Wingspan is a bird-collection, engine-building building game for 1-5 players. It takes the three of us about an hour to play. The box states it is for players aged 10+, but Maci has been playing it since she was 8 with no problem. (She even holds the high point record in our house!)
In Wingspan, players are bird enthusiasts adding birds to their collection. On a player’s turn, they can take one of four actions.
- Play a bird card from your hand
- Gain food and activate forest powers
- Lay eggs and activate grassland powers
- Draw bird cards and activate wetland powers
Each bird can have a variety of powers associated with it. Pink powers activate once between turns. Brown powers activate with the habitat they are in. Powers that activate when a card is played do not have a color associated with them.
Throughout the game, you will add to your collection and score points for round goals between the rounds. At the end of the game, players score victory points on a point sheet for bird cards, bonus cards, round-end bonuses, eggs, cached food, and tucked cards.
The Dad Review
I have to give a shout out to Elizabeth Hargrave, designer of this game for educating me on a topic I would’ve never researched before. Because of this game, every time we go to a zoo with an atrium, I actually want to stay and look at all the birds. Which is enjoyable for me, but drives Maci crazy. She would rather zoom through to check out the gorilla exhibit, which is fair. At the age of 9, if my dad would have wanted to stop and look at birds, I would’ve tried to sneak off or hurry through as well. Hargrave does have a new game coming up called Mariposa about butterflies. If it’s like Wingspan, I guess I’ll be into butterflies as well. Never thought I’d say that… moving on.
This game has a lot going on for it and I do believe it earns its high ranking on BGG. The components are sweet, the cards have a nice finish to them, even the rulebook is quality and I usually don’t care about the paper quality of a rulebook. The bird feeder as a dice tower is genius.
Gameplay
Let’s talk about gameplay. It’s fun, and this is the one engine builder I really enjoy and will play anytime. The cards make sense depending on where you play them, if it’s a water bird you’re playing it in the water. The gameplay length is actually not too bad. We even have a rule that when you place a bird, you read the fact about that bird that’s printed on the bottom. For example, I found a bird that pukes on itself to avoid danger. I now know what I’ll do if someone tries to rob me. Yeah I’ve turned into a bird nerd and I’m not afraid to share it. Though I’m sure Ang and Maci might not want to know every bird fact I come across.
This game has grown on Maci and she will play it, just not more than twice in a row, which I get. The only negative I see is that the price can sometimes skyrocket because it’s hard to find copies online. My neighborhood gaming store has trouble getting it, which is a bummer since we like to support locally when possible. I actually got this copy at Bed Bath and Beyond with a coupon. So if you want to get it, you might just need to get creative. All in all, it’s a great game and I’d love to chat more but I think I just saw a sparrow fly by my window, so I’m going to grab my binoculars and check it out.
Overall, I rank Wingspan a 10/10
The Mom Review
Wingspan is a favorite of mine. The components of the game are on-point. I love the little eggs, the quality of the paper the cards are printed on, and the detail that went into the bird journals (player mats). The organizational components are also perfect. I adore the little plastic boxes that hold the food and eggs. Not only do they hold the pieces nicely for storage, they are perfect for keeping the play area neat and organized. The birdfeeder dice roller is such a cute, whimsical touch!
Every part of this game was so clearly thought out and developed to keep the theme intact. For example, the power of each bird coincides with at least one feature of the bird in nature. Predators hunt other birds and the cards are tucked and kept for victory points at the end of the game. The food required to play a bird is realistic to what that bird will actually eat. Each bird card also shows a nest type and maximum number of eggs that nest can hold.
One component I really appreciate both as a mom and a teacher is the geograpic and factual information about each bird at the bottom of the card.
All of these extra touches really make this game something special!
Aside from all the amazing components, Wingspan is such an enjoyable game to play. It feels very low-key and chill, and I like that I can just do my thing without being attacked by Jake. Sure, there are a few cards which can let him benefit from my actions, but there is nothing in this game that lets him come in and just ruin what I have built. Although I don’t often win this game, I do feel successful because I have accomplished so much while playing.
Overall, I give Wingspan a 10/10. I am always willing to play and often, I am the one suggesting it.
The Kid Review
I like Wingspan. It is a fun game. I like the birds because they look good and they let you do certain things. For example, there are some cards that let you do things at the end of the round. Other birds let you do things when you go and get food. Some powers on a bird let you do the action right away. I also like getting food to build the birds and getting eggs to lay on the birds. I also like the end of round goals. It is fun working towards those goals.
There is one thing that I don’t like. When I have everything filled up in one row, I sometimes forget and I get mad because it’s a really good card and I have all of the eggs and food for it and I can’t place it.
In conclusion, I will give Wingspan 9/10. I like it, but I don’t want to play it over and over again.
Overall Impressions
Overall, this game is a hit at our house. Our average rating amongst us is a 10/10!