This is why I am a patron and will be for some time to come. You're the first reviewer I've heard say anything remotely negative about this game. From what I've seen and heard it is in fact a great game that is fun for many age ranges and group types but it's not flawless. I'm really glad that you gave it the honest look.
Yeah, I try to give every game pros and cons as not every game is for every person, and so people can be informed. Wingspan has a lot going for it, but it also has those things i mentioned which will not work for some people. As always, honesty is the best policy.
The +ve bias may be due to its commercial success in drawing new gamers and boosting the trend of different themes from conventional (fantasy, trade, medieval) -- more choices and revenue --everyone wins 😊
Overall though, the gameplay was not my favourite. I think this is an excellent game with really broad appeal, but it's not one I will be returning to over and over again for its gameplay. Definitely one I would use with people new to the hobby and as a talking point about what modern game themes can be and how well produced a game can be. But i found my own experience, being someone who loves very chunky engine builders, that I wanted more control over my card draws. More faceup cards for example, would likely have made the game work better for me individually.
That's about my take. I've won twice without engine building as I didn't draw the right birds. I wish it was SdJ winner not kenner as its light. Which is a criticism of SdJ not this of course.
@@jonathanpickles2946 Yes but I do think Just One deserved the SdJ. At least it wasn't backwards like it was last year (Azul won the SdJ, Quacks of Quedlinberg won the Kennerspiel). I'm an advocate for them creating a new category for Expertspeil for heavy weight games (experts vs "connosiers") now that the Amerigame hybridization of Euros is in full force. For instance, I think there are better Stefan Feld entries for the Kennerspiel than Carpe Diem, but they weigh too much to stand a chance (it lost to Wingspan this year).
I've been dismissive of this game since it came out, mostly because I already have and love Terraforming Mars and don't want a lesser engine builder. I can definitely see the biggest downer for me being the limited cards to draw from. Do you have a favorite engine builder/what is it?
Another great video, thank you. The compact, but incredibly dense, nature of your videos makes them very informative and watchable. Thank you, and I know you'v probably heard this a million times, but the alternate recommendations at the end of the video is an inspired idea. Don't stop!
Looked this up because I saw it in the library and thought it looked gorgeous. That particular flycatcher is my favorite small bird as well, so I'd honestly just buy it for my coffee table hahah
I like how Wingspan has objective cards that tell you the percent likelihood of the relevant cards showing up. More games should copy this. I wonder if the focus on North American birds will end up just leaving itself open to an expansion. It's obvious that the creator and publisher didn't conceive of its popularity when they first took a gamble on it in 2016 (they only printed 10k copies in its first print run). They'd have to provide updated percentages on the cards though.
I believe they are already talking about the possibility of other bird expansions. Which is why I am campaigning for NZ birds to be in there already :)
@@3MBG I think they've stated a desire to do an expansion for every other continent (So, South America, Africa, Oceanasia, Europe and Asia - I'm just going to guess that there was an implied 'except antarctica' in there)
It would be cool to adapt this to NZ birds or even endangered world wife birds. I like games with an educational edge to them. Nice review as always. Makes sense why this is so hot right now, a lot to love.
Jamey is visiting NZ soon, and i've strongly recommended he go to Zealandia. And they are planning on doing birds from different continents as expansions, and Zealandia is now a continent :)
I can happily report that the Kererū is in the Oceania Expansion, though the factoid is only: “This large fruit eating pigeon also eats flowers and leaves.” I’ll be sure to tell my friends that it was voted New Zealand’s bird of the year and that it gets drunk off of fruit.
Language dependency meter - should you pick a copy in another language? 2/5p Icon/colour/number dependent, text dependent, reading dependent - 0.5p Minimal private information / Minimal verbal communication - 0p Available rule book in different languages - 1p Zero cultural/political aggression - 1p Multiple modern mechanisms - (-0.5)p The main issue is with birds special abilities. There are so many of them, with some privately held, that any solution will probably hinder the joy of the game.
