Game Info
Year
2026
Players
1-5
Age
8+
Playtime
35 min
Complexity
1.5/5
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
A streamlined card-driven game where players build and activate a single row of birds with double-sided cards serving as both birds and food resources
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 33
This page: 33
Sentiment:
pos 26 ·
mix 4 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–33 of 33
Video i4QYLlPCS5M
Shelfside Review at 0:00 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 99403 · mention_pk 276383
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Gorgeous bird art, some from base Wingspan and expansions, even unreleased birds.
- Improved symbols on cards due to less text, making abilities easier to see at a glance.
- Awesome eggs with flecked paint spots on wood.
- Linen cards that seem durable despite being thin.
- Double-sided cards that emulate the randomization of food from a bird feeder and aid replayability.
- Fast and portable design, fitting the "fast and portable idea in every way."
- Fast setup, involving minimal components.
- Simplified rules, with a rulebook that is only six small pages.
- Massively simplified scoring (bird points, eggs, objectives).
- Simpler birds with no habitat restrictions.
- Simpler abilities for easier digestion.
- Faster game end (six birds played), leading to fewer turns overall.
- Turns are just one action each.
- Game ramps up faster with immediate activation of brown abilities.
- Starting with an egg and a nest that holds up to three eggs provides flexibility.
- Less solitaire gameplay without being confrontational; easier to see other players' resources.
- Cards that interact with other players, copying abilities or giving resources.
- Good replayability due to varied starting hands and a large deck of cards (106).
- Double-sided goal cards add to variability.
- Great value for $20, described as a "masterpiece" and "10 out of 10" by one reviewer.
- Can serve as a shorter alternative to original Wingspan, a filler, or a portable game.
- Smooth implementation of ideas that could make original Wingspan more palatable.
- Satisfying engine building with clear progression.
- Engaging process of deciding dual-usage cards.
- Much more fun than normal Wingspan for the reviewer who despises the original.
- Fixes two main gameplay problems of the original Wingspan (solitary nature, slow engine building).
Cons
- Feather token is almost completely useless and serves to confuse turns.
- Strategies are not as nuanced due to less combo potential.
- Green cards might be underpowered and playing more than one might not be desirable.
- Replayability might not be as good as normal Wingspan (though still much game in the box).
- Not ideal for non-board gamers who might be intimidated by original Wingspan's complexity, as this is a simplified version.
- Engine is single-note and can get a little tiresome.
- The theme is still just 'eh' for one reviewer.
- Lowered normal Wingspan to a 2 out of 10 because it is "way too slow to do anything."
Thematic elements
- bird-friendly tableau building
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — On a turn, a player can either play a bird, draw cards, or lay eggs.
- Card Drafting — Players draw cards from a central pool, choosing a combo of food or birds.
- Set Collection — Eggs are worth points, and objectives also award points based on criteria like egg counts.
- Tableau Building — Players play birds to activate them, lay eggs, and score points.
- Variable player powers — Brown abilities on played birds activate, influencing turn actions and engine building.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Wingspan now fits in your pocket.
- For 20 bucks, this has a recommended SCORE OF A 10 OUT OF 10. A 10 out of 10. This is a masterpiece.
- I personally just think this is okay. Like it's fine. It's a five out 10, perfectly average.
- Now, it is way way more fun than normal Wingspan because followers of the channel will know that I just really despise that game.
- Anyways, with the release of this and me being more solidified in my taste as the years go on, I'm going to lower Wingspan normal to a two out of 10. It's just terrible.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video PSuLixo-PHk
Rob's Tabletop World Top List at 3:42 sentiment: positive
video_pk 99423 · mention_pk 276450
Click to watch at 3:42 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very very very good
- Has everything you could possibly want and more
- Ton of fun
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- And we're going to start with Plaid Hat Games.
- go to their booth. And I'm going to give you a game that completely shocked me.
- It is one of the best games I I've played this year, and we are just having fun.
- Shadowborne Games is killing it.
- It's Avalon. And Avalon looks fantastic.
- And the game that I'm really enjoying, and my grandkids and I are enjoying, is Wingspan Pocket.
- Bandai, um my wife and I went to the Florida Mall.
- The Gundam miniature game looks fantastic.
- The Gundam card game is absolutely fantastic.
- Secrets of the Lost Tomb 10th anniversary edition is coming out very very soon.
- you're going to be absolutely blown away.
- Now, on the negative side, one company that you should stop off and see is Academy Games.
- And it seems there is zero coming from their camp, from their website, or anything else.
- But, the radio silence is disturbing.
- go check out Dragon Dice, which is alive and kicking.
- It's a game that you will fall in love with and have a great, great time.
- So, those are some of the underrated companies and and games that you're going to want to check out at the fantastic Gen Con 2026.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video anEBNCtzhls
Stonemaier Games Playthrough at 0:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 99346 · mention_pk 276185
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Streamlined and fast-paced compared to the original Wingspan.
- Familiar icons and concepts for existing Wingspan players.
- Compact and portable, suitable for travel.
- Engaging and aesthetically pleasing component design, especially the eggs.
- Quick game end condition keeps the pace moving.
Cons
- Potential for feeling behind if not accumulating birds or eggs effectively.
- Misplays can happen, especially concerning resource management or ability activation.
Thematic elements
- Building a flock of birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — On their turn, players choose one of three nest actions: play a bird, draw cards, or lay eggs.
- Card Drafting — Players can take face-up bird cards or food cards from the supply.
- Engine Building — Playing birds grants abilities (brown powers) that trigger on subsequent turns, allowing players to build up their actions and resources.
- Goal cards — Players work towards specific objectives on goal cards for end-game scoring.
- Hand Management — Players manage cards in their reserve (hand), which are visible to all players. There is no hand limit.
- Resource Management — Players must manage food and egg costs to play birds.
- Set Collection — Players aim to collect birds and score points based on various criteria including birds played, eggs, tucked cards, and goal cards.
- Tucking cards — Some bird abilities allow players to tuck cards under them, which can score points at the end of the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- My per bird score was the highest.
- It's a really fun, as you can see, quick version of Wingspan.
- Wingspan Pocket is a streamlined, fast-paced version of Wingspan where you're building a flock of birds and trying to score the most points by the end of the game.
- The eggs in Wingspan Pocket are described as 'lovely shade of pink with a gold like fleck on them' and look 'more like candy'.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video kutboriyat4
Sir Thecos Review at 0:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 99367 · mention_pk 276259
Click to watch at 0:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Provides the full Wingspan feeling in a much shorter time.
- Ramps up much quicker than the base game.
- Very approachable and easy to explain.
