Over 900 species of birds are native to North America and just under a fifth of these take flight in designer Elizabeth Hargrave’s optimisation game Wingspan; from the red-bellied woodpecker to the purple gallinule. Attracting a bird to your aviary means you can play the corresponding card to the correct habitat area for that bird. Each area is linked to one of the game’s basic actions, which are activated with each new bird introduced there. So attracting a bird to the grasslands will start the egg-engine running. Players are also competing with their opponents in various categories: which player has the most birds who lay eggs in ground nests? Which player has the most birds in the grasslands? The beautifully-detailed Wingspan will bring joy to everyone, not just bird-lovers.
Board games and bird watching – hardly the most thrilling combination? Not at all! Wingspan has a beautiful plumage, with no rumpled feathers in sight. The theme is lovingly presented and the production is precise: the designer Elizabeth Hargrave has created an almost seamless complete work of art. Simple game mechanics, an uncomplicated turn structure and fast-paced important decisions make Wingspan a real high-flyer.
