I spent yesterday evening at a friend's house and we had dinner and played a game he just bought. It's called Wingspan and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.
Wingspan is a unique and visually stunning board game that takes players on a journey into the world of birdwatching. With its innovative mechanics, beautiful artwork, and educational elements, and relative simplicity of mechanics, it's no surprise that Wingspan has the people around me all giving it a thumbs up. Here's a game that should cater to both board game enthusiasts and bird aficionados alike.
The game is designed for 1-5 players. There were 3 of us there and it worked beautifully. We spent about an hour and a half on it, which included a reading of the rules. After the first round, of 4, we had the rules down and could start strategizing and enjoying the game. The next time will run a lot quicker.
The first thing that stands out about Wingspan is really nice artwork. I don't usually put much stock into the artwork of a game and focus more on the mechanics but this game looks very good. The game features over 170 unique bird cards, each beautifully illustrated with detailed depictions of various bird species. The cards are not only visually appealing but also educational, as they include factual information about the birds' habitat, wingspan, and special abilities. The attention to detail in the artwork is truly remarkable and adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.
The gameplay in Wingspan is based on an engine-building mechanic, where players aim to create a synergistic combination of birds, habitats, and food sources to score points. The game is played over four rounds, and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
At the beginning of the game, each player is given a player board that represents a bird sanctuary, where they will play their bird cards. The game board features various habitats, including forests, grasslands, wetlands, and mountains, which serve as the backdrop for players' birdwatching adventures.
On their turn, players can take one of four possible actions: play a bird card, gain food, lay eggs, or draw new bird cards. These actions are represented by action cubes that players can place on their player board, which then triggers the corresponding action. The number of action cubes a player has is limited, and managing them strategically is key to success in Wingspan.
Playing bird cards is the heart of the game. Each bird card has a unique combination of special abilities, wingspan value, food requirements, and habitat preferences. Some birds may allow players to draw additional cards, gain food, lay more eggs, or score bonus points, among other things. The diversity of bird abilities adds depth and replayability to the game, as players can experiment with different strategies and combos to optimize their bird sanctuary.
To play a bird card, players need to meet its food requirements, which are indicated by symbols on the card. Food is represented by custom dice with different faces corresponding to different types of food, such as berries, insects, fish, and mammals/rodents. Players can obtain food by taking the "Gain Food" action, which allows them to collect food from the bird feeder. The Bird feeder is . Managing food resources efficiently is crucial, as it determines which birds players can play and how many actions they can take on their turn.
Another important aspect of Wingspan is egg-laying. Players can lay eggs on their bird cards to score points and activate special abilities. Eggs are limited in supply and are obtained by taking the "Lay Eggs" action, which requires players to spend food resources. Deciding when and where to lay eggs can be a strategic decision, as it can impact the overall scoring and engine-building potential of a player's bird sanctuary.
Drawing new bird cards is also a critical action in Wingspan. Players can draw from a shared bird card display or from a face-down deck. Drawing new birds not only expands a player's options for playing bird cards but also triggers the end-of-round scoring, where players can earn additional points. Drawing the right birds to play will account for the largest chunk of points you can score during the game if yesterday's game is anything to go by.
This game played amazingly well and easily for a first playthrough. I readily recommend it to most people. It's easy enough for beginners to enjoy but still offers multiple strategies for more seasoned players.
I'm definitely looking forward to my next game of Wingspan.
A link to Wingspan's Board game geek page
Links to previous reviews
Dune: Imperium
Tyrants of the Underdark
