Wingspan is not a Gateway Game | Wingspan and All Expansions reviewed
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- -------------------
Watch regularly and want to support? Wow have I got the link to click for you! - / roomandboard
One time donation here - tinyurl.com/DonateRoomandBoard
Crowdfunding Countdown Master Link List - docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
--------------------------------
Wingspan timestamps
00:00 Wingspan is not a gateway game
00:57 Wingspan isn’t as easy as it first seems
02:53 How to play Wingspan
07:01 Is Wingspan any good?
07:45 Wingspan - European Expansion
08:15 Wingspan - Ocenia Expansion
11:28 Wingspan - Asia Expansion
15:37 Which version of Winspan is better for 2 players only?
17:02 Should you buy Wingspan?
18:30 The learning curve is still somehow more than usual
20:20 Rating the expansions
21:40 Do you want a storage solution video?
--------------------------------
Media or collaboration inquiries? Send us an email : roomandboardreviews@gmail.com
--------------------------------
Want some sweet Room And Board merch?: room-and-board-merch-store.cr... (I've set the prices as low as they can go, so you get the same prices I do)
--------------------------------
Affiliate Links
--------------------------------
Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram @roomandboardreviews : / roomandboardreviews
Twitter: / rabreviews - บันเทิง
Wingspan was my second gateway game after Ticket to Ride. My sister, who is a board gamer, introduced me to both. Crucially though, I have a gaming background with video games and ttrpgs, so acclimating to board games just felt like a variation on that. For Wingspan, we also started with the digital version, which does a bunch of your work for you, and which helped. And I didn't know what I was doing right away, but I saw the potential. I ended up learning the game and playing that digital version by myself against AI a lot and knowing it very well. Then I got other games (physical and digital) and have tried playing them with my parents when I see them as my main people. And when I introduced the (physical) Wingspan to them they both struggled with it and I didn't understand why, because by that time I knew how it worked. And I hadn't played a lot of games still, so I thought that it was a good gateway game because it was for me. But in hindsight I think the biggest difference like I said is I was already a gamer, and they weren't. It's just a different background as it was easier for me to settle into the kind of mindset for it. The same thing happened with Pandemic. After this and having more exposure to a lot of other kinds of games I've had a lot of success with introducing them to things. They love Sushi Go Party and Ticket to Ride, they enjoyed Carcassonne, we've played Wavelength mostly successfully with a bunch of people, and they just tried and enjoyed High Society for the first time. There is a part of me that wants to move to more complex games, for myself, like Castles of Burgundy, Dune, Terraforming Mars, Root, etc. and I worry I won't get that with them, but I am enjoying the time playing the games we are playing and we are trying new things. And I do have other people I can play those kinds of games with, so it's okay if they never get to that point. I would love it if we got to a place where Wingspan and games of similar complexity clicked for them, though; that would be a nice happy medium for me.
Really great point! I find, especially as people get more into board gaming and more familiar with mechanisms they forget that not everyone has that shared language.
HOT TAKE! Funny thing about this is I used this as a gateway game for my sister and my dad. For my dad, didn't connect AT ALL. He was very turned off by it. However my sister, blew her mind and she dove into the hobby head first. She plays more than me now! I agree it's not the best gateway game, but for those that have brains meant for games, this could unlock the hobby for them.
Yeah it's a weird one, I definitely think there are those instances but there's just some people who just can't click with it the way one would want them to, to get that feeling your sister got. I guess a better title would be that it's not a Gateway game for everyone, but definitely agree if you're able to click with it, it'll go down so well
I imagine that if the theme doesn't click for you it won't be a particular great experience.
It tends to be a gateway game for a lot of birders....there are a LOT of people who have never really played serious games before but are very into birds who have gravitated to this game. So there's a whole sub-culture among birders (well-known as obsessive types) who are VERY into Wingspan...I was a serious gamer for many years before I became a serious birder, so for me it was a natural fit. I absolutely adore this game.
I started playing Wingspan about a year ago. I am a birder and that is what attracted me originally and why I enjoy the game so much. I used the Quick Start cards initially to teach myself. I have tried to teach some other people using the Quick Start and I think it is helpful but it takes awhile. Once I left out the end of round goals to simplify the game. Another time we only played 1 round since it was getting late and then did the scoring. I think the people got the idea, but haven’t had the chance to play with them again and I am not sure they were thrilled enough with the game to even want to play again. As a birder, I love thinking about how or why Elizabeth Hargreaves, the designer, came up with the specific action details of each species to correspond in some way with that bird in real life.