- Satisfying engine-building experience.
- Compact and portable, ideal for travel.
- High-quality components, including eggs and cards.
- Excellent for players who love Wingspan and want to play it anywhere.
- Good for players who find the original Wingspan too long or complex.
- Offers a similar satisfying experience to the original in a fraction of the time.
- Variety through different Automa cards and numerous goal cards.
Cons
- Can be a little luck-based, especially regarding resource availability.
- Some player interaction mechanics might affect other players positively when not intended.
- Cards might be slightly thinner than original Wingspan cards.
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose one of three main actions: play a bird, draw cards, or lay eggs.
- automa — A solo mode with an Automa that performs actions, collects food, tucks cards, and plays birds, mimicking a multiplayer experience.
- Card Drafting — Bird cards are available in a display, and players can draw from this display or from a deck.
- Engine Building — Playing birds into different habitats allows players to build an engine that generates resources, eggs, or card draws.
- Goal Fulfillment — Players aim to fulfill specific goals revealed at the end of the game for bonus points.
- Resource Management — Managing food resources (invertebrate, fish, rodent, berry, grain) is essential for paying the costs of birds.
- Set Collection — Collecting food cards and bird cards is crucial for playing birds and activating abilities.
- Tucking cards — Bird cards can be tucked under other bird cards, often to score points at the end of the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the big game of Wingspan in just a smaller format.
- It's like very very similar. Um, for people who don't know Wingspan at all, I would say like maximum 10 minutes of explaining and setting up and then you can start playing.
- This gives me the Wingspan feeling in it really does give me the Wingspan feeling.
- This is an excellent small pocket version of the original Wingspan.
- If you love Wingspan, you're going to love this one as well.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video -CT_BmREtu4
The Cardboard Herald Top List at 1:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 99138 · mention_pk 275839
Click to watch at 1:22 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- great consolidation of Wingspan
Cons
- so new that it's under embargo and can't be talked about fully
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Hey everyone. As you can tell, I'm not at the studio right now. I'm at beautiful NY Beach in Newport, Oregon on vacation with the family.
- And I wouldn't necessarily bring all of these games on any given vacation, but these are some of the games that are kind of like my go-to travel games whenever I'm considering, hey, I'm going on a trip.
- But it's it's a game that I need to let it set in.
- And for whatever reason, just didn't make the top of the list.
- As far as I'm concerned, Radlands is just one of the best head-to-head dueling games of all time.
- But it's one of those ones where I know if I bring with me, I can get a bunch of games in, especially if there's someone else who likes head-to-head card games.
- And it is so compact.
- Hive is just one of those games that I it's going to be timeless. I think Hive is going to outlast me.
- but this is the kind of game that I would definitely bring to a cabin if I knew that I was going to have other gamers there.
- And you know what? Splender Duel hands down better than Splendor.
- So, number five is on here because well probably Splender Duel is only two players and I need games that can accommodate a higher player count but have interesting mechanics but are easy to teach and you cannot go wrong with Sushi Go.
- Sky Team itself is just one of the all-time great cooperative games as far as I'm concerned.
- It's one of the all-time great two-player games, and it's one that I'm always going to bring traveling with me.
- Oddlands, but it is just a fantastic tile placement game using cards where each card has four different terrain quadrants on it and then you're using that to place animals in habitats.
- It also has a really good solo mode which if you're on vacation sometimes you find yourself alone and you got nice 20 25 maybe 30 minute stretch and you want to play some Oddlands or some other games solo.
- Everyone tends to love Flip 7.
- It's push your luck heaven.
- It's kind of a cheating game, but it's Reicide.
- Reisside is legitimately one of my favorite cooperative games of all time.
- If you like high pressure, short playing, easy to learn but difficult to master games, Reicide is hard to beat.
- This is Reicside and it's my all-time favorite travel game.
- But above all else, thanks for being such a great community.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video EPkvdXCDyHk
slickerdrips Rules Teach at 0:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 99128 · mention_pk 275830
Click to watch at 0:01 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fast playing version of Wingspan
- Quick playtime (around half an hour for the playthrough including filming)
- Solo mode available
Cons
- Losing to the solo opponent due to not picking a specific bird (Kingfisher) that had a tucking power
- Difficulty in converting food resources into desired actions at times.
Thematic elements
- gathering birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Worms Span
- Finsspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — On a turn, players choose one of three actions: play a bird, draw cards, or lay eggs.
- Card Drafting — Players draw bird cards and food cards. The solo opponent also drafts cards from the display.
- Engine Building — Playing birds with powers contributes to building an engine that provides resources or abilities on future turns.
- Set Collection — Players aim to collect birds that meet specific goal conditions, such as wingspan or having tucked cards.
- Solo opponent AI — The game features a solo opponent named Ottoa, with adjustable difficulty levels.
- Worker Placement — The actions are chosen from a limited set of options, similar to worker placement, though cards are used to represent actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a new tiny box fast playing version of Wingspan
- It is so fast to play. Not that wingspan was really long anyway, but including explaining and filming this and the various hiccups that happen when I'm doing this, it's taken half an hour, which is very quick.
- And some of that at least comes down to me not taking this king fisher because its wingspan was too small. Not only could I have taken this tucking power and used it, I would have denied it the auto as well. That swing could have clinched it, but who knew the king fisher would be so vital to the game.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OSjwEhoMwOs
BoardGameGeek Discussion at 1:10:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 98877 · mention_pk 274843
Click to watch at 1:10:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Good for vacation or travel.
- Plays faster.
- Still has eggs.
- Welcome addition to the Wingspan family.
Cons
- Cannot be mixed with regular Wingspan.
- Birds are not standalone.
- New actions on the board and cards.
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players draft birds and food cards.
- Set Collection — Collecting eggs is still part of the game.
- Tableau Building — Players build a row of bird cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's Whisper Wood, one word for one to four players.
- It's much heavier than Flamecraft.
- This is definitely a strategy game. Mid midweight mid to heavy strategy game.
- it's a big game on the table. A lot of moving parts. Gorgeous, gorgeous game because we have Sandor Tang again and Sergio Chavez.
- So, it's a bag builder. You're pulling out these tokens. What you pull out will determine what actions you take.
- And y'all, it is good. It is good. But it's definitely much heavier than previous Cardboard Alchemy games. It's still gorgeous though. It's still gorgeous. Still a sprawling game. And I think for the the Euro strategy lovers, this is going to be a good one.
- Whisperwood. All one word.
- it's perennial uh by Emily Vincent uh published by Fatout Games and art by Beth Sobo who does one of the most beautiful nature art in board games period concerning my opinion.
