Why Everdell Is A Better Game Than Wingspan

[@brennanoonan]

Thanks so much! I was one of the developers of Everdell so appreciate the praise. I'm so glad to see so many loving both games.

[@BoardGameCo]

Oh hey :) Color me a fan then. Now I just need to play all the expansions :)

[@brennanoonan]

@@BoardGameCo interested to hear what you think! Spirecrest is my personal favorite though I probably shouldn’t pick favorites ;)

[@ВячеславШолохов-ф9п]

And did an awesome job! My personal top 1 game!

[@SapSapient]

You are missed in the Everdell community!

[@revimfadli4666]

@@SapSapient was she the one behind the publisher's BGG account? James is active there too isn't he?

[@koonfasa]

OMG, my niece just whooped me 72-49. I was done, then with her last move she unlocked a storehouse of berries, took the Tax relief (another production phase) and gave them berries to the minor mole who copied my doctor. Did it again with the chip sweep, picked up and then played the husband in the last free spot and also had a monk who gave me the remaining berries and then used my post office to burn for points. Scored like 20+ points. She’s eight! Yeah she has been copying a few of my combos, but chaining all that together was...

[@BassByTheBay]

Reading "She's eight!" made me LOL. 😀

[@lugo8824]

You must be proud. The student has become the master.

[@martingelinas9400]

Own them both, love them both. I agree with a lot of your points, but I want to nuance some others. In Everdell, it's true that the cards make you want them, but in the end, you mostly just wait for those cards to show up and it can be frustrating never seeing them. In Wingspan, your expectations when drafting cards are low, since you don't wait for a specific bird. Therefore, drafting cards that creates unexpected combos and synergies is a more satisfactory feeling in my opinion than finally being able to draft the card you want. I always loved this feeling of excitement when you find something you were not hoping to find. It's also true that Wingspan relies a lot on laying eggs, especially because of the end-of-rounds goal of the base game. The European Expansion corrects that problem by bringing new challenges that doesn't rely on eggs.

[@mattyweaves]

We had Wingspan & Everdell. Wingspan is gone, and I own two expansions for Everdell.

[@BoardGameCo]

A man of taste :)

[@thynarrowroad]

I played Wingspan about 12 times and it left my collection. Everdell has been played about 12 times and it is in my top 10. EVERDELL is a much more variable and enjoyable game. I always end my game of EVERDELL satisfied and am ready to play again.

[@MrN0b0dy85]

Everdell looks gorgeous but I have only played wingspan (I enjoyed) so I'm curious as to why you gentlemen prefer Everdell specifically?

[@Dehalove]

@@MrN0b0dy85 I think that is the point of this video lol

[@MrN0b0dy85]

@@Dehalove I was asking the gentlemen who posted above me not the OP.

[@kobusbrits3523]

Everdell is basically me and my wife's favorite! It is the type of game that works as a date night game, a cold night with hot chocolate game, a weekend with friends game, and a family game - love it!

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes!

[@Quackalope]

Quacking good episode :) - even if you are wrong.

[@BoardGameCo]

Wow, how did you know exactly what I was going to type over by you ;)

[@buddywahlquist2467]

Jesse, I can't wait to see you pretend like you prefer Wingspan!

[@timwanger4491]

The majority of your community disagrees here Jesse! Don't let us forget this little fact 😘😁

[@IvanMallia]

Everdell is more thematic and the artwork is so amazing.

[@asaskald]

Anyone that thinks Wingspan is better is an absolute Quackpot.

[@chris.devilliers]

"I could really use the Chihuahuan Raven right now" me every single time I play wingspan.

[@kbegemotHD]

True

[@PeteQuad]

Two reasons I like Wingspan. I haven't played Everdell but perhaps I will try it. 1. This level of game is good for playing with my family. Wingspan is fun whether you are serious or not and easy to play with my (mostly not gaming) family. 2. Birds are dinosaurs. You can see many of the dinosaurs in the game out your window or on a walk. Dinosaurs.