I played it once with my mom, she's in her 60s and isn't a big board game person. She didn't quite understand all of the nuances for getting points and stuff, but she knew she needed food and eggs to play cards, how (most) of the actions worked, etc. She seemed to have fun with it, but I agree it can be a bit difficult for some people. I think it's because there are so many different bird cards with different actions and a lot of different unintuitive ways to collect victory points.
This is SOOOOO well said. I got Wingspan very early in our collection and we were totally confused by it. It then sat looking beautiful as our shelves filled up around it. After two years (older kids, more sleep and lots more games played) we pulled it back out and gave it another try and LOVED it! I came here to find out about expansions and this video is excellent!
Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful and I'm glad you're finally enjoying it :)
Great insight - I love Wingspan so much. I shared this with my niece and she loved it too!
I watched this to try and decide which expansion to buy. We've been playing wingspan with our family- my husband and I are 49- we both like it, caught on quick. My teenagers really like it and we got 2 of their non- board gaming friends go play it. After the first 15 minutes of feeling intimidated they got into it.
I played it with my mid 30 year old non gamer sister and just like the teens, after the initial intimidation wore off, she enjoyed it.
Agreed. It's not a gateway. It's good for the next step up, after gateway games are feeling a bit too simple.
Wingspan was the game which brought me into the hobby (well, that and Pandemic) and I will always hold it close to my heart! So, for me, it was literally a gateway game. But in terms of "pick up and play" mechanics, I agree it is not as easy to teach as games like Ticket to Ride. I also find that the expansions (I have Europe and Oceania), while making the game more enjoyable, do add more complexity to the game and push the length of the game out to something longer than what some more casual players are willing to tolerate.
Wingspan is absolutely not a gateway game. It's a next-step game. I introduce friends to engine building with Speldor, and then Wingspan is the next step. Totally agree on Oceania, nectar is great, but balancing the board is the best feature. I only wish the art on the Oceania boards was as clean as the original boards. Definitely interested in an organizer video. The nesting box is obscenely large. It should never have been made bigger than a kallax cube. I would have been ok with a double-height box.
To be fair, it is meant to hold all present AND future expansions. If they plan to do every continent, that's a lot of content it will need to hold.
@@nathangray-bain8472 for sure, it's a lot of stuff. Just awkward box dimensions, it's too long for my shelves and the shelves of many others. Not sure why it wasn't more similar in dimensions to the Scythe legendary box.
Every thing is nice except little interactions between players
I would like to recommend some house rules
1) tucking bird by predator
Instead of using cards in hand
player can hunt a bird from any one
player ( but it should be once in round)
2) round goals tiles must picked by each player when round begins so player can think about how to stop other players making more points by looking after where the other players are week
3) when rolling dice for outside the bird feeder we can steal food from opponents if they have 2 same types of food
This way it would be more intense and more interesting more interactions
I got introduced to this and absolutely loved it on my first game. I just played with other friends who haven't played it and they all love it as well! Amazing game
Agree with you Chris, my wife loves Carcassone and Ticket to Ride and likes Catan with Seafarers expansion. She played Wingspan once and said it was above her level. Both my kids like it, but they will both play heavier games too. I think it's next-step after gateway like someone else said below. We just got Oceana expansion and we liked it and I agree about the new board. We will leave out the scoring of the nectar part next time though.
I'm not sure what to call myself, because I didn't know a lot of modern games and this motor build mechanic. Online it's easy to play and ''you'll figure it out.'' My first game I started with a forest build, laid the 5 down, and scratched my head. Where was my bonus for a full row? I confused the top and the middle eggs so I had no idea what to pay or why I was only getting the minimum amount of eggs and cards. Had no idea why I was gettting so much food. Also had no idea when the skills got activated. After the first game it was really not very hard. Once you understand these basics it's just about learning the cards and choosing your combo's, like any game really. (Though the location you pick is an important nuance.) Happy to hear about Oceania, because the pacing of the base game feels pretty bad. I'm used to longer games, so it usually feels I've barely done anything and then it's time to... just lay eggs. I am not so impressed with the European expansion because it feels like a deck of cards in a massive box. Of course as a European you kind of have to get it, because you can't seriously have a bird game without a kingfisher. You will all understand.