- we make a beautiful prairie garden
- And yeah, this one looks gorgeous. I was like, "Okay, I need this."
- I'm very excited for Perennial for sure.
- But this is Electrify for one to four players from John Declair and Ian Hutchinson.
- Uh, it is a engine builder.
- It's a simultaneous action selection, slice selection.
- So it's really interesting little engine builder. It goes from like coal all the way to nuclear and solar power and all these other electricity generating things.
- And it's just such a nice combo. Everything's connected but quick because it's simultaneously simultaneous turns to it.
- multi-use cards and I love that.
- So some of the cards have arrows, so it will like allow you to activate other cards that it's connected to. So you get this long chain of actions, which is really fun.
- It's very good. And I've played it and play tested it solo which is also good and it's one that I think is kind of my favorite of what they're coming out this year.
- It's going to be on Kickstarter and I am very excited for this.
- It's very interesting combo of mechanisms and it really is that engine builder goodness that I absolutely love.
- And it really is that engine builder goodness that I absolutely love.
- So, that's Electrify from AG.
- I love seeing that and everybody getting along. No big incidents. I think that's just amazing that so many cultures come together in spread over three different countries because not only in the United States, United States is the most in games but yeah and everybody gets along people joining in on on marches, fan marches and I think that's just awesome to see.
- But it was funny because it was a whole circle thing for me.
- The minions sung the Beach Boys. The banana song is the Beach Boys.
- Yeah. That was totally Beach Boys.
- So, my moment of positivity is it was the 4th of July and so my mom and her friends took and I went with them we went to the July 4th firework spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl.
- It was with the Beach Boys and John Stamos and we usually try to go to the Hollywood Bowl at least once or twice every year and it was a lot of fun.
- It's almost 11 p.m.
- Well, the most common things are Twitch, where you can find twitch.tv/joda.
- Uh I stream on Tuesday. I have my coffee and crowdfunding where I drink coffee and I look at all the crowdfunding campaigns from the past week that have been launched criticizing the page the game and sometimes being positive and also always pick one game but I think well that was the best one for this week.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Th9HpKxj2zk
Stonemaier Games Review at 0:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 95560 · mention_pk 262740
Click to watch at 0:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- A good entry game into the Wingspan world.
- Quick but strategic.
- Includes bird facts.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Collecting birds and scoring points
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — On their turn, players choose one of three actions: play a bird, draw cards, or lay eggs.
- Card Drafting — Players collect cards (resources and birds) into their reserve.
- Engine Building — Activating bird powers as players advance through their nests creates combos and can build an engine.
- Resource Management — Players use resources (eggs, wheat, cherries, rats) to play birds.
- Set Collection — Players collect birds into their flock to score points.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The beak makes up a third of the toucan's length, but only 3% of its weight.
- The common cuckoo's eggs can match host species eggs in colors and pattern.
- This is the most numerous wild bird with an estimated population of 1.5 billion.
- Snowy owls are rare among owls in that they are active during the day.
- The barn swallow does get tucked cuz it's less than 38 or less than 100.
- This showy bird builds mud nests attached to a rock face.
- This is a national bird of Honduras where it's featured in Maya sculptures.
- Orals weave pouch nests that hang from a tree branch.
- The hummingbird feed on nectar, but they also eat many small insects.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video EtWo6vKVcVA
The Mill Review at 0:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 95555 · mention_pk 262727
Click to watch at 0:40 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Super accurate and convenient for on the go
- Great for travel due to small size
- Very quick to play
- Has a lot of nice key details for symbology
- Includes some new birds not found in other Wingspan versions
- Engaging solo mode with automa
Cons
- Still requires a 'decent sized table to play it, even solo'
- Rules for automa can be complex and easily misunderstood, as admitted by the host
- It's easy to make mistakes with certain actions like the 'hunt action' or the direction of play ('left to right, which is the opposite of wingspan')
Thematic elements
- Birds, eggs, and food management
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- End game scoring — Points are tallied at the end of the game from bird points, eggs, tucked cards, and goal cards.
- Engine Building — Playing bird cards creates an engine where 'green powers are persistent' and 'brown powers you will run every single time because you're going to run your engine every single turn'.
- Hand Management — Players manage a hand of bird cards and food tokens, making decisions on when to use them as food or play them as birds.
- Resource Management — Players collect and spend food resources to play bird cards and lay eggs.
- Set Collection (Goals) — Players score points based on 'goal cards' that reward specific bird types or egg placements, requiring strategic bird selection.
- Solo Mode (Automa) — The game includes an 'automa' system for solo play, which has its own set of rules for gaining cards, playing birds, and laying eggs based on automa cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I am so excited to be talking to you about this cute little game called Wingspan Pocket.
- Super accurate and super convenient for on the go. It is so small.
- It is perfect size for traveling. However, once you kind of see it out on the table, you notice you do still need a decent sized table to play it, even solo.
- You're about to see me oh make the same mistake twice. And so I will correct it.
- I love my penguins.
- I was rereading that a bit.
- Oh my gosh. 39 eyes lost by three points.
- I definitely recommend this one. It was pretty quick. Thought I had all the rules down.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dY8YwDEFVIY
Stonemaier Games Rules Teach at 0:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 95537 · mention_pk 262695
Click to watch at 0:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The reference card helps players understand turns and card anatomy.
- The game has a clear goal: play six birds and get the most points.
- The three sample turns cover playing a bird, drawing cards, and laying eggs, which are the core actions.
- Activating all birds from left to right, even on turns where a bird is played, is a key mechanic to teach.
- The iconography for drawing cards and gaining eggs is important for players to understand.
Cons
- Do not use advanced mode goal cards in a first game.
- Players might not need the two-for-one food card rule on the first turn, but it's good to mention.
- When drawing cards, only one egg can be put on each card (nest or bird).
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose actions like playing a bird, drawing cards, or laying eggs.
- Card Play — Players play bird cards using food and eggs.
- Resource Management — Players manage food and eggs to play bird cards.
- Set Collection — Players collect eggs on bird cards and tuck cards under birds for scoring.
- Tableau Building — Players build a row of bird cards that activate from left to right.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This isn't a how to play video. I'm going to talk about some of the elements of gameplay, but I'm going to focus on how to teach it.
- When you have learned this game, when you know this game and you want to share it with other players, this is my recommended method for doing so.
- This is really important cuz players need to get in the habit of knowing that even on turns where they play birds, their turn isn't over. They get to continue down and activate all the birds from left to right in their card row.
References (from this video)
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Video R1Q3RC-LxRc
Tantrum House Review at 0:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 94661 · mention_pk 258621
Click to watch at 0:21 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Streamlined and swift version of Wingspan.
