Wingspan — overrated or underrated?

Wingspan is the most-talked-about Eurogame of the last decade. It won Kennerspiel des Jahres in 2019. Tom Vasel called it a 10. The internet was divided into “this is amazing” and “this is overrated”.

I’ve played it 35 times. Here’s where I land.

What works

• Theme integration is genuine. Each bird card has its actual habitat, food preference, egg color, and a power that thematically references the bird’s behavior. This is hard to do well in a game.
• Beauty. The art is the best of any modern game. Holding the cards, looking at them, that’s part of the experience.
• Approachability. Casual players engage. Serious players engage. The barrier to entry is low.
• Meditative pace. It’s one of the calmest games you’ll play. Some games are stressful. Wingspan is the opposite.

What doesn’t

• Solo play. Lots of people play this solo. The automaton is fine but bland. It feels like multiplayer solitaire when played as such.
• Multiplayer interaction. This is the big one. There’s almost zero meaningful interaction in the base game. You’re playing your own engine while peripherally aware of others. The Oceania expansion adds some interaction but not enough.
• Strategic depth. After 30 plays, I largely know what to do. Card combos repeat. There aren’t many new patterns to discover.

Where I land

Wingspan is great as a gateway game and as a relaxing experience. It’s not great as a gamer’s game. The two camps are talking past each other.

If “I want to enjoy a calm afternoon with my partner who isn’t a hardcore gamer” — Wingspan is fantastic.

If “I want to be challenged and surprised after 50+ plays” — Wingspan plateaus. Try Brass: Birmingham, Spirit Island, or Through the Ages instead.

Will it make the 32?

Honestly, I’m undecided. Right now it’s not in my top 9. But I keep playing it, which means it has staying power. I’ll commit to making a decision after another 20 plays.

The question is: what does “best” mean? If best means “most fun for casual gamers” — Wingspan is top 5. If best means “deepest experience for committed gamers” — it’s outside the top 30.

This list is my list, with my biases. So Wingspan probably doesn’t make it. But if you’re reading this and disagree, I get it.

A note on expansions

The European, Oceania, and Asia expansions are progressively better. Asia (in particular the duet mode) makes the game noticeably more interactive at 2 players. Worth getting if you play Wingspan a lot.