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- BGG rating
- 7.2
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Rules assistance for Small World: Sky Islands
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 2.3/5
Rules assistant for Small World: Sky Islands
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Small World: Sky Islands is an expansion for Small World released in 2017 for 3–6 players, 40–80 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Philippe Keyaerts and T. Alex Davis and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
Small World: Sky Islands introduces seven new races and powers to the Small World base game, but it also gives those races — and all the previously released races — new territory in which to fight for control. At the start of play, place the Sky Islands game board so that it shows either two or three islands in the sky (your choice), then use the Small World game board as if you were playing with one fewer player, i.e., use the four-player board when playing with five players. Next, place access points to the Sky Islands — the beanstalk and the stairway — on different regions on the game board. Whenever a race stands on one of these access points, they can try to conquer the space on the sky islands that shows the matching symbol. Races can't start their conquests in the Sky Islands unless their power specifically allows them to do so. At the end of a turn, if you control all of the regions on a Sky Island, you gain one additional coin.
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby World
- Hobby Japan
- Rebel Sp. z o.o.
- Days of Wonder
Questions and answers
Small World: Sky Islands 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: Sky Islands 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: Sky Islands 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: Sky Islands has a complexity rating of 2.3 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: Sky Islands 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: Sky Islands are: Philippe Keyaerts and T. Alex Davis. 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: Sky Islands 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.