- Good engine building potential.
- Tactical gameplay.
- Multiple ways to score points.
- Allows trading food resources.
- Many cards with different powers.
- Advanced goals add complexity.
- Accessible and quick.
- Good for travel.
- Works well at various player counts.
- Simpler activation (left to right).
- Features birds from around the world.
- Double-sided cards add utility.
- Offers a Wingspan experience in 20-30 minutes.
- Good introductory game to the Wingspan universe.
- Cozy and beautiful.
Cons
- Name is misleading as it doesn't fit in a pocket.
- First player marker is a card, could be a token.
- Randomness in card draws can lead to less optimal turns.
- Lots of iconography can be overwhelming for new players.
- Icons can sometimes be hard to figure out.
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Finch game
- Worm game
- Point salad
- Point galaxy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players draw bird cards or food cards from a display.
- Engine Building — Players build an engine by playing bird cards, which have powers that can be activated.
- Resource Management — Players use eggs and food cards to play bird cards.
- Set Collection — Players gain points for birds, eggs, and tucked cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Wingspan pocket, it's definitely a streamlined swift version of Wingspan, but it doesn't fit in my pocket.
- I do think it does what it sets out to do very well.
- It is really fun when you can get an engine humming, and you're just like, 'I'm doing this, this, this, this, this, and it feels like you're doing a lot on your turn,' even though you only have a few birds down.
- So, I'm happy that Wingspan came first, but now happy that this is sort of like a reinvention of it.
- It's a quick, cozy 30-minute uh game with the beautiful birds.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video s4HpLz6Tw6Y
The Dice Tower Review at 0:24 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 93411 · mention_pk 252687
Click to watch at 0:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Quick playtime (25-35 minutes)
- Well-produced components
- Easy to teach and learn
- Streamlined food market compared to original Wingspan
- Satisfying engine-building aspect
- Good for players who find original Wingspan too long
Cons
- Can feel too lucky
- Bonus cards can be confusing and lead to rule mistakes
- Occasional frustration with food market availability
- Some cards copying opponent actions can be clunky
- May feel too slight for some players
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Race for the Galaxy
- Jump Drive
- Wormspan
- Finspan
- The city game
- Catan on the go
- Catan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — On their turn, players choose one of three actions: play a bird, draw cards, or lay eggs.
- Card Drafting — Players draw cards from piles, with choices between food and bird cards, and cards are not replaced until the end of the turn.
- Engine Building — Players build an engine by playing birds that activate powers each turn, aiming for synergistic combinations.
- Hand Management — Players manage a hand of cards, which can be birds or food, and use them to play birds or meet costs.
- Point Salad — Players accumulate points from various sources including birds, eggs, and end-game bonuses.
- Set Collection — Points are scored from birds, eggs, and bonus objectives related to bird characteristics, eggs, and tucked cards.
- Variable player powers — Brown powers on bird cards activate when a player takes an action, forming the core of the player's engine.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The new trend in board gaming is no longer dual games, but it is shortened versions of popular games as evidenced here by Wingspan Pocket.
- It is a lighter, swifter version of the award-winning Wingspan.
- I think it's a lot One last thing, I think it's also really smart that a lot of the cards will affect other people on your turn, too. So, you're always feeling like something's happening.
- I think the game feels very lucky to me, which I think might be satisfying to people because it's 30 minutes but if someone gets a nice little engine running halfway through I can go 'They're going to win.'
- This feels significantly luckier than Wingspan and I think that that is the trade-off for getting it this quick.
- I personally enjoy it more than Wingspan because I don't I do think that that game drags a little bit, especially at the higher player counts.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video rM48eRy6_q0
Stonemaier Games Analysis at 11:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 93431 · mention_pk 252728
Click to watch at 11:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The box is smaller and more portable than the original.
- The box design is stable on shelves.
- Designed to be accessible, lighter, shorter, and more streamlined for new players.
- Rules are presented clearly in a 1-2-3 step format.
- Rulebook and reference card provide thorough teaching.
- Nest card doubles as a scorecard.
- Action tokens help players track their turn and indicate completion.
- Bird cards are double-sided.
- Includes special pink eggs with gold flecks.
- Includes feather tokens (originally designed for Wingspan) as action tokens.
Cons
- The original box size was not practical for the 'Pocket' designation.
- Some initial component designs did not reflect the game's ease of play.
- Decisions were made about the representation of food on the back of cards.
- Tiny goal cards were initially considered standard but were made optional to keep the game lighter and shorter.
- Debated different egg colors but settled on one color to avoid confusion and maintain accessibility.
- The use of action tokens was debated, as they are not strictly necessary for core gameplay but aid in tracking and teaching.
Thematic elements
- Birds, nests, eggs
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose actions from their nest.
- Card Play — Players play bird cards into their flock.
- Resource Management — Players manage food and eggs.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We wanted to make this box the basically the right size, which is an odd thing to say.
- I chose natural rubber here instead of cardboard for a couple reasons.
- The main reason being that it could fit better in this box, but I also thought, you know, people are always asking us for rubber playmat versions of our player mats and our game boards.
- We actually tried it. We tried to flip around the information on each of the locations that was relevant that's relevant to the Scythe player, and it instantly became a visually visual mess. Like it was confusing to look at, like surprisingly confusing.
- Honestly, like when you play Scythe, you probably aren't facing the board from the top down. You're probably facing it from some odd direction anyway.
- Pocket is referring is kind of not a nod to it being a smaller box game, but also more importantly being a nod to pouch or pocket nest that some birds make.
- It's it's very small. It's not expensive for them to purchase. They can they can stock a lot of it pretty easily if they want to.
- The a big point in this game is to introduce people to the world of Wingspan through a game that is lighter, shorter, and more streamlined.
- We found that sometimes players would get a bit little bit lost in where they are in their turn even though it's just a single row of cards.
- And just fun fact like these were the original tokens that we were going to put in Wingspan instead of cubes instead of action cubes, but these are much more expensive.
- We wanted a booster pack type style of packaging.
- This content does fit in the original Origin Story box.
- We found people like in uh in Rolling Realms for example, they like to be able to tear it horizontally so they can kind of retain the integrity of the pack if they want that.
- This is a very simple streamlined product.
References (from this video)
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Video S54FKQH-_sw
Tantrum House Top List at 13:15 sentiment: positive
video_pk 93044 · mention_pk 250972
Click to watch at 13:15 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Quick 30-minute version of Wingspan
- Accessible and beautiful
- Simple
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Attracting birds to habitats.
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card game — Primarily component-based with cards.
