We love to see awesome board games go digital.
Board games are collected and played by millions of players all over the world. But sometimes due to how expensive certain games can be, it’s difficult for folk to get their hands on them. What’s the next best thing? Turning those board games into an easily accessible digital board game, of course. And that’s what developer Monster Crouch has done with board game Wingspan.
Wingspan is an award-winning board game where you and friends are bird enthusiasts competing to attract the best birds in the world to your wildlife preserves. Yeah, I know, sounds like some high octane gameplay, right? Well, it doesn’t need to be because Wingspan is meant to be a laid back relaxing game. And it is.
Up to five players can compete, building up their nature preserves, bringing in birds, taking care of eggs, helping to make sure the birds are well fed and more. There are over 170 birds to see, all with their own unique artwork and abilities beautifully illustrated.
I played the digital version on the Nintendo Switch and it fits perfectly on the console. Multiplayer is fun and easy for all players to pick up. Wingspan’s (albeit lengthy) tutorial goes in-depth so that players are well prepared for the games ahead, but it doesn’t hold your hand so to speak, leaving you on your own after explaining all the rules.
Not one for sharing in the fun? You can play single-player with the CPU as well. I enjoyed single-player mode a little more than multiplayer, simply because the games go by much faster when you’re not waiting for humans to make their moves (go figure). And, if you’re looking for an extra challenge, you can try to tackle Automa mode, which increases the difficulty by having players compete against an unpredictable AI.
As much as I love supporting physical board games, when they’re not accessible to us, a digital version in the next best thing. And Wingspan is one of the best digital tabletop games I’ve had the pleasure to play on Nintendo Switch. It’s got hefty competition with titles like Evolution and 51 Worldwide Games, but if you give it a chance, it’ll swoop in and be one you go back to again and again.
