Tales & Trails of a Traveling Wiseguy

I think there's enjoyment there, but it's a hard game. It's not for everyone. In online reviews lots of people say they gave up playing it on the first attempt. One of our guests whispered that nobody else in his house will play it anymore— and they're avid board game player adults.

As an example of how hard Wingspan is, players are forced to make complex and very consequential decisions just in the setup step. Players are dealt 5 cards and 5 resource chits each, and have to select just 5 total from them. Doing this in such a way that you don't shoot yourself in the foot requires not just understanding the basic mechanics of the game rules— which are already very complex— but also figuring out basic play strategy. All before the first turn even starts!