I really enjoy solo Wingspan. I have played probably 20 games of it and still try to beat my high score of 94. For how easy it is to teach or learn it sure gives quite a bit of depth in terms of strategy.
Definitely still one of our favorite games to introduce to new gamers or gamers that are new to engine building. We finally decided to try out Terraforming Mars because of the latest Kickstarter expansion, now just waiting for it to arrive.
I know I'm late to the video, but I just want to throw this up for anyone who is just discovering Wingspan. Get the Oceania expansion. It comes with a new board that nerfs egg laying, stopping every last round from just being a mad dash to have the most eggs.
Fantastic overview of the game.. I didn't get all the rules, but I never do the first read/view. So 3 minute board games are the best videos to watch for me.
I like this game quite a bit. I love the theme and production and think the mechanics work pretty well. It is also really accessible to people who aren't full gamers. I can easily bring this to the table at a family gathering where I might struggle to do the same with something like Terraforming Mars (which is a better game, in my opinion). One note is that, while there are a ton of birds and so it seems pretty random what your going to get each game and thus random whether you are going to be able to develop a strategy or not, a lot of birds are essentially copies of other birds in the way they play out. So mechanically there isn't as much variety or randomness as it initially seems so you can do some anticipating and strategy. I probably give this one an 8/10 (probably 7.5/10 on mechanics and gameplay but bumped to 8 because it is easy to get to the table, production value, and solo mode which I always appreciate).
Good review. Love the Mallard joke! 😉 Potential for expansions seem evident. I'm keen to play but I'm not sure about where it sits on my purchasing priority list.
I just caught myself going to your vids before turning to any more traditional reviewers. You channel is really a blessing to the boardgamers around the world. All the best!
I am curious about your opinion after the 2nd expansions. It changed most of the cons, the biggest change is that we have not had a single “lay eggs” final round(s) since then.
Rewatching as I'll need to learn the game, cause I have to keep my word, I said I'd get the game when an OCE expansion comes out. Really looking forward to it.
pros: educational beautiful cards, relaxing ☺️ solo / multi-player. cons: random resource dice & card drawing, game too short can't see many bird cards
Excellent review and yes, the lack of control over cards seems to be the feedback I have often received with this game (which I really do love and keep teaching to people 😁). I have been wondering since seeing this why that is so different between Wingspan and Terraforming Mars (which I have admittedly played less often). I am wondering if the set limit of turns plays a part, and while it keeps Wingspan tight timewise, it does mean you can't search as freely through the deck, although a familiarity with the cards after a few plays helps here. So I have the opposite problem I guess with Terraforming Mars where I know the cards less well even though the game end is a little more pliable through game play. I also wonder if style of play and personal temperament plays a part - personally I prefer a bit of "make do with what you get" as this means that some of the elements are not in my control and therefore this eases the compeditive pressure for me. I do have friends who prefer more control so they can feel in charge of all their decisions within a game (and yes they tend to whoop my butt in those games 😂) so I have an appreciation of both, and its great that there is such a variety of games at our disposal now 😁 Happy gaming
I think its just the number of cards you see. TM has optional drafting, which vastly improves the decision space. And in a normal 4 player game, you will play 10 or so turns, seeing around 50-60 cards without drafting and over 100 if you draft. Wingspan, its more like 15-20
Very good game, lots of replayability. I bought to help my girlfriend learn deck building games. Gameplay is simple but requires good planning for high scores
@@3MBG OK. It was reality frustrating trying to figure out the game. That's not your fault. Maybe when I've be fully figured it by out I should post an explanation myself. :-)
There are plenty of how to play channels out there and good videos with the full rules. This channel is really about letting people know just enough about a game to let them know if they want to look deeper. "watch it played" has an excellent rules video
I wasn't a huge fan of it, but i get why its popular. Its easy to play, nice to look at, and has a theme with broad appeal that's not your usual lovecraft/sci-fi/war/history or fantasy game.