I wasn't a big fan of boardgames until I played Wingspan. So it definitely can work as a Gateway game though I think for me it was mostly because I absolutely love birds so I went into the game expecting to fall in love with it (and I did) from the get go. The first experience with Wingspan was a bit overwhelming because there is so much to take in at first glance (birds and their abilities, food dices and plates, bonus cards, end of round missons, eggs, habitats, ...) so I definitely see why you wouldn't recommend this to "newcomers". The singleplayer Automa mode is pretty fun as well!
I tried wingspan for the first time with my girlfriend not too long ago! Can't believe we never looked into this game before. I would agree that it can be difficult to put it down as a gateway game. The game can be confusing with certain rules, but I was thinking maybe if some mechanics were removed/put aside, maybe I could introduce the game as more of an introductory game. Like the cards-you-put-under-birds mechanic, or even the end-of-round scoring tracks, those could be put away for the first game with new players.
Essentially deconstruct the game a bit, then add more birds with special abilities and other ways to score for later games :).
Yeah I think that's a great idea, figuring out what causes the most trouble and making it more palatable is smart - that's why so many games have the "family version" in their rules. Just doing a variant like that for your group might be a great way to go.
Yes, you described great approach of houseruling games to make them easier at first few plays for newcomers. I like to use this approach myself whenever I am introducing most games to my family members.
Awesome video and extremely useful review! Thank you very much for making it. I subscribed and will be taking a look at your other videos.
I love Wingspan, though I play it exclusively digitally and solo (against 3 computer players). This is my go to, relaxing cozy game perfect for my brain and tastes.
I am definitely now going to buy digital version of Oceania expansion for fixes of egg strategy and easier earlier food acquiring. I look forward to even greater enjoyment of it, knowing that those little problems I have been having with Wingspan base game have been solved. I literally can't wait!
Awesome! Yeah I hope you have a great time with it, it's a really great change to an already good base
I'll probably wait for a Big Box before hopping in... you answered this question while I was typing.
Very rarely do I find expansions literally essential, perhaps only for FGG products such as Imperial Assault, those ones practically being core games. My most loved expansions would be the two for Champions of Midgard and the two for Raiders of the North Sea.
I do, however, find your channel essential for newcomers into the hobby, as well as soothing and thought-provoking for those who've been gaming for a while.
Thank you for being around!
I've recently heard great things for Raiders of the North Sea expansions, I have yet to play the base game but it's on my list. I'm excited by what I see for Scholars of the South Tigris though because I enjoy dice manipulation.
And thanks :) that's very nice of you to say
@@RoomandBoardReviews Can we imagine that I hearted that back?
What are your thoughts on Unmatched? There's a solo / cooperative variant planned to be launched on kickstarter on the 23 this month. Seeing that as an expansion which allows for a different game-mode, I'm personally super hyped.
This might just make it into your 5 reasons not to back section, haha.
@@dannyteoharov8298 I've only played one instance of unmatched and there are a lot of positive things about the system, but the two characters that faced off against each other didn't seem to be well... Matched... It was bullseye and Luke Cage at an Origins demo, and while I enjoyed myself being Luke Cage and just demolishing Bullseye without a chance of him doing anything. But I like the line of sight and the variable decks, I just think I might like Dice Throne better as that 2 player head to head style, but need to play more unmatched for sure. I worry the co-op or campaign might also get too far away from its roots and what it does, those are my initial considerations (and will likely be points if it crosses the million haha)
@@RoomandBoardReviews Thanks a lot for answering, and for the food for thought! I hadn't thought about solo / coop making the game too different. Just simply didn't cross my mind in that sense, since it does play great at 4 and there will be villains which won't be, I imagine, playing that much differently to the player characters as regarding card manipulation for resources or combat purposes. The biggest draw for me is getting those more easily daunted by the conflict in the game people to play it and discover personal love for more characters. And that ties into what you said exactly about the balancing among characters, there being better and worse match-ups for all of them. This sounds like it will sort of remove all the frustrating elements of the system.
I found your video looking for reviews and buyer guids for Wingspan. I needed to know and see specifically how people of different boardgame backgrounds would respond to its mechanics. In particular because I will probably in multilingual environments so getting an English or localised copy can only work for everybody if the game flow is intuitive. My own game will suffer from explaining and half-playing other's boards but I'm willing to try it out.
I feel I have a pretty good idea of it all now. Still hoping to meet more people to test my hypotheses!
