wingspan game review

Well, let me tell ya ’bout this here game, Wingspan. My grandkids got it, and at first, I thought, “Birds? What in tarnation am I gonna do with birds?” But lemme tell ya, it ain’t just about birds. It’s kinda like… buildin’ your own little bird sanctuary, right in your livin’ room.

First off, there’s a whole mess of cards, like, a real heap of ’em. And each one’s got a different bird on it. Fancy birds, little birds, birds you ain’t never even heard of. Some of them are kinda pretty, gotta admit. You gotta collect these birds, see? And then you put ’em in your sanctuary, which is like, this board thing with different spots for ’em.

You gotta feed ’em, too. With worms and berries and such. It’s all pretend, of course, ain’t nobody got time to be diggin’ up worms.
And then, the birds lay eggs. Little bitty plastic eggs, mind you. But still, it’s kinda neat. You get points for the eggs, and points for the birds, and points for… well, all sorts of things, really.
It’s kinda complicated, gotta be honest. Took me a while to figure it all out. But once you get the hang of it, it’s kinda… fun. Yeah, fun. Even for an old lady like me.

Now, they say it’s a game you can play over and over again, ‘cause the cards are always different. And that’s true, I guess. Every time I play, it’s like, a whole new batch of birds. And you gotta figure out how to make the best of what you got. It ain’t always easy, lemme tell ya. Sometimes you get stuck with a bunch of birds that don’t do nothin’, and you just gotta sit there and watch while everyone else is gettin’ all the points. But that’s life, ain’t it? Sometimes you get the worm, sometimes you get the… well, you know.

They also say it’s a good game for people who don’t play a lot of games. And I guess that’s true too. It ain’t like those games with all the rules and whatnot, where you gotta be a lawyer to understand ‘em. Wingspan is pretty straightforward, once you get the hang of it. But it’s still got enough goin’ on to keep you interested. You gotta think, you gotta plan, you gotta… well, you gotta be a little bit lucky, too.

And speaking of luck, some folks say this game is about building an engine. Now, I ain’t no mechanic, so I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout engines. But I reckon what they mean is, you gotta set things up so that your birds are workin’ together, makin’ you points even when you ain’t doin’ nothin’. It’s like… plantin’ a garden, I guess. You plant the seeds, and then you water ’em, and then you wait. And if you’re lucky, you get a whole bunch of tomatoes. Or, in this case, birds and eggs.

So, would I recommend this here Wingspan game? Well, I reckon I would. It’s a good way to pass the time, specially on a rainy day when you can’t be out in the garden. And it’s kinda pretty, too, with all them birds and such. And it makes you think, which is always a good thing, even for an old lady like me. It ain’t the hardest game in the world, but it ain’t the easiest neither. It’s just… right. You know? Just right. And if you like birds, well, you’ll love it. Heck, even if you don’t like birds, you might still like it. It’s just a good, solid game. And that’s all there is to it.

So if you’re lookin’ for somethin’ new to play, somethin’ that ain’t too hard but ain’t too easy, somethin’ that’s got birds and eggs and all sorts of other stuff, well, then you might just wanna give Wingspan a try. You might be surprised. I know I was.

Now, where did I put my glasses? Can’t see a darn thing without ’em…

Tags: Wingspan, board game, card game, bird game, strategy game, engine building, family game, review, gameplay, replayability