[@BoardGameCo]

Well I can't argue with reason 2.

[@ryandavenport3893]

I'm purchasing Everdell today, sold Wingspan a few months back. You nailed it with the statement about how all the birds "blurred together". Correct. Beautiful art, but at a point the cards just became....cards. The game left me very unsatisfied.

[@kmichaelmace]

If you are only laying eggs in the last round or two, you probably failed to build a solid engine and end game strategy. Also, losing a turn each round adds to the tension - which I like. Whereas in Everdell the same could be said regarding the last rounds. There have been many games where someone has filled up their village, have an abundance of workers and materials but nothing meaningful to do with them. Great video! Love the comparison.

[@buddywahlquist2467]

"I guess I'll lay eggs" could have been the entire video, and I would absolutely agree with you. The proof is in the fact that I knew you were going to say "lay eggs" as soon as the sentence started...

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes! I didn't even think of that one but 3 Min Board Games did a solid job there!

[@mylor1066]

My first game ended exactly like this.

[@jrjarvis1976]

I've found with the base game this is common. But with the expansion, particularly once you include the new round goals, "I guess I'll lay some eggs" happens much less often.

[@buddywahlquist2467]

@@jrjarvis1976 interesting...I've never thought to get either of the expansions because I never felt like it needed "more". I might have to check them out.

[@jrjarvis1976]

They add new round goals that aren't focused on eggs. And it may only be luck of the draw, but I find more often I'm building an engine I still have active things to do in the final turns that are more beneficial to eggs.

[@aba824]

I love those cross videos on both of your and Quackalope channel. I'm also proud of myself that I was a subscriber to both of channels before you become friends :D and was a witness of beginning of that friendship :)

[@BoardGameCo]

Feels like forever :) But been 5 months.

[@MewMewMakeVideo]

I think building the engine in everdell is just quite challenging for a first time playthrough, and I know for a lot of people that will make an impact. I felt like I learned while playing in Wingspan, and I learned only after I lost when I played everdell.

[@S0nyb1ack]

Great content as always! And while I personally disagree on some points (see below - though some of my counterpoint can come from personal preferences) I think you did an amazing job at presenting what you think is better in one game over the other. Here are a few couterpoints: - "I guess I'll lay eggs". This was my biggest criticism of the base game and it still happens with the European expansion, but FAR less often (it still happens, so it is not completely invalid, but it feels better with EUrope). A lot if the powers added in that expansion can make either cards in hand or unspend food as good as eggs for the last round. - what the expansion adds. Yes wingspan gets only cards in Europe, but those cards with the new color (triggering on round end) allow for certain strategies that were not possible in base wingspan. After 30ish games of base wingspan it certainly fealt different for me to play with the expansion, since I had to completely re-evaluate cards after seeing the explosiveness that can come from the right early round end card. And it makes the evaluation much more fluid in the sense that you have to take into consideration if you have that power in your hand or not. If you have it you have to decide if the investment into the bird is worth it to change the way you approach the game - you can simply play the way you would in the base game and discard that bird or you can go for a different approach. One more thing that help making the last round occasionally feel different are some of the new end of round scoring tiles from the expanion, where you could score for having the least eggs or the most cards in hand. - strategies. I don't see wingspan as do you go for food or eggs or cards, it is much more of an optimization "puzzle", where you maneuver yoursef into the position to get as much from public end of round goals and your private goals, given the cards you have available. In the end you will always score mayorly from eggs and birds and end of round goals, it is more about how to get to that point most efficiently (and see my points above - European expansion certainly changes this to some degree opening up the game in some completely new way, which i loved). So I guess in wingspan I shouldn't talk about strategies, but tactics - instead of trying to go for something I'll try to evaluate my hand and let that dictate in which direction I go. - really hoping for a certain card. I think wingspan has that, not as much with one specific card, but a group of cards - "please let me see a useful bird with a color in its name for my end game goal" (adding the often interesting decision if that bird isn't perfect for the situation - do you go for safer end of game scoring at the cost of a potentially weaker engine or will you gamble/give up on scoring to get the stronger engine (will it result in more points in the end?)). I actually somewhat disliked that you really need a certain person in Everdell and I think the meadow is really needed for that reason, otherwise I feel the game won't work as well. This might just be my impression after 3 or 4 games of everdell, but I prefer the wingspan way of me wanting a certain group of cards (and maybe my perception is a bit scewed, but I looove that Wingspan provides the percentages, so I have a pretty good feeling what kind of a risk I take when I make a decision without having the cards in hand). Don't get me wrong I enjoyed my plays of Everdell (and I think it is a really good game), but I decided I don't need it, since I fealt Wingspan gives me a similar feeling, but I liked it better (but take this opinion with a grain of salt - as said I played maybe 4 games of Evedell and I think we are going towards 50 plays of wingspan with my wife)

