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Small World: Necromancer Island for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Small World: Necromancer Island has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Small World: Necromancer Island belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Territory Building. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Small World: Necromancer Island are: Philippe Keyaerts. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Small World: Necromancer Island as an expansion for Small World. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Small World to use it. Check that your edition of Small World is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.