8. Wingspan

In this episode, I have another recommendation for a great game for couples: Wingspan, a game about birds.

Wingspan was published in 2019 by Stonemaier Games. It was designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and features art by Natalia Rojas, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, and Beth Sobel. Back in 2014, Hargrave and her husband had recently started birdwatching. Around that time, she also started playing more board games, and became interested in designing her own game. She’s been quoted as saying, “There were too many games about castles and space, and not enough games about the things I’m interested in. So I decided to make a game about something I cared about.”

Wingspan was the result, and it’s been a hit in the board game world, selling out three print runs in its first two months of release in 2019, and going on to win multiple awards. Players take on the role of bird enthusiasts, trying to collect the best birds for their wildlife preserves. It has rapidly become a favorite late-night game for my wife Emily and me.

Speaking of Emily, she joins me again this episode for some color commentary and thoughts on why Wingspan is a great game for couples. I also talk with my friends Robert and Teague, a couple of board-game-playing birdwatchers who live in Angola. I called them up to ask them what they like about Wingspan and what it’s like to play the game as a birdwatcher.