[@revimfadli4666]

I dislike Everdell's overly specific building & critter set collection/matching/pairing too, that's one of my least favourite things about the game. The extra large effective handsize with the Meadow somehow addresses it, but barely enough, especially as the Meadow cycles slower with less players That said, I've noticed that each card in the pair usually support different archetypes from one another, thus heavily incentivising players to play both of them also means subtly guiding them to run multiple combos/strategies at once, further reducing the risk of random card screwage

[@Schlagathor78]

I've been playing both a lot and I have switched my favor to Wingspan. Everdell does a lot right but the expansions don't blend as well imo. I love being able to just take any/every expansion for wingspan and it doesn't bog down gameplay

[@HedelTorres]

I really enjoyed both, Quackalope's episode and yours... i watched Quakalope's and was convinced.. then i watched yours, now i'm back on the fence in a state of analysis paralysis..

[@BoardGameCo]

Get both!

[@HedelTorres]

@@BoardGameCo good idea :)

[@charlesvalentine9638]

I watched this with my wife, and she asked me afterword which one I would like. I said Wingspan. Then she returned the copy of Everdell she had bought me for Christmas and replaced it with Wingspan. Not the result you might have intended, but it was very helpful!

[@BoardGameCo]

lol that's amasuing :)

[@alicemoore2036]

I like Wingspan better than Everdell. Why? First the price point is better. Excellent gameplay is possible with only the base set. Upgrading some of the components is good but, not essential to do. Engine building and tableau building are some of my favorite mechanics. The bird cards are a visual treat. There are so many in the base set. This makes replayability another plus. There are a reduced number of actions as the rounds advance. That is not a problem. In no other game can you say, “Acres and acres of Tweety Birds!”.

[@BoardGameCo]

Tweety birds is a solid argument.

[@misterlobsterman]

I love both games, and even if Wingspan can be clunky, we play it a lot more than Everdell. The reason is, my girlfriend always says she cant wrap her head around the sheer amount of usable cards on the table in the late game. As a gamer, I think Everdell is better, but from a casual perspective, Wingspan is a lot less daunting. Also she loves birds a lot.

[@nazar_matus]

I only played Everdell once, and I wasn't impressed. However the very first time I played Wingspan, I got hooked immediately! It might be me not expecting much from a game about birds though. Now I think I should give Everdell another shot.

[@21cabbage93]

I don’t really like games with quite a bit of luck but wingspan is so popular and I like the look and theme and thinking of a board game haul I’m getting Everdell I’m just wondering shall I get wingspan to?.

