Wingspan (video game)

Wingspan is a digital adaptation of the award-winning tabletop engine-building board game designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and published by Stonemaier Games. Developed by Monster Couch, the video game allows players to collect and attract a variety of bird species to their wildlife reserves, aiming to create thriving ecosystems and score the most points.

The core gameplay mechanics mirror the physical board game closely. Players take turns playing bird cards from their hand into one of five different habitats: Forest, Grassland, Wetland, River and Plains. Each habitat corresponds to a different action: gaining food, laying eggs, drawing bird cards, or tucking cards under birds already played. These actions generate resources and enable players to build their bird engine, creating synergistic combinations that yield increasing benefits as the game progresses.

The game features hundreds of unique bird cards, each with its own real-world illustration, wingspan, habitat preferences, and unique abilities. These abilities can trigger immediate effects, ongoing advantages, or end-of-game scoring opportunities. Successfully managing resources, strategically selecting bird cards, and adapting to random events are crucial for victory.

The video game version of Wingspan includes both single-player and multiplayer modes. Single-player allows players to compete against AI opponents of varying difficulty levels or to play through a tutorial to learn the game. Multiplayer modes allow players to compete against others online, either in asynchronous or real-time formats. The game also incorporates features such as animated bird calls and facts, enhancing the educational aspect of the original board game. Cross-platform play between PC and mobile platforms is also supported.