- Set Collection — Creating one row of birds.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- All right. Number four, we've got Cano from Mad to Go for two to four players. Takes about 30 minutes to play. I like games about art and this one has that creating Japanese painted scrolls in the game.
- but the art is what sort of really drew me in.
- you're trying to make patterns when you put them on your board to lay tiles. It did look interesting.
- I have Night at the Zoo. This is another tiling game. I love laying tiles.
- really interesting it's designed The designer is the same person who did Sagrada and Aquatica, which are heavy Euro games, but this is a lighter tiling game.
- I thought it was a fun theme.
- So, I'm anticipating Pulitzer from 25th Century Games, and this is an investigative journalist themed game. I was a journalism major in college, so I'm always interested in these themed games.
- With strings that you're I don't know exactly how it all it but it just looks really cool and interesting being able to put your strings from the different pieces of evidence you've found. tactile
- So, if nothing else, the theme and the components have definitely made me interested in this game.
- We've got Lord of the Rings: Circle of Conflict. I should say right off the start, it says this is an Essen release, but I believe they might have a limited copies available at Gen Con, so I'm going to call this a pre-Gen Con pre-release at Gen Con.
- My understanding is you're playing against your two neighbors, the players to your left and right. So, each person has a shadow troops and the free peoples army. And so, your shadow troops are playing against your neighbors free people, and your free people is playing against your other neighbors shadow troops.
- I believe this is a dice allocation game. So, rolling dice and then using them to do actions and powers and things like that.
- Lord of the Rings theme, which is a theme that we really enjoy.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video VjJsSmRSg9Q
The Mill Discussion at 7:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 92843 · mention_pk 249676
Click to watch at 7:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Perfect for travel and takes up little room
- Simplified version of Wingspan
- Quick and travel friendly
- Good intro game
- Features new birds, including African and Antarctic species
- Large print run of 175,000 copies ensures availability
Cons
- Requires adjusting to the single-row activation mechanic
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players activate one row per turn.
- Card-driven game — Activates a single row each turn, a simplified approach from the original Wingspan.
- iconography — The game relies heavily on icons for simplification.
- Set Collection — Features new birds including some from Africa and one penguin from Antarctica.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So, this is an exciting week if you are a Stonemer Games fan because it is launch week.
- So, the idea of Duel Melac here, if you don't know, it is a standalone game.
- She was so enthusiastic and passionate about this little game.
- So, it's kind of simplified in that way.
- The other big piece is so this is a very tiny box said we literally brought this on our Alaskan cruise this summer.
- It is a race to four stars.
- I will say it's very important when you play Duel of Melo to look at what you're getting those stars for because if you just go in being like, 'Oh, I'm just playing my normal way I play Scythe,' it's going to be a little slow.
References (from this video)
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Video JuVaxJLFKXs
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Top List at 14:18 sentiment: positive
video_pk 92838 · mention_pk 249651
Click to watch at 14:18 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
Positive
Pros
- Shorter experience than the original Wingspan
- Easier to carry and teach
- Satisfying engine-building
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Building and activating a row of birds, creating an engine of eggs, food, cards, and points
- Nature, birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Wormspan
- Fin Span
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — players focus on building and activating a row of birds.
- Engine Building — an engine-building game and it still has that familiar satisfaction of turning a habitat into a little machine of eggs, food, cards, and points.
- Set Collection — building and activating a row of birds.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Finally, I I have been waiting a really long time to play a complete game of this from start to finish.
- this is a big sprawling game of exploration, expansion, and conflict among the major powers of Star Trek
- it is definitely worth the evening that it can easily consume.
- Wingspan Pocket is designed to be a shorter card-driven Wingspan experience.
- it is streamlined into something easier to carry, easier to teach, and easier to fit that window of time until dinner is ready.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ndw8xqrgCak
Stonemaier Games Discussion at 10:26 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80182 · mention_pk 194706
Click to watch at 10:26 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- 30-minute playtime
- Retains the satisfying engine feel of Wingspan
- High-quality and thoughtful components
- Introduces new green powers
- Excellent for onboarding new players
- More accessible than the original Wingspan
Cons
- Doesn't quite fit in a pocket despite the name
Thematic elements
- Birds and their habitats
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — Players acquire bird cards, which can also be used as food.
- Engine Building — Players build an engine by activating single rows of bird cards.
- Set Collection — Collecting sets of birds and eggs contributes to scoring.
- Variable player powers — Each bird card has unique abilities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It was a 7 and 1/2 hour game day, and I played 10 games while during that time. And there was one group that played this game World Order that played That's all they played.
- The frog can give it and the frog can take it away.
- This is we really worked on like the rules, the reference card, the packaging, the card design, every single element to make it as onboarding friendly and player friendly as possible.
- So, I went online and I picked up this, which is the Spin Master release of the CMON DC Super Heroes United Batman Hush.
- I just remember solving puzzles in my head and just like the thrill of like knowing that I was figuring stuff out, not even winning or losing. Just the thrill of knowing, 'Oh wow, I can figure this out. I can suss this out.'
- It's a beautiful game.
- It's like the drawer of no touchies, which again sounds very inappropriate
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AshTA0-gByQ
BoardGameCo News at 12:45
video_pk 80126 · mention_pk 194525
Click to watch at 12:45 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's more expensive for US buyers because of tariffs. Tariffs cost money. We are passing that cost on to you because it's your country that's making you pay that, not us.
- a $200 board game, which is a lot of money for something that is not crowdfunding.
- I will admit I got a lot of sticker shock at that price point.
- Origins always in a weird space for me. Again, I love it, but also feels like it's declining every year. The board game presence feels like it's dropping each year.
- As a general convention, it's a blast. I have fun. I will probably go back every single year.
- I've slowly been cutting back in that effort of maintaining balance in my life.
- The things I enjoy the most with the expansion are probably small like card hunting abilities.
- It's such a challenging puzzle. I really enjoy it. Highly recommend it.
- I also think it still suffers and and is in the shadow of Bunny Kingdom for me.
- I think it is certainly not a Calico or Cascadia replacement for me.
- Ultimately gets priority over Flip Seven with a Vengeance, even if I am chasing that burst and like a few casual viewers and all that.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video AshTA0-gByQ
BoardGameCo News at 14:12
video_pk 80126 · mention_pk 194532
Click to watch at 14:12 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's more expensive for US buyers because of tariffs. Tariffs cost money. We are passing that cost on to you because it's your country that's making you pay that, not us.
- a $200 board game, which is a lot of money for something that is not crowdfunding.
- I will admit I got a lot of sticker shock at that price point.