[@theRabbitFly]

What makes Everdell one of the top games in my collection is how it is deceivingly complex. How every time I play it I feel a better mastery of the game. How every time I play it I get dragged deeper into the hole that is optimizing your turn. With that being said, it is also one of the reasons Everdell gets less and less table time. Because my experience with Everdell is that, the more you play, the longer it will take. It is a strange monster in that regard. It is entirely enjoyable as a simple slightly superficial game with lots of enjoyable art and theme. However, the game offers a lot in reactionary strategy and with a big potential for combo making. The game feels so tight in it's first round, yet with the right combination of cards you can do so much, but it requires some thinking and adaptability. I find the puzzle so enjoyable because every time I try to find the solution, despite the fact that I probably wont find it, I will find a solution, and that solution will feel satisfactory. In fact, in many ways. I would argue that Everdell is the only game in my collection that will feel that intense from round one, that will ramp that intensity up with every season, where you will find it hard to limit yourself. Oh how many times I found the optimization puzzle too enticing. To the point that I loose out on big end game scoring opportunities because my village is filling up too quickly. While many other games, that I love and some that I probably hold above it, will give me the same feeling in very enjoyable bits. Everdell, once you invest in the experience, has the potential to be that from the very start. To be fair. I have also had less than stellar games of Everdell, especially in the beginning where I could not find ways to fully adapt to the cards being offered. And I have found myself relying too much on certain combos, which means loosing out on them could potentially feel like a big loss. However, because the game seems to open up more and more every time I play it. I also feel like those times are where the game really shines. When I am challenged to not only use what feels comfortable, but perhaps find new ways to optimize my cards with other combinations. Like the game I did manage to activate the monastery 4 times and I happened to draw the monk in the last season, while the monastery goal card was in play. It was amazing. Or the game where the 2 last turns was all about trying to manage who would end up with the pirate ship, which was especially important to me because it occupied the last space in my village and I desperately needed a big scoring card to make up for my earlier successes at the optimizing challenge. I actually think that Wingspan and Everdell fills quite different niches, at least they would to me. Because Everdell is no longer a beautiful game that comes to the table to bring in the uninitiated. Everdell has become a 3 hour battle for survival like no other, and I love it for it. But I also wish, it did not become quite so intimidating to bring to the table because of it. And though I would not trade this games presentation for the world. It was easily one of the reasons I got it in the first place. It does take up a lot of table space, probably quite a bit more than it should, which does bring it's own challenges when it comes to playing the game with more than 2-3 players.

[@citruesilver]

Another great video and an interesting comparison between 2 games that I own. All 8 points are valid and I agree with each and every one of them. Funnily though, Wingspan hits our table more often than Everdell and the reason is also quite easy to understand (you mentioned this yourself): - accessabilty: I have no regular gaming group of players that often and excessively play boardgames instead I play with my family (wife and 2 kids aged 10 and 12 atm) and with their friends or the grandparents etc. and it is a big plus if you can teach a game in approx. 5-10 minutes - simplicity: strongly connected to the first point: Not only are the rules easier to grasp but also the layout of the game and the more limited amount of choices make the gameflow better and the game is not as prone to AP as Everdell - gametime: a result of the first points: The game is quicker and seldom takes more than 1 hour whereas Everdell has regularly taken us 2 hours to finish I think as always the result depends on several factors but the most influencial imo is the group you are plaing the game with. As someone who owns a lot of games that tend to be on the heavier side (my all time favourite Top 10 games are: Twilight Struggle, Mage Knight, Robinson Crusoe, Fire in the Lake, Nemesis, Enemy Action Ardennes, X-Odus, Fields of Fire, Underwater Cities and Spirit Island) I wholeheartedly agree that Everdell is the better game mechanically and component wise but Wingspan is a favourite of the more 'average' gamers in my personal environment...

[@sarahschreffler5407]

This. My main gaming group is my kids (aged 15 and 11) and my parents (And occasionally my husband)

[@BoardGamesinaMinute]

I haven't played Wingspan (I know I might be the only board gamer alive who hasn't lol), but I think you made great arguments, and I bet I'd still agree with you even after playing Wingspan :D

[@BoardGameCo]

Oh you will :)

[@mitchstanek7809]

Great video! The line "And this is confirmation bias," made me subscribe. Love the content.

[@BoardGameCo]

:) Glad you enjoyed!

