Wingspan
Also known as: Wingspan board game, Wingspan game
Build an engine of birds across three habitats. Each bird you play makes the next turn more powerful.
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What You'll Need
About This Game
A bird-themed engine-building game where you attract birds to your wildlife preserves across three habitats: forest, grassland, and wetland. Each bird you play activates its habitat's chain of abilities. The engine gets more powerful each round. Two-player games are tight tactical battles.
How to Play
**Setup:** Each player gets a player mat with 3 habitats (5 slots each), 5 food tokens, and 5 bird cards (keep up to 5, discarding 1 food per bird kept beyond the starting balance).
**Gameplay (4 rounds):** Each round gives you fewer action cubes (8, 7, 6, 5). On your turn, spend one cube on:
- **Play a bird:** Pay its food and egg cost, place it in the matching habitat
- **Gain food:** Activate forest row. Roll dice in birdfeeder, take food
- **Lay eggs:** Activate grassland row. Place eggs on birds
- **Draw bird cards:** Activate wetland row. Draw from face-up display or deck
When you activate a row, all birds in that row trigger their "when activated" powers from right to left, building a chain.
**End of round:** Score the round's bonus objective. Reset action cubes.
**Scoring:** Bird point values + eggs + food on birds + tucked cards + bonus cards + end-of-round goals. Highest total wins.
History & Background
Elizabeth Hargrave designed Wingspan as her first published game. Stonemaier Games released it in 2019 and it sold out its initial print run in days. It won the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseur Game of the Year in Germany) and introduced thousands of non-gamers to modern board gaming through its accessible theme and beautiful bird illustrations by Natalia Rojas and Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo. Over 1.3 million copies have been sold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play Wingspan with 2 players?
Yes, Wingspan works great with 2 players. The game is well-suited to a duo and you'll have a fantastic time together.
What changes when playing Wingspan with 2 players?
With 2 players, Wingspan plays smoothly — the main difference is a more direct, head-to-head dynamic. You'll interact more closely with your opponent, which can make each round feel more personal and strategic.
How long does Wingspan take to play?
A typical game of Wingspan takes about 30-60 min. This can vary based on players' experience level and how quickly decisions are made.
What do you need to play Wingspan?
To play Wingspan, you need: Wingspan board game. That's it — no special equipment required.
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