- Origins always in a weird space for me. Again, I love it, but also feels like it's declining every year. The board game presence feels like it's dropping each year.
- As a general convention, it's a blast. I have fun. I will probably go back every single year.
- I've slowly been cutting back in that effort of maintaining balance in my life.
- The things I enjoy the most with the expansion are probably small like card hunting abilities.
- It's such a challenging puzzle. I really enjoy it. Highly recommend it.
- I also think it still suffers and and is in the shadow of Bunny Kingdom for me.
- I think it is certainly not a Calico or Cascadia replacement for me.
- Ultimately gets priority over Flip Seven with a Vengeance, even if I am chasing that burst and like a few casual viewers and all that.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 7zjxT-XyyCk
Board Of It Review at 0:03 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 80073 · mention_pk 194298
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Plays very quickly.
- It's not bad.
- Has the core of Wingspan.
Cons
- Takes up a lot of table space.
- More limited than the original Wingspan.
- The joy of the original game is not there.
- The end game conditions are tricky.
- Can be difficult for experienced Wingspan players to adapt to.
- Feels more limited in acquiring birds and food.
- Engine building was not really there for one reviewer.
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — Players play birds by paying their cost and putting them into their row. Activating brown power birds happens each time an action is taken.
- Marketplace — There is a marketplace with four birds on display and four types of food to pick from.
- Resource Management — Players draw food resources and use them to play birds. The availability of specific food types can be limiting.
- Set Collection — The game involves collecting birds and eggs on birds for scoring, with end-game conditions related to eggs on birds.
- Tableau Building — Players build a row of bird cards in their tableau, with the game ending when a player gets six birds.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Wingspan Pocket occupies a little bit of a weird space because at the core, it is just Wingspan with some of the edges trimmed off.
- I think I would never play this unless we're going on holiday.
- It's just that for me, to make it smaller and more lean, I think it could have been done in different ways where you're not cutting out the cool parts of the game.
- It's not bad. It's just that I yeah, we don't know why you would want this over Wingspan unless it was specifically that you're addicted and you want to play it when traveling, basically.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video l6IsfY1vDZA
kovray Rules Teach at 0:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80077 · mention_pk 194302
Click to watch at 0:05 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Offers flexibility through resource trading.
- Bird powers add strategic depth (brown powers optional, green powers permanent).
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Gathering a flock of birds
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Each turn consists of three phases, starting with choosing one of three nest actions: play a bird, draw cards, or lay eggs.
- Card Drafting — Players draw two cards, which can be bird cards, resources, or one of each.
- End game trigger — The game ends when one player has played six bird cards, after which play continues until all players have had an equal number of turns.
- Resource Management — Players pay costs using resources from their reserve or eggs from their flock, with an option to trade two resources for one.
- Set Collection — Points are awarded for collected birds, eggs, and tucked cards.
- Variable player powers — Bird powers are activated when the player token moves across the flock, with brown powers being optional and green powers being permanent.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- And together we make up cardboard couple that loves to play board games.
- Let's go to the table and let's learn how to play.
- You're now ready to play.
- Now, that's the first phase, taking one nest action.
- Now, once you reach the right-most card, your turn comes to an end.
- And that's Wingspan Pocket.
- Do you have any questions? Leave them in the comments down below and get back to you as soon as we can.
- And if you found this video helpful, make sure you hit that thumbs up button, hit that subscribe button if you're new cuz we love talking and teaching board games.
- And hit that little bell cuz then you know when our next videos come out and we can all partake in the joy of board gaming.
- Now, for our question of the day, what is your favorite pocket?
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OIIbtLxGv6s
Tantrum House Preview at 0:06
video_pk 80104 · mention_pk 194376
Click to watch at 0:06 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Let me know in the comments which ones you're interested.
- Let me know in the comments which one you want us to talk about next.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video -1jBLEcfuDo
The Dice Tower Discussion at 39:27:28 sentiment: positive
video_pk 80017 · mention_pk 193981
Click to watch at 39:27:28 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Small 30 minute version of Wingspan
- Reviews all over the internet
Cons
- Only six birds
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bird placement — Players place six birds.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- You can feel good you're a board gamer because if you buy a physical board game, no one can ever come and take that from you.
- It's like a long-term rental. As soon as these companies decide, h we're
- If you were at East, you didn't miss anything.
- Happy birthday, mama.
- It's always been an engine builder and it's always been a relaxing kind of game.
- My wife can now fall asleep to it, which is a new thing, which is great, which is fantastic. Which is good. Uh, it's just it's just more accessible and less of a puzzle than it used to be.
- Judge Vance, who many of you might not know, but if you watch Dice House for a long time, back in the day, the Chief, Bart, the Chief, who used to be a board game breakfast contributor, he started a show called Ham Tag, which was a riff on our top 10, half as many, twice as good.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video YLo67Pz7waA
Review at 0:02 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79904 · mention_pk 193499
Click to watch at 0:02 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Smaller, quicker version of Wingspan
- Plays up to five players
- Automa works really well
- Food on the back of cards
- Cards act as both food and birds
- Brown powers resolve on every turn
- Double-sided goal cards for variety
- Automa difficulty is easily modifiable
- Preferred Wingspan game for budget play
- Mix of food and birds on the back of cards is interesting
- Feels more controlled with food availability compared to original
- Single row of powers activates every time
- Goals work great with lots of variety
- Automa is great and options change turn to turn
- Game is a ton of fun and easy/quick to play
Cons
- Still takes up a decent amount of space
- Power variety is much less compared to other Wingspan games
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Wormspan
- Fins Span
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auto-play Opponent — And there's an automa that works really well. [...] you can modify the difficulty. You can take out cards seven and eight if you're playing at beginner level.
- Card Drafting — You divide the deck into four somewhat equal piles, and you have one card in front of each pile. So, you can see the food that's on top of the deck, and you can see the birds that are down here.
- Engine Building — Basically are running the exact same engine over and over again. [...] I like putting together combos.
- Set Collection — The goals are going to make eggs worth more on certain birds.
- Variable player powers — every power is a brown power that you get to resolve on every single one of your turns. [...] there are a few birds in here [...] that have a green power, that's an ongoing power
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Basically are running the exact same engine over and over again.
- The goals are going to make eggs worth more on certain birds.
- I love this. I think this is awesome.
- Making it a more bite-size quicker experience, I think is awesome.
- So, it's now my preferred span game for a budget play, I guess.
- I think Wingspan Pocket is great.
- And if you're not a fan of Wingspan, this might be your best jumping-in point.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video d9qmYTUCeYc
Review at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79852 · mention_pk 193413
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Lighter, swifter version of Wingspan
- Quick and simple turns
- Plays in 30 minutes
- Accessible for ages 8 and up
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Gather the best flock of birds from around the world.