[@SipiTheOne]

I'm wondering how hard it is for Jesse to side with Wingspan when he very well knows that Everdell is the top dog (or critter)

[@BoardGameCo]

Jesse has always been team underdog :)

[@npckse8508]

@@BoardGameCo Pretty sure Everdell is the underdog here, at least as far as sales and critical acclaim goes

[@TheLuminousCleric]

@@npckse8508 Really? Why?

[@mrsteve4569]

I really love you two doing this. It’s a fun point/counter-point debate. And of course, Everdell is better.

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol it's fun :) Which is why I do this.

[@andrewweber3286]

If I played Wingspan a couple of times and didn’t enjoy it, is it a safe bet that I wouldn’t like this?

[@joshuaallenhale]

Nope. I did not really like Wingspan, but Everdell is in my top 5. Very different games.

[@revimfadli4666]

I used to think that Everdell's forced pairs would only restrict you and make your tactics depend on card draw. While it still does those to some degree, I noticed that most cards in those pairs belong to different combos/archetypes, which cleverly pushes players to prepare for multiple random outcomes rather than lock onto just one

[@scottwallbank4794]

I love both these games, but there is something about Everdell that makes me smile like a big kid with the cute animal workers and gorgeous artwork. The tree is gratuitous and awesome 😄

[@LordoftheBoard]

Great video Alex. Buttttt you know where I stand. #wingspan. Me and my wife have full on debates about this though 😂

[@BoardGameCo]

You sir....you were a surprise to me :)

[@LordoftheBoard]

@@BoardGameCo haha I was hoping so. It was fun to do. Maybe we can disagree with Jesse on something sometime 😁

[@BoardGameCo]

@@LordoftheBoard Count me in :)

[@Nasher1976PSN]

Reasons?!

[@Acrator17]

I won't argue which game is better, since I have never played Everdell, but I do not agree with some of your assessments regarding wingspan. As a disclaimer, most of my wingspan experience comes from 2 player games, green scorecard (I point this out because I believe Wingspan experience is different depending on the number of players). Yes, the options are limited, but not to 3 possible strategies. Basic are, indeed, good, eggs, or cards, but also playing birds (specially with the expansions). Then comes mixing the objectives: should I enrich my egg engine with food to score points, food to play birds for its points or my bonus cards, add card abilities or add more to lay eggs so I spend more time on other objectives. If your last option is thinking "well, I will lay some eggs", you are playing it the wrong way. Each action, each turn should focus on how I make more points per turn: most of the time I found myself in a situation where my last 5 turns have better options than laying eggs (specially after the expansions that kind of balance the game). At first I also thought luck had a a lot to do with the performance of the players. After 500 documented games (there should be more) I've learned that is not the case. You have to count, you have an idea of the proportion of the cards, how likely it is for something to play out, take high risk high reward movements or stick to secure moves. In a 1v1 situation you can also time your moves, read your opponent to block its plan, delay your plan to detour to other actions so it affects your opponent. I just saw a tournament match, the loser got a bird winning combination, yet the other guy, the winner, played really well so the opponent had no chance to profit on its lucky hand. Of course, there are bad games, but most of the time I blame my inability to make a bad hand work. Also, my score has constantly increased, so has my girlfriend's score. I cannot believe how many times our games end in a tie above 100 points (no expansions), given the endless possibilities. The more you play, the less you let luck ruin your game or compromise it (better say, learn how to deal with it). By no means I say wingspan is a perfect game, or all its mechanics work. Perhaps I love this game so much that I have found ways to work around its pros and cons. What the hell, perhaps after all I wrote someone will tell me what you like about Wingspan, Everdell does it better, and I will give it a try haha. I did not like the first segment of your video, which talked about your impressions of the game, but I get it. Just so you know, my friends and I do get excited about playing a bird, we even call by name some when we see them on the wild. Wingspan has made me more observant towards nature and change my preconceptions about boardgames. Fantasy is not all that shines.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Reads title........ You take that back. 😬......... Thinks harder....... Hold on are they even comparable?

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes :) And good to see you here...we need to talk ;) You are the first person I thought of when thinking who to do another of these videos with :)

[@cmchristensen]

I'd love to see you collaborate with BoardGameCo! Just offering my support!