This is why I am a patron and will be for some time to come. You're the first reviewer I've heard say anything remotely negative about this game. From what I've seen and heard it is in fact a great game that is fun for many age ranges and group types but it's not flawless. I'm really glad that you gave it the honest look.
Yeah, I try to give every game pros and cons as not every game is for every person, and so people can be informed. Wingspan has a lot going for it, but it also has those things i mentioned which will not work for some people. As always, honesty is the best policy.
I'm sure fair honest feedback can help designers improve and save gamers time and $ 😊 A 10 or 1 on BGG really confuses new gamers 😢
The +ve bias may be due to its commercial success in drawing new gamers and boosting the trend of different themes from conventional (fantasy, trade, medieval) -- more choices and revenue --everyone wins 😊
Overall though, the gameplay was not my favourite. I think this is an excellent game with really broad appeal, but it's not one I will be returning to over and over again for its gameplay. Definitely one I would use with people new to the hobby and as a talking point about what modern game themes can be and how well produced a game can be. But i found my own experience, being someone who loves very chunky engine builders, that I wanted more control over my card draws. More faceup cards for example, would likely have made the game work better for me individually.
That's about my take. I've won twice without engine building as I didn't draw the right birds. I wish it was SdJ winner not kenner as its light. Which is a criticism of SdJ not this of course.
@@jonathanpickles2946 Yes but I do think Just One deserved the SdJ. At least it wasn't backwards like it was last year (Azul won the SdJ, Quacks of Quedlinberg won the Kennerspiel).
I'm an advocate for them creating a new category for Expertspeil for heavy weight games (experts vs "connosiers") now that the Amerigame hybridization of Euros is in full force. For instance, I think there are better Stefan Feld entries for the Kennerspiel than Carpe Diem, but they weigh too much to stand a chance (it lost to Wingspan this year).
@@tychay you're right a better solution would be a heavy game prize of some sort
Or, just screw the spiel awards and acknowledge that the golden kriegies, my awards, are the best :)
I've been dismissive of this game since it came out, mostly because I already have and love Terraforming Mars and don't want a lesser engine builder. I can definitely see the biggest downer for me being the limited cards to draw from. Do you have a favorite engine builder/what is it?
Another great video, thank you. The compact, but incredibly dense, nature of your videos makes them very informative and watchable. Thank you, and I know you'v probably heard this a million times, but the alternate recommendations at the end of the video is an inspired idea. Don't stop!
having a proper giggle at the subtitles "each new TERN will have one less action"
Looked this up because I saw it in the library and thought it looked gorgeous. That particular flycatcher is my favorite small bird as well, so I'd honestly just buy it for my coffee table hahah
Its a very pretty game, but also pretty accessible as well. So if you are thinking of trying out games and you are a birder, give it a shot.
Your channel is quickly becoming my favourite. You are quite the expert at your craft, sir.
Cheers James. Hopefully every new vid is a little better than the one before
I like how Wingspan has objective cards that tell you the percent likelihood of the relevant cards showing up. More games should copy this.
I wonder if the focus on North American birds will end up just leaving itself open to an expansion. It's obvious that the creator and publisher didn't conceive of its popularity when they first took a gamble on it in 2016 (they only printed 10k copies in its first print run). They'd have to provide updated percentages on the cards though.
I believe they are already talking about the possibility of other bird expansions. Which is why I am campaigning for NZ birds to be in there already :)
An expansion is planned for each continent.
@@3MBG I think they've stated a desire to do an expansion for every other continent (So, South America, Africa, Oceanasia, Europe and Asia - I'm just going to guess that there was an implied 'except antarctica' in there)
@@Stephen-Fox but penguins :o
This is when I point out that Zealandia is a continent :)
Currently my favorite "light" game of all time. Really solid.
It would be cool to adapt this to NZ birds or even endangered world wife birds. I like games with an educational edge to them. Nice review as always.