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Turns are quick and simple. Take one of the three actions on your nest, then activate powers from left to right on all birds in your flock.
- Engine Building — As the game goes on, your flock will get more powerful as you gain more abilities.
- Hand Management — Players spend food cards from their reserve and eggs from their nest or a bird to attract new birds.
- Set Collection — Players aim to have the most points from their birds, remaining eggs, and tucked cards within their flock at the end of the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Wingspan Pocket is a lighter, swifter version of the award-winning Wingspan, where you'll compete to gather the best flock of birds from around the world.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video IQfjMDnYfLY
Unboxing at 0:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79871 · mention_pk 193468
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Great art from Wingspan
- Fits in your pocket (with caveats)
Cons
- May require a large pocket like a cargo pocket
Thematic elements
- Swift Wingspan game
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card draw — The backs of the cards show different foods and invertebrates, and not always grain and invertebrate, it can be rodent and invertebrate, which is different from the dice.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It seems like a dream camping game for me and my wife.
- It's one of the richest parts of the board game community.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ESXedUT1r8U
Review at 0:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79850 · mention_pk 193412
Click to watch at 0:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Completely different game from original Wingspan, not just a mini-sized version
- Engine builds much faster than original Wingspan due to single row activation
- Engine runs every turn, creating a sense of constant accomplishment
- Encourages synergistic combos
- Goals are very focused and drive player decisions, increasing card competition
- Simpler powers and fewer symbols, making it easier to learn
- Shorter game length makes it more accessible for new gamers
- Smaller table presence, easier to bring to game nights
- Plays well at higher player counts (up to four mentioned)
- Solo mode is well-implemented and engaging
- Captures the 'heart' of Wingspan in a compact way
- Beautiful art
Cons
- Not truly 'pocket-sized' (more like 'backpack')
- Lacks the complexity and depth of the original Wingspan
- Not as visually impressive as the original (no tower, chunky dice, elaborate food tokens)
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Wormspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card activation — Activating all cards in the flock from left to right to gain resources or effects.
- Engine Building — Playing birds to form a tableau where cards activate to create an engine.
- Goal Fulfillment — Scoring points for birds, eggs, and tucked cards that meet specific goal conditions.
- Market manipulation — The changing market of available bird cards, influenced by player actions and card powers.
- Resource Management — Spending food to play bird cards and managing resources like food and eggs.
- Set Collection — Collecting birds with specific criteria to meet game goals.
- solo mode — A solo mode that allows competitive play against an automa, mirroring player actions with minimal upkeep.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- "Wingspan Pocket is a one to five player game designed by Elizabeth Hargrave, which as the title suggests is a mini-sized version of Wingspan."
- "I think if someone asked me, like is this worth having with the other ones? Is this different enough? It's totally different. This is really a completely different game."
- "because you're only have the one row that you're adding cards to, that engine that you're building happens so much faster."
- "I think almost more interesting to me than normal Wingspan."
- "I've had all basically every game I'm looking only for birds that can fulfill those two things."
- "Yeah, anytime a bird has both criteria it's going to be scooped up right away."
- "This is a lot more simplistic because there are those different powers in the cards but there's only kind of six or seven powers and all of those powers are super simple."
- "Wingspan was the easiest to learn fan span game. This is far far easier. You could teach this to most folks."
- "Although one thing I will say, my one big complaint with this game is I don't know how big they think pockets are."
- "Wingspan's probably my least favorite of the three span games. I really like this one."
- "This It's not really even like mini Wingspan. This is really its own thing that has some of the concepts from Wingspan, but it does feel like quite a different game."
- "But it does capture the heart of it and boy does it do it well."
- "And of course the biggest tricky is that you're going to need some bigger pockets."
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video zBspcDoNzjE
Review at 0:23 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79857 · mention_pk 193430
Click to watch at 0:23 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strategic
- Quick
- Educational (bird facts)
- Similar feel to original Wingspan
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players choose from a limited set of actions on their turn.
- Area Control — Players compete for control over specific areas on the board.
- Card Drafting — Players draw cards from a common pool or deal.
- Engine Building — Players build up a system of card powers that generate resources or points over time.
- Set Collection — Players collect sets of cards or resources to achieve objectives or score points.
- Worker Placement — Players place tokens on action spaces to trigger abilities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The beak makes up a third of the toucan's length, but only 3% of its weight.
- This is the most numerous wild bird with an estimated population of 1.5 billion.
- Now, snowy owls are rare among owls in that they are active during the day.
- The resplendent quetzal. Tucked.
- This showy bird builds mud nests attached to a rock face.
- This is the national bird of Honduras, where it's featured in Maya sculptures.
- Orioles weave pouch nests that hang from a tree branch.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video KQvDHhDppwI
Review at 0:25 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79866 · mention_pk 193459
Click to watch at 0:25 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Perfect for a leaner, meaner, grab-on-the-go type of experience.
- Works perfectly for vacation gaming.
- Fits the need for something tight, efficient, clever, and curious at the end of an exhausting day.
- Better than most games of this size.
- Great small box game that plays up to five and gives a lot of goods in a short amount of time.
- For dedicated fans wanting a grab-and-go experience.
- Good for those who liked the original but wanted it tighter, leaner, meaner.
Cons
- The sheer efficiency of the design cuts down on the ferocity of certain broken wombo combos.
- Common Raven is nowhere near the menace it was in the original.
- Missed opportunity to have a fourth brand new Span game that was all about bugs, insects.
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action consolidation — All four primary actions from the original are consolidated onto one lane, activating bird powers even when playing a bird.
- Card-based resources — Food is no longer from tokens and dice, but on the backs of bird cards in four decks.
- Lane-based play — There is only one lane, with birds always played to the right of the row. Habitats are no longer split.
- Simplified powers — The range of bird effects is simplified, with most powers relying on symbology, making it less nuanced but not 'dumbed down'.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- You know, cardboard comfort food.
- And there's something that feels kind of wrong in a deliciously devious sort of way about playing a bird to the end of your row and immediately activating that row as part of the action.
- It gives it a bit of a flighty pepper, an edge to it that the original never had.
- Now, don't get me wrong, I love Wingspan, but where the original felt methodical, this one feels a little bit more on tilt in a way that I really like.
- Wingspan Pocket is in no way redundant in my collection, and is honestly better than most of the games of this size that I have.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 1tc3C4eSmko
Review at 2:04 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 79870 · mention_pk 193467
Click to watch at 2:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Plays quickly (25-35 minutes).
