Wingspan

In this episode of Pixelated Playgrounds, Bryan and Josh flock to Wingspan! Originally released as a board game in 2019, Wingspan was designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and published by Stonemaier Games, the St. Louis studio behind Viticulture and Scythe. Hargrave built the game after visits to Lake Artemesia near her Maryland home, choosing birds as a theme because, in her words, there were already too many games about castles and space. In 2020, Monster Couch adapted the tabletop hit into a digital version for Windows and Mac, translating its engine-building card game into a lush, birdsong-filled interactive space. Players take on the role of birders assembling a network of wildlife preserves, laying bird cards across forest, grassland, and wetland habitats to rack up the most points over four rounds. What starts as simple card collection quickly becomes layered engine-building: birds already on your mat trigger powers that make later turns in that habitat stronger, so early choices snowball as the game goes on. Listen in as Bryan and Josh talk through Monster Couch's digital presentation (hand-drawn artwork from Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, Natalia Rojas, and Beth Sobel, plus bird calls and Cornell Lab-sourced trivia), compare Wingspan to other board game adaptations, and dig into whether a "bird bureaucracy" simulator can really carry the same tension as more traditional game theming. Habitat specialists, bonus-card drafters, and egg-laying completionists all get their say, so grab your binoculars and settle in.

Show Notes:

Bird-Watching Will Blow Your Mind | PTFO

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Ornithology and Chill

Josh - Beautiful, Bountiful Birds