Digital Wingspan finally alights on Android devices today
Mobile birding for the Apple-shy.
The digital version of beakspotting board game Wingspan has launched on Android mobile devices and is currently available for download on Google Play.
Designed by Elizabeth Hargrave in 2019, Wingspan has previously been adapted for PC, Switch, XboxOne and the AppStore by Polish video game development studio Monster Couch. The ports have been gradually releasing since September of 2020 and now nest on every console and device short of Playstation 5 and XboxOneX - the newest generation of hardware available.
Wingspan’s cardboard counterpart remains a popular title two years after its release, buoyed by the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres award but ably standing out on its own thanks to a charming combination of relaxing engine building gameplay and an earnest love of birds that goes well beyond simple theming.
Players of Wingspan attempt to build the best bird sanctuary by luring feathered features with food and optimal habitats, expanding the available nests and collecting the eggs left behind. While the game is competitive, interaction between the one to five players is minimal and allows individuals to focus on their own efforts to rack up as many victory points as possible as each successive round grows shorter.
As an engine builder, new birds will deepen a player’s chosen strategy or unlock a new path towards earning victory points. Cuckoos, herons, owls and more all boast unique abilities that trigger when taking other actions - or when your opponent does - and certain features of the bird sanctuary or special training can also add parts to that points-churning engine.
Monster Couch’s digital adaptation keeps the bird facts printed on the cards but adds heaps of authentic songs and calls that accompany their owner when played. It adds to the soothing ambiance of Wingspan digital’s mellow background music and rustic visuals to provide an experience that closely matches the one at the table. That’s why it’s listed among Lolies’s best digital board game adaptations in the above video.
Like other versions, Wingspan on Android will support local and online multiplayer up to five players along with a solo experience for those who’d rather bird it alone. In a tweet on October 25th, Monster Couch said they are planning to develop the expansions - Oceania and European - but didn’t have anything more to share at that time.
Wingspan is published by Stonemaier Games, the company behind the rugged scifi strategy title Scythe and this year’s card drafter Red Rising. Wingspan has impressively surpassed Scythe’s lifetime copies sold despite the three-year gap between their releases.
Android usuers can purchase Wingspan on the Google Play store now for $9.99.