- Condensed version of Wingspan that feels more impactful due to repeated activation of fewer cards.
- The row-building puzzle makes the chosen cards matter significantly.
- Feels less restrictive than traditional Wingspan, making it easier to get needed resources.
- Meaningfully different from Wingspan, offering a distinct experience.
- The continuous activation of the row provides a rewarding gameplay loop.
Cons
- The reviewer is not personally pulled into the theme or cards of Wingspan, and this remains true for Pocket.
- Can lead to potentially broken combos if a player gets a strong starting sequence.
- Might not appeal to those who are already not engaged by Wingspan's theme or mechanics.
- The limited tableau of six cards might not offer enough depth for some players long-term.
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Catan on the Road
- Everdell
- Zombicide
- Nemesis
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — On your turn, you choose one of three actions: play a bird, draw two cards, or lay up to three eggs.
- Card Drafting — Players can draw any two cards or activate abilities on their bird cards.
- Card Play — On your turn, you can play a bird card by spending the required resources (eggs, food).
- Engine Building — Players build a row of six cards to create an efficient engine for earning points, food, or more cards.
- Resource Management — Players manage food resources (worms, rats, fish, wheat) and eggs to play bird cards.
- Set Collection — Players collect food resources like worms, rats, and fish to play bird cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Wingspan Pocket is exactly what it sounds like, a pocket version of Wingspan.
- It is basically Wingspan. It's Wingspan with changes, that's what the game is.
- This is fast-acting Wingspan with one row, and just playing until you have six cards.
- The row you're building and the tableau you're building somehow feels more rewarding than traditional Wingspan for me.
- I do think this is different enough from Wingspan that it has a place.
- I don't think of it as a cash grab per se, but like, hey, people want Wingspan.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video j50HZ_DOcyg
Review at 0:30 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79836 · mention_pk 193395
Click to watch at 0:30 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Streamlined mechanisms that get to the core of the game.
- Double-sided cards make the game work without requiring a lot of resources and keep the price down.
- Activating birds every turn keeps things engaging.
- Pure and streamlined experience.
- Tucking mechanism scores points.
- Perfect for those overwhelmed by the original Wingspan.
- Provides the Wingspan feeling in a shorter playtime.
- Good decisions can still be made quickly.
- Can be played again easily due to its short playtime.
Cons
- Luck of the draw plays a bigger part due to the shorter game.
- Less time to synergize certain combos, making luck a bigger factor.
Thematic elements
- bird watching
Comparison games
- Wingspan
- Max versus Minions
- Acquire
- Monopoly
- Uno
- Catan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Turns are quick and simple. Take one of the three actions on your nest, then activate powers from left to right on all birds in your flock.
- Card Drafting — Instead of starting your turn by playing a bird, you might instead gain up to three eggs, each onto a different card, or draw any two cards, food or bird cards from double-sided cards.
- End game scoring — Points from birds, remaining eggs, and tucked cards within your flock.
- Engine Building — As the game goes on, your flock will get more powerful as you gain more abilities.
- Set Collection — You're trying to have the most points from your birds, remaining eggs, and tucked cards within your flock.
- Solo/Automa — It also comes with an Automa robust solo mode as well.
- Tucking cards — Allows you to tuck a bird underneath it to gain a point at the end of the game.
- Variable player powers — Each bird has powers that activate from left to right on all birds in your flock.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Grail games are games that you've always wanted but are no longer in print and very hard to find, hence finding the holy grail.
- Everything about this game is streamlining out any extrapular thing to get it to its most small core nugget of mechanism, that's what it does.
- This is for people who have been drawn into Wingspan... but it's just too long and it's just too too complicated for me.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video C0TnQ7Osv68
Rules Teach at 0:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79643 · mention_pk 193178
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Swifter, lighter version of Wingspan
- Double-sided cards
- Row activations in every turn
- Icon-driven, making it more accessible
- Plays in about 25-30 minutes
- Score track built into the game
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — Players can play a bird, draw two cards, or lay up to three eggs on different cards as their turn action.
- Resource Management — Players collect food cards which are used as costs to play birds.
- Row activation — Players activate an entire row of cards on every turn. This is a key difference from the original Wingspan, allowing players to activate the bird played on the current turn.
- Set Collection — Players collect birds, eggs, and tucked cards, which all contribute to scoring at the end of the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- A swifter, lighter version of Wingspan that features double-sided cards and row activations in every turn.
- The game really moves quickly. Uh you're you're activating very quickly. It's very icon driven uh making it more accessible than Wingspan.
- Unlike the original Wingspan, I get to activate an entire row and even activate the bird that I played on this turn.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 8ZXX6_mUZsY
Review at 0:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 79660 · mention_pk 193211
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Swifter, lighter version of Wingspan.
- Plays in around 30 minutes.
- Full activation of tableau on every turn makes the game move at a brisk pace.
- Streamlined benefits depicted in icons.
- Manageable complexity with only one row and six cards.
- New ongoing benefits add interesting choices.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- birds
Comparison games
- Wingspan
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — On your turn, you choose one core action: play a bird, draw two cards, or put one egg on up to three different cards.
- Double-sided cards — Cards are double-sided, featuring birds on one side and food on the other. When drawing cards, players can choose from a display with both food and bird sides visible.
- Ongoing benefits — A new type of benefit in this game are green benefits that are ongoing abilities, such as using specific food types or providing discounts on bird costs.
- Set Collection — The game is played until a player has six birds in play.
- Tableau Building — After choosing a core action, you activate all cards in your tableau, including the one just played.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- So, this is a swifter, lighter version of Wingspan that can be played in around 30 minutes for one to five players.
- On your turn, you'll start your turn by using your nest to choose one core action. You'll either play a bird, you'll draw two cards, or you'll put one egg on three different cards, one egg on up to three different cards.
- So, on every turn, even turns where you are playing birds, which I think is kind of a pretty key favorite mechanism here for me, you get to activate your full row, including that bird that you just played.
- And that makes the game move along at a very brisk pace.
- The other key to this is that it is a game where you're playing until a player has six birds in play.
- Because there is a new type of benefit in this game, one of my other favorite mechanisms. There are these green benefits that are ongoing benefits.
- The other thing that you may have noticed if I flash them on camera a little bit here is that these cards are all double-sided. They have birds on one side and they have food on the other.
- So you are looking for some opportune moments in this game based on which cards are actually available at a specific time in the game.
- Those are my favorite mechanisms in Wingspan Asia. I'm really adoring this game and can't wait to share it with you.
- I'm saying new because it's new to Wingspan or different from Wingspan, but this really is a standalone game.
References (from this video)
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