I introduced a couple friends and my mom to this game who had never played board games. They were a little put off the first game we played but the next day they were asking to play again and we’re very into it and now they wanna play all the time.
A very accurate assessment of wingspan😊
I think the only thing hard about the game is that there is a bit too much to keep up with. The game mechanics themselves are pretty simple, but you need to move your action cubes, roll and re-set dice, remember turn and round card activations, monitor round goals and there is ALOT to read on each card while all this is going on. I think it's the kind of new game you go into with one person who knows it well enough to explain things as you go, or you play two-player and figure it out as you go.
European also adds some variety to the round scoring goals. After a few plays the base game ones become a bit booring and samey
That's a good point, but I don't know if that's worth buying a whole new expansion if you don't want the extra cards - you could just home-brew the new goals - if one was to play devil's advocate.
Your insert making is an inspiration, definitely would like seeing that. Or any videos for your home brew storage for popular games. Why can’t companies just do inserts right?!?! Don’t even get me started on massive boxes with components that only take up a quarter to half the box!
Thanks! That'll give me the motivation to getting around to figuring it out :)
Hi Chris! I'm totally legit new viewer to the channel and came by it because the youtube algorithm recommended you somehow after my numerous searches for the one and only board game I've ever played that sets the standard for board gaming excellence: The Night Cage!
I found that, from your description, Wingspan had a few Night Cage vibes but I find it needs more keys and more darkness.
Also, in debating which version to get between Wingspan (the base game) and Wingspan Asia, you mentioned that the difference between the two is "not that significant" and "only a $20 difference". Having gone back to watch your previous videos, I'm assuming that the original Chris is dead and you're an imposter wearing his face.
Anyway, thanks for the entertaining review and the classic Mandy Patinkin clip!
Ahahah, that's true, also with all these birds where are the cages?! Basically a Night Cage spinoff!
I also think that this represents that Terminator meme "your foster parents are dead". But I guess my recommendation is for the OG wingspan over Asia. I think you get more bird variety and the option to play with more players is nice to have, because I think it works well at all player counts (even if there is a little more downtime at a 5 player). But if you exclusively play 2 players, want to save a bit of money and also if you like more friendly games (the birds in Asia tend to benefit everyone a lot more than the base game), then Asia would be the pick.
European expansion has some of my favorite birds. Those end of round blue birds can be extremely powerful
I've only introduced Wingspan to two people. They had previous experience with some co-op games from Target, like Horrified and Jaws. They're pretty quick to pick things up and they got it without much effort and fell in love with it. I then introduced them to Parks. They're very naturey people. I like to think of gateway in terms of how it progresses and what builds upon what. In that regard, what do you think would be a good pre-cursor to Wingspan?
A lot of people just kinda have a mind for games. We hd two new friends come over for the first time a month ago and they were were smitten by Vast, so we pulled it out and the game went pretty smooth all said
Yeah this is a tough one, I think any engine builder could do the trick, for my parents in particular they kept not understanding all the brown powers or even to activate them, so having an engine builder under their belt like Splendor or something similar might help that issue. I'm really not sure though, I'm going to keep thinking on it.
Yes please!!!! I want to see a storage solution for all expansions! 😃
Great video, and a pretty fair analysis of Wingspan.
I got into modern games 2 years ago. It was Ticket to Ride that did it for me. About half an hour in, it clicked & then it was so much fun. Same thing with Catan, then Carcassonne, then Pandemic. Then I got sucked in... and bought Wingspan. I've had it for a year & half now, and I still can't wrap my head around it. I love birds, I'm a relatively clever guy & I love board games... but there's something about Wingspan that no matter how hard I try & no matter how much I want to play it, I just can't figure out the game. I've tried every TH-cam video explaining it & even playing a video game version of it - nothing works for me. I don't know why I'm doing the things I have to do to play. And I fear having to sell it on soon...
You may want to try out playing on boardgamearena.com - I think they have it over there. The games will go quicker and you can practice against people, plus with it being automated it will tell you what you can and can't do - although I sometimes find playing board games online to be a bit frustrating because sometimes it doesn't show you all that's being automated. But that will help give you more hands on experience and something might click. Just focus on the goals/objectives and the points on the birds as something to target and forget about the rest, so you'll start choosing powers that help you build more birds efficiently, that might help with getting the hang of it.
@RoomandBoardReviews Hey thanks for the great suggestion! I was sceptical at first... but after spending almost 2 hours on the tutorial, I actually think I sort of get it. 😮 Maybe there's hope for me yet... 😂 Much appreciated!
