How to Play Wingspan: A Beginner’s Guide to Taking Flight

Whether you’re a seasoned tabletop veteran or a casual gamer looking for something beautiful to grace your table, Wingspan is a must-play. Designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and published by Stonemaier Games, this bird-collection, engine-building masterpiece has taken the world by storm.

But how do you actually play? If the 170 unique bird cards and the birdfeeder dice tower look a bit intimidating, don't worry. This guide from Goblin Games will have you soaring in no time.

The Goal: Build the Ultimate Sanctuary

In Wingspan, you are a bird enthusiast (researchers, bird watchers, and collectors) seeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves. The winner is the player with the most Victory Points (VP) after four rounds.

You score points through:

• The VP value printed on your bird cards.
• Bonus cards and end-of-round goals.
• Eggs, cached food, and "tucked" cards on your board.

Setting the Stage: The Setup

To start, every player receives the following essentials:

• A Player Mat: Your sanctuary divided into three habitats (Forest, Grassland, Wetland).
• 8 Action Cubes: These represent your turns for the round.
• 5 Bird Cards & 5 Food Tokens: You must choose a combined total of 5 to keep (e.g., 3 birds and 2 food).
• 2 Bonus Cards: Pick one to keep and discard the other.

How to Play: The 4 Core Actions

On your turn, you place an action cube on one of the four rows on your mat. As you add birds to these rows, your actions become more powerful.

1. Play a Bird (Top Row)

To put a bird card from your hand into a habitat, you must pay its food cost (shown in the top-left) and the egg cost (indicated at the top of the column). Birds must be played from left to right in their respective habitats.

2. Gain Food (Forest Habitat)

The Forest is where you gather resources. Check the leftmost empty slot in the Forest row to see how many dice you can take from the birdfeeder.

Pro Tip: If all dice in the birdfeeder show the same face (or only one die remains), you can reroll them all before picking!

3. Lay Eggs (Grassland Habitat)

Eggs are essential for playing more birds and are worth 1 point each at the end of the game. Place the number of eggs indicated by your Grassland row on any bird cards that have available "nest" space.

4. Draw Bird Cards (Wetland Habitat)

The more birds you see, the better! This action lets you draw cards from the three face-up birds in the tray or blindly from the deck.

Activating the "Engine"

This is where the magic happens. After you take an action (Gain Food, Lay Eggs, or Draw Cards), you move your action cube from right to left across that row.

If you have birds with Brown "When Activated" powers, you get to use their abilities! This creates a "combo" effect—for example, a bird in your Wetland might let you tuck a card (score a point) every time you draw new cards.

Strategy Tips for Beginners

• Focus on one habitat early: Getting two or three birds into one row quickly makes that action significantly more efficient.
• Watch the Goals: End-of-round goals are a huge source of points. Check them during setup and try to play birds that meet those specific requirements (e.g., "Birds with Bowl Nests").
• The "Killdeer" Strategy: Look for birds that allow you to "cross-pollinate." Some birds live in the Grasslands but let you draw cards, saving you from using a separate Wetland action.

Ready to Take Flight?

Wingspan is a game that rewards curiosity and strategy, all wrapped in some of the most stunning artwork in the hobby. Whether you're playing solo or with a group of five, it’s a relaxing yet deeply rewarding experience.

Want to add Wingspan to your collection? Browse our full selection of board games here!