Makes sense why this is so hot right now, a lot to love.
Jamey is visiting NZ soon, and i've strongly recommended he go to Zealandia.
And they are planning on doing birds from different continents as expansions, and Zealandia is now a continent :)
Yes there is now the Oceania expansion pack!
I can happily report that the Kererū is in the Oceania Expansion, though the factoid is only: “This large fruit eating pigeon also eats flowers and leaves.” I’ll be sure to tell my friends that it was voted New Zealand’s bird of the year and that it gets drunk off of fruit.
Factoid should read "this drunken wideboi is a national treasure"
Language dependency meter - should you pick a copy in another language? 2/5p
Icon/colour/number dependent, text dependent, reading dependent - 0.5p
Minimal private information / Minimal verbal communication - 0p
Available rule book in different languages - 1p
Zero cultural/political aggression - 1p
Multiple modern mechanisms - (-0.5)p
The main issue is with birds special abilities. There are so many of them, with some privately held, that any solution will probably hinder the joy of the game.
I really enjoy solo Wingspan. I have played probably 20 games of it and still try to beat my high score of 94. For how easy it is to teach or learn it sure gives quite a bit of depth in terms of strategy.
SM games in general have some of the best solo modes going, along with garphill and anything with David Turczi.
@@3MBG Someone really likes AI solo modes ;)
A competitive bird watching board game the mind boggles
Love how varied this hobble is
Definitely still one of our favorite games to introduce to new gamers or gamers that are new to engine building. We finally decided to try out Terraforming Mars because of the latest Kickstarter expansion, now just waiting for it to arrive.
Highly recommend playing mars with the optional drafting rules after your first plays. Opens up the decision space in the game a lot.
Bro that Mallard joke was on point, kia ora!
Heh, always good times to poke fun at Trev :)
I know I'm late to the video, but I just want to throw this up for anyone who is just discovering Wingspan. Get the Oceania expansion. It comes with a new board that nerfs egg laying, stopping every last round from just being a mad dash to have the most eggs.
Cheers. Im hoping Wyrmspan does this sort of thing out of the box.
Fantastic overview of the game.. I didn't get all the rules, but I never do the first read/view. So 3 minute board games are the best videos to watch for me.
The mallard joke got me
Such a local joke though, lol. 95% of the audience would have been "who dat?"
I like this game quite a bit. I love the theme and production and think the mechanics work pretty well. It is also really accessible to people who aren't full gamers. I can easily bring this to the table at a family gathering where I might struggle to do the same with something like Terraforming Mars (which is a better game, in my opinion). One note is that, while there are a ton of birds and so it seems pretty random what your going to get each game and thus random whether you are going to be able to develop a strategy or not, a lot of birds are essentially copies of other birds in the way they play out. So mechanically there isn't as much variety or randomness as it initially seems so you can do some anticipating and strategy.
I probably give this one an 8/10 (probably 7.5/10 on mechanics and gameplay but bumped to 8 because it is easy to get to the table, production value, and solo mode which I always appreciate).
I adore birds, but I don't know if my family/friends will want to play this too. Good thing there's a solo mode! 😅
Lol same
The game play is so fun, I doubt it really matters if they like birds or not 🤗
I actually like the solo mode better, trying to beat it is actually quite a challenge
Good review. Love the Mallard joke! 😉 Potential for expansions seem evident. I'm keen to play but I'm not sure about where it sits on my purchasing priority list.
Heh, the mallard joke is so regiona, but i had to make it . :)
I just caught myself going to your vids before turning to any more traditional reviewers. You channel is really a blessing to the boardgamers around the world. All the best!
Thank you DmitryN, I hope we save you some time as well :)
The guest spot from Trev the Duck cracked me up ;-)
The most kiwi of jokes :)
Great review Jarrod! It's criminal if kererū isn't included in a future expansion. Thx!
kererū is a boss level bird :)
Just including a dice tower automatically bumps up a game a few points in my book, and the bird facts are neat.
