Our youngest was skeptical at first, even with the slug dice and bird feeder dice tower, but around game five, mom talked him into joining her team and eventually taking over for her. He won that game, and one other. I’ve won all the rest, which isn’t to brag, the point is that everybody still enjoys it and still wants to play.

The game looks daunting at first, with so many moving parts, but there’s a very helpful onboarding walkthrough that makes it really easy to pick up. You’ll make a few mistakes, in early games, but you’ll learn quickly, and any rules questions have already been answered online, often by the game creators (super helpful).

Most reviews will tell you the game is gorgeous, and it absolutely is. The artwork in Wingspan is quality, and there are over 170 different bird cards, even more if you pick up an expansion pack. I wish the bird facts were a little more prominent, and in a larger font, but that’s my one and only gripe.

What I really love about the game though, is that there are so many ways to score that it allows for a ton of different strategies, and the end result is often a surprise.

The game mechanics also feel innovative and unique. The game is played in four rounds, with diminishing turns per round, for example, so turn management within the round becomes really important.

Also, slug dice!

Wingspan