When this game first came out, my dad, an avid birdwatcher, was very excited.
However, Wingspan is not what he was expecting, but a beautifully illustrated complex and simple multi-resource card engine game using birds as the theme. Teaching him how to play with the hard copy was difficult.
However, this version simplifies many of the back-end mechanics, and improves the game flow greatly.
Building your birding preserve starts and evolves from powers, with potent combinations offset by point values for the endgame. You can change up your approach if needed, and plan for the entire game from your first selections.

It's a very zen game, and you get to hear birdsong as your board develops, along with learning more about the birds themselves.
(I'd certainly love it if additional bonus cards were made to award knowledge of bird ranges and migration, though)
Relaxing while still giving your strategy brain a work-out.

When this game first came out, my dad, an avid birdwatcher, was very excited. However, Wingspan is not what he was expecting, but a beautifully illustrated complex and simple multi-resource card engine game using birds as the theme. Teaching him how to play with the hard copy was difficult. However, this version simplifies many of the back-end mechanics, and improves the game flow greatly. Building your birding preserve starts and evolves from powers, with potent combinations offset by point values for the endgame. You can change up your approach if needed, and plan for the entire game from your first selections. It's a very zen game, and you get to hear birdsong as your board develops, along with learning more about the birds themselves. (I'd certainly love it if additional bonus cards were made to award knowledge of bird ranges and migration, though) Relaxing while still giving your strategy brain a work-out.