I am curious about your opinion after the 2nd expansions. It changed most of the cons, the biggest change is that we have not had a single “lay eggs” final round(s) since then.
Not got the chance to play with it yet
Rewatching as I'll need to learn the game, cause I have to keep my word, I said I'd get the game when an OCE expansion comes out. Really looking forward to it.
pros: educational beautiful cards, relaxing ☺️ solo / multi-player. cons: random resource dice & card drawing, game too short can't see many bird cards
Oh there has GOT to be an expansion devoted to entirely to birds of New Zealand.
There is one that has NZ birds in it, but we have to share the expansion with the Aussies. (Oceania expansion)
Love Wingspan. Love this video. Love this channel. Keep it up :)
Excellent review and yes, the lack of control over cards seems to be the feedback I have often received with this game (which I really do love and keep teaching to people 😁). I have been wondering since seeing this why that is so different between Wingspan and Terraforming Mars (which I have admittedly played less often).
I am wondering if the set limit of turns plays a part, and while it keeps Wingspan tight timewise, it does mean you can't search as freely through the deck, although a familiarity with the cards after a few plays helps here. So I have the opposite problem I guess with Terraforming Mars where I know the cards less well even though the game end is a little more pliable through game play.
I also wonder if style of play and personal temperament plays a part - personally I prefer a bit of "make do with what you get" as this means that some of the elements are not in my control and therefore this eases the compeditive pressure for me. I do have friends who prefer more control so they can feel in charge of all their decisions within a game (and yes they tend to whoop my butt in those games 😂) so I have an appreciation of both, and its great that there is such a variety of games at our disposal now 😁
Happy gaming
I think its just the number of cards you see. TM has optional drafting, which vastly improves the decision space. And in a normal 4 player game, you will play 10 or so turns, seeing around 50-60 cards without drafting and over 100 if you draft.
Wingspan, its more like 15-20
Very good game, lots of replayability. I bought to help my girlfriend learn deck building games. Gameplay is simple but requires good planning for high scores
I'm badly stuck between these choices: Wingspan, Dune Imperium, Wonderland's War and Ark Nova
i love this
I don't know why, but I find egglimit funny
Hey mate! Love your videos, are you from NZ?!
I certainly am :)
Thanks for trying to explain. But as a newcomer I find this completely unintelligible a d have absolutely no idea what it means
This is not a rules video. It's more like a trailer.
@@3MBG OK. It was reality frustrating trying to figure out the game. That's not your fault. Maybe when I've be fully figured it by out I should post an explanation myself.
:-)
There are plenty of how to play channels out there and good videos with the full rules. This channel is really about letting people know just enough about a game to let them know if they want to look deeper. "watch it played" has an excellent rules video
Nice vid, looking forward to getting this. FYI Cache is pronounced cash though 😉
Cheers. But, Cache is not said "cash" in Australian and New Zealand English. It's pronounced Cache.
Wingspan + terraform mars = Deus
One of my testers highly recommended Deus to me.
Hmm.. doesn't sound very exciting to me.. Thx for the quick review!
Beautiful, but too random.
Love Kevin MacLeod's Inspired :)
yeah, its a nice track.
This game is too geeky for me
A self burn, well done.
Kia Ora bro
So what you’re saying is gameplay is all that matters. This theme on this game could not be any worse
Really? The themes great from my POV, but I do work in conservation. Does make a change of pace from most games though
Seems pretty boring, no idea why the rank is even higher than arkham horror lcg jet......
I wasn't a huge fan of it, but i get why its popular. Its easy to play, nice to look at, and has a theme with broad appeal that's not your usual lovecraft/sci-fi/war/history or fantasy game.
@@3MBG that makes sense. Still I think its rank is now far too higher than it deserves…
Played it twice. Utterly boring game. Going to sell this.