I am a newer player, and I have been wanting to try it. I think this has properly set my expectations for this game. We have a game shop near by that loans games and so I was thinking that would be a good chance to try it. Does the base game work well at two players? I am not sure if they loan the Asia expansion.
Base game is great for two! Asia just adds a new layer on.
Yeah base game is totally good for new players, I've played it a lot at 2 and would still recommend starting there at 2 even now that Asia exists
So you’ve got the upgraded tokens for your amazing Wingspan game right?
I’ve only played the base game and only solo, which is great. I plan on getting Oceania in the near future due to this review.
Haha stonemaier is so quality that I would never even consider needing to upgrade them haha.
Oceania is really great, I have no doubt you'll enjoy it. Not sure how the nectar will impact solo, but I think being able to ramp up more with those 2 dice opens up what you can do.
Got Asia just yesterday. After waiting too long for my FLGS to get it in stock, I broke down and went to a different FLGS.
I'm a board game nut and wingspan is far and away the game my wife and I play the most.
Europe is mostly more of the same. Nothing daring or risky, just more birds with some light twists on existing mechanics. Round-end powers are fun and impactful and the birds that give you a bonus action for doing all 4 action types do a great job of rewarding a more diverse action style instead of using bird powers to replace the need to ever use an action.
Nectar ruins Oceania for us. The downside of expiration is only a downside if you can't plan ahead two turns and the upsides of wild food and bonus points are immensely powerful. That said, the Oceania boards are far more action-balanced than the base ones. Prairie desperately needed a nerf and the gentle buffs to forest and wetlands bring the habitats and action options much more into alignment. Only needing one bird to get two cards or two food is a game changer and reducing the egg spam helps to tone down the dominance of prairie-based engines.
We recently picked up Asia and as we primarily play with just us, the duet mode has been wonderful. Our games have been much closer in score with less runaway games. The push-your-luck birds are fun to play with and the return of game-end powers makes them more likely to be relevant.
Wingspan is always a favorite with family/friends. If I can teach my fiancé's parents to play it, I can teach anyone. I think I might be the only one in my playgroups who is less excited to play it, but I'll take any board game plays I can get
is there an insert video already?
To your point, I believe I was introduced to Wingspan around six months after getting into the hobby and after I had played (and in some cases easily grasped) games such as Jaws of the Lion, Caverna, A Feast for Odin, Robinson Crusoe, Great Western Trail, Hadrian’s Wall, and a few other heavier games. And I still struggled to grok a couple aspects in Wingspan the first play or two. I did teach it to my mostly non-gamer wife though and she picked it up pretty quick, it’s one of the few games she actually requests to play with any regularity and probably tied with Viticulture for her favorite game.
Also a hot take - I like what Oceania added but absolutely hate the nectar addition because it’s warping and turns the game into a race to accumulate and spend as much of it as possible. Original birds weren’t balanced around a wild resource existing (to my knowledge) so it makes some of those harder-to-play birds trivial, nectar’s drawback isn’t much of a deterrent at all, and the cherry on top is you get rewarded for using a resource that makes the game easier (imo you should be penalized, not rewarded, for using nectar).
well said mate. I don't hate it but I might only want to play it sometimes.
I agree with what you are saying though. Also the fact nectar expires at the end of every round doesn't weaken its influence that much because it's pretty easy to spend when you can dump it on any bird or discard it to get extra resources from some habitats
I agree that Wingspan shouldn't be considered a gateway game in the sense of Ticket to Ride or Splendor- but I also wouldn't write it off entirely for filling that kind of niche. You're right, it's not a game for your dad who has never touched a board game before. However, I've taught Wingspan successfully to both my mother (who grew up with classic board games) and my best friend (who has played video games since he was a child). Neither had trouble learning the game.
I saw somebody online describe Wingspan as "Gateway+", and I think that's fairly apt. (Although, even Twilight Imperium can be a gateway game if you're really invested into learning- board game weight isn't math. It's not like having to master algebra before taking calculus.)
So, as always, just know your audience when you bring a game out and you'll probably be okay.
Literally while I was watching this video during the (justified) rant about the rulebook, I get an email for the update to the aberration campaign! They just added a draft rulebook 😂 they watched the video 💯
Better late than never but still mostly too late for a lot of possible buyers who checked out the page and passed on it already.