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

@@cmchristensen @boardGameCo that would be awesome! Definitely up for that in the future. 👍😎

[@johnpanagos5835]

@@BoardGameCo i will tell you the games :-) Luke - Underwater Cities Alex - Terraforming Mars.

[@G0F15H]

@@johnpanagos5835 You really want to see the gloves come off?? Alex - Too Many Bones Luke - LOTR Journeys in Middle Earth

[@BenjaminH_48]

Never played Everdell so I can't compare, but here some comments: Theme: I agree that critters/Redwallish theme "itself" is more interesting than birdwatching, but in the boardgame hobby, I feel like Wingspan has a more unique and appealing theme, while Everdell came out the same year as another Behemoth with a similar theme (Root). Might be why Wingspan caught my eye way faster than Everdell did. Cards that makes you want them: I agree that Wingspan does not have that, but it is also a double edge sword for Everdell. If you don't get "that one" card 2-3 games in a row, it might ruin some players desire to play the game again. Wingspan "plays it safe" by having many cards with similar powers while from what I understand, Everdell will create potential memorable moments...good or bad (mostly good ones I assume). Better expansions: You are right about this one so far. While not being bad, Wingspan first expansion is safe. The new one seems better, bring something new to the table and will boost the food action and nerf the lay egg action (which , I agree, is most of the time my 1-2 last actions of the game haha). Anyway, while I didn't play Everdell yet, I feel Wingspan deserve that top "family game" spot because its the only game I own (and know of) that can bring to the table my heavy strategy boardgame friends, my "the only boardgames I play are Yathzee or What do you Meme" friends, and family members that wanna try it because they like birds. While I really want to try Everdell now (thanks to you and Quackalope), I don't think it'll be able to acheive that same "impact" even if it ends up beeing an amazing game for me. Make more of these videos; these are awesome! oh and Quack!

[@theRabbitFly]

I think there are enough cards that people will want - that loosing out on one is rarely so devastating as to ruin an experience. It will surely feel like a defeat from time to time, but it will also often open players up to other opportunities with less competition. With that being said. I would personally agree with your conclusion 100%. Everdell looks like a family game, but I honestly don't think it is. It is deceivingly complex, kind of like root, people will be pulled in by the theme, and they might stay for the complexity, but they might also be scared off. In a way I find Everdell more intimidating than root. Because while root is quite complex to master because of it's asymmetry, each turn is quite simple and easy to understand. A single turn, or rather season, can get quite complex in Everdell.

[@BenjaminH_48]

@@theRabbitFly Good to know, I can't wait to try Everdell

Timestamping like a boss. Again. Genuinely impressed. Fun comparison too!

[@phil8556]

KZbin put your video right next to Quackalope's video when i signed in so I got a good laugh out of it. I'm planning on Everdell for the first time over this weekend, so I'll be able to tell which one of you was correct afterwards :)

[@BoardGameCo]

KZbin knows what it's doing :)

[@Carsten_de_1981]

Now, what's your say? :)

[@stevejones9967]

These are the kind of videos I like the best from your channel. More comparisons please.

[@BoardGameCo]

Oh they'll be coming :)

[@roofustheman]

Everdell has amazing animeeples, so there was really no contest

[@BoardGameCo]

Oh wow. How did I not make that my main point....along with Berries at least.

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

Maybe you aren’t as familiar with Wingspan, so you don’t know what bird powers you need to draw. It might not be a specific bird, but sometimes I go searching for specific birds, like tucking birds, humming birds, ravens, or wood peckers, or sometimes I want the Atlantic Puffin or Bald Eagle. The Chihuahuan Raven and Common Raven resonate with most Wingspan players.

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

Theme and mechanics? The birds migrate away after each round. They can only be played in their actual habitats. Birds that tolerate other birds have flocking powers. Egg spaces and food requirements mimick real life. Etc. Etc. Etc. Everdell...why do animals need amber for anything? Where are the nuts? Where is the circle of life? No one gets eaten. Where are the mice kids? Where are the partners for animals other than mice?

