Horizons of Spirit Island, which is co-designed and developed by Reuss and GTG's Christopher Badell, came about following a request by U.S. retail chain Target for "a lighter standalone version of Spirit Island". Reuss and GTG instead developed this standalone game that features the core mechanisms of Spirit Island, but with a new double-sided game board for a streamlined set-up, punchboard components that would lower the retail price of the game, and five new Spirits designed to be ideal for those playing a Spirit Island game for the first time.