Just played for the first time and said the same thing! What’s to stop you from spamming eggs last round…. It’s a bit boring… will def get the expansion having seen this 👌
I mean, a gateway to poverty is still a gateway Chris
Oh I have to disagree! We used to play “Scrabble” and a simple dice game called “Kniffel” (we ´re from Germany 😉) all the time and Wingspan was the game that brought us deeper into the hobby (8 months ago)! Well: at first we got Cascadia and the next step was Wingspan and we still love both of the games! We played Living Forest as well, but we found it was too boring….. For us Wingspan was definitely a gateway game to Viticulture and games of Uwe Rosenberg: Sagani, Agricola and Glasroad! Wingspan will definitely be one of my all-time-favourite games!❤
Perfectly reasonable. Having now finally played it and seeing the joy of the game. It really needs some finessing for new gamers. I mean you could do it as long as you're willing to just throw the game aspect to the wind. I've brought in new people with some times where I just fudge the rules or just do the mechanics for them sometimes. For them it can still be a really fun experience and they'll learn how to do everything themselves later. Wingspan I think it kinda like that. It's beautiful to look at but playing it is more difficult.
Agreed, Wingspan is a next level game. It's got too much depth to be gateway, especially new gamers or first timers will not come close to winning. There's lots to pay attention to to do well on the first game. So, an experienced player should always win vs. Noobs. Depending on the person, this could turn them off. After Wingspan, I'd suggest Everdell for another step up in difficulty with a similar feel, but flipping Wingspans ramp down in "workers", you get more as you progress. Love both those games, evergreens for my household.
I introduced my sister to this and she is now a part time gamer
I introduced this to my brother and he took to it quickly and now loves the game. However he is a faster learner than most I know so I can totally agree this isn’t the best gateway game
I would get Wingspan Asia if there was a Swedish version. As a Swede, I understand English very well. However, my parents would honestly prefer a Swedish language version, as they would understand much better.
I have used wingspan as a gateway game- But I can guarantee it worked mostly because the people I showed it to love birds xD Otherwise I have other games I introduce people to
It was my gateway game
I enjoy wingspan but its not really that well balanced. Some goals are much harder to achieve but don’t necessarily give a lot more points. The bird cost vs what the bird provides isn’t always balanced either.
Bad dice rolls can make it super hard to get things running. Particularly if you get all big cost birds, or no forest birds. Plenty of birds are only worth playing in the early game. Some birds are highly dependent on player count ( pink cards) making their cost unbalanced. Really hoping Wyrmspan fixes some of the problems.
Lol wing span was the gateway board game for me wife and I.
You're parents enjoy Puerto Rico? I like them already.
I haven't played Wingspan yet.
I think it's something every gamer should play. Mechanically it's so solid
I think wingspan is a simple game for people in the hobby - which is why they think it's a gateway game. It definitely isn't.
It's a complicated game compared to what someone not in the hobby would be used too. If you think about an obvious example like monopoly - none of the pieces get used for multiple things, everything has one use, there are very few (if any) exceptions to the rules.
Wingspan has cards with multiple costs (food and eggs) and conditions - the cards can be discarded for other cards, you have cards that talk about tucking cards. You get vp for eggs, for birds, for meeting end of round conditions, for tucked cards, for special objectives.
It's just, much more layered. Most birds have a special rule of some kind, when played, every round, at the end of the game, or what have you - it's full of exceptions.
It's a good game, and an elegant game, but not an accessible game to people that are used to board games being something for kids.
I have it on good authority that the bird is the word....
Respectfully, I completely disagree with your take on the 6-7 player wingspan. Yes, you're essentially splitting the game into to simultaneously played games, but that works great for bringing down the time of the rounds. We play it with family and the key is to ensure the similarly skilled players are sitting opposite each other (i.e. taking their turns at the same time). You dont want a skilled player who has planned their next 5 turns opposite gran who is spending their time thinking about the time she saw Pukekohe's on her holiday to New Zealand.
Heard of wingspan but never played it. Looking to jump in via Asia.
I think engine builders are inherently not great gateway games.
Love to hear of an example that invalidates my point!
400th like❤
I'd say it's a gateway game, but not for people who don't like Euros. And unfortunately it's too late midway through the teach by the time you find out. It's got beautiful art, but is very dry and mechanical. It is only...4 different things that you can do though. And any text that people don't understand is easily explained. I made the mistake of playing with a couple people who forget rules for any game we play, even if we've played it 20 times. We got through it, but it was a slog. If they can do it anyone can
So I have mixed feelings on Wingspan. I keep hearing it's the next Catan, in the way that it gets a huge amount of people into the hobby. I do find that hard to believe because it is very different from the "classic" games, and its pretty difficult. I would 100% not pull Wingspan out to introduce people to games. My partner and I have Earth. We've played it quite a bit before trying Wingspan. She does not like Wingspan and doesn't get the hype. I can see why some people may like the tightness around the resources and number of actions...but I often find myself not wanting to take any actions because they're all underwhelming. That does not feel good, especially cause most other games make you feel like you want to do ALL your options. I will not play this with 4 or 5 people, but I like it enough to play it otherwise.
Disagree. I had people with no bard game experience play Wingspan. I thought it would be way over their head. It was. Then they bought their own copy and continued down the board gaming path. Despite it being more difficult than other gateway games, and a lot of pressure on the teach, it's usually more interesting and theme more welcoming to new players than dry themes like trains/building.
Meh, it was for my family
Where have you been keeping Editing, Chris? He is a way better TH-camr than Less Blurry and more Interesting-Looking Chris, plus he has a plant.
He is generally not allowed out in public, I try and keep him behind closed doors. People would be scared of they found out what number clone he was.
Mandy patinkin, struggling by himself with the rules, is not a good example of what makes this not a good gateway game. Where is the person teaching this game to him? Most of the games that you listed as good gateway games would not be good gateway games if people had to teach themselves.
The full clip is filmed by his son trying desperately to teach the game, and hoping that the Swift Start, which is added specifically in Wingspan for hands on learners to help teach the game, will do its job. I've tried the Swift Start on numerous new players and they tend to get overwhelmed by the text and the additional language used.
Personally I've taught hundreds of games in my lifetime, and have found Wingspan is always difficult to teach effectively because I usually hit numerous instances of confusion. I was also hoping the Swift Start would fix that, and have tried it on literally everyone now who I teach Wingspan to for research purposes, and it has never made my job easier.
In comparison, Ticket To Ride has essentially one page of rules, 3 actions you can do on your turn with no additional complication to them. I stand by this being a significantly better Gateway Game than Wingspan. Catan you roll dice, get stuff, and have a sheet that tells you what you can spend your stuff on. Also significantly easier to understand, because it's less complicated.
The added complications of Wingspan help make the game interesting and great, but aren't there to serve new players, they're there to make it interesting to gamers.
Yeah it is really not that hard, cmon
I got my brother and sister in law into gaming with the following sequence: pickomino --> wingspan --> frosthaven. #happylife
I started playing Wingspan about a year ago. I am a birder and that is what attracted me originally and why I enjoy the game so much. I used the Quick Start cards initially to teach myself. I have tried to teach some other people using the Quick Start and I think it is helpful but it takes awhile. Once I left out the end of round goals to simplify the game. Another time we only played 1 round since it was getting late and then did the scoring. I think the people got the idea, but haven’t had the chance to play with them again and I am not sure they were thrilled enough with the game to even want to play again. As a birder, I love thinking about how or why Elizabeth Hargreaves, the designer, came up with the specific action details of each species to correspond in some way with that bird in real life.
I started playing Wingspan about a year ago. I am a birder and that is what attracted me originally and why I enjoy the game so much. I used the Quick Start cards initially to teach myself. I have tried to teach some other people using the Quick Start and I think it is helpful but it takes awhile. Once I left out the end of round goals to simplify the game. Another time we only played 1 round since it was getting late and then did the scoring. I think the people got the idea, but haven’t had the chance to play with them again and I am not sure they were thrilled enough with the game to even want to play again. As a birder, I love thinking about how or why Elizabeth Hargreaves, the designer, came up with the specific action details of each species to correspond in some way with that bird in real life.
I started playing Wingspan about a year ago. I am a birder and that is what attracted me originally and why I enjoy the game so much. I used the Quick Start cards initially to teach myself. I have tried to teach some other people using the Quick Start and I think it is helpful but it takes awhile. Once I left out the end of round goals to simplify the game. Another time we only played 1 round since it was getting late and then did the scoring. I think the people got the idea, but haven’t had the chance to play with them again and I am not sure they were thrilled enough with the game to even want to play again. As a birder, I love thinking about how or why Elizabeth Hargreaves, the designer, came up with the specific action details of each species to correspond in some way with that bird in real life.