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

I like Everdell, but I think it’s more of a sputtering engine. Even Empires of the North is a better engine.

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

Laying eggs is a fine action; it’s the safe bet. Maybe the expansions added powers, but if you have a good engine, you don’t need to always resort to laying eggs for the best play.

[@scottwallbank4794]

@@Poiuytrew.Q Well thematically for Everdell, it's played out over a single year (4 rounds/seasons), so there's not much scope for circle of life/kids in that time frame. The animals need resin (it's not amber) to apply like concrete and glue the wood/stone together for the buildings they make. Why do they need nuts? They have berry fields.

[@nadineroussel3594]

Great video! I’m new to board games. I started with Ticket to Ride after playing it at a friends. I then got Wingspan because of the reviews and because I really love birds. I have been researching for another game and it is so overwhelming with the amount of games out there. Everdell is on the list and this comparison has helped me understand whether I would enjoy this game as I already really love Wingspan. Thanks!

[@cadealanshio]

Agree 100%. I was introduced to both games at the same convention. My first impression was that Wingspan was a must own game and Everdell was a solid game that I'd pick up if it were on sale. 10-15 plays later and I'm bored with Wingspan and can't get enough of Everdell. Wingspan is a game that looks great but has much less going on than it seems. Everdell has much more to it than your first impression might show. One of favorite things about Everdell that wasn't mentioned is the 15 card limit to your tableau. Wingspan kinda has the same thing, but it's usually a non-issue since it's so much harder to fill up your player board. In Everdell, every card you choose is a potentially crucial decision that could prevent you from playing that one card you REALLY need later on. This simple rule is an absolutely brilliant touch of game design.

[@Thagrynor]

You mention that there is a bigger branching tree of strategies, but that is a double edged sword that often works against you. By mid game, you get set down a path and if you don't get that one card, your game can effectively be over then. Wingspan has fewer open strategies but definitely has much more means of getting to that. It is more rewarding to know that if I lost, it is because my ability to string things together right was poor, rather than my strategy couldn't be finished as to whether it would work or not. Everdell, a great game, is not finishing and taking your ability out of your hands. Wingspan, a better game, is a loss by poor playing, entirely within your own skill and ability.

[@LordoftheBoard]

THIS

[@theRabbitFly]

I don't agree. No strategy in Everdell will lock you out of playing. No one card is make it or break it. The game is all about adapting to the available cards. It is possible you have focused on common critters and a school, but if it is available and you have the resources to sling it, changing tactics mid game can often be better than staying true. I feel like every season in Everdell is effectively a mini strategy choice in itself. Never have what I did in spring been a big determining factor in what I do in fall. Perhaps with the exception of my one time perfect monastry game. Which was beyond lucky. I might agree that Wingspan is more open because more of the cards do similar things. But Everdell's breadth of card abilities means you have to diversify. So I am not so sure.

[@cmchristensen]

I love this video - although many will complain that games shouldn't be compared like this, I think the majority of us love it :) After all, look how much engagement this video already has! I agree with every single point you made. Every time I play Everdell, it just gets better (have you tried Spirecrest yet? Amazing!). Wingspan is fun, but I just didn't feel rewarded. I couldn't look down at my bird refuge and see the results of my own decision, but the results of card draws. I love the birds, and I love learning about them, but Everdell's tableau building and action chaining is far superior.

[@BoardGameCo]

There are a few comments pushing back against comparing...but most are pretty positive :)

[@cmchristensen]

@@BoardGameCo Yeah the people around here are pretty great :)

[@m.schwarz]

It seems that Jesse's best reason is the flip side of your Reason 3. And heavily relying on cards that might or might not show up is the main reason why I am not more eager to play Everdell.

[@BoardGameCo]

I noticed! I love how he and I had totally flipped points there. We didn't coordinate either, that just worked out nicely :)

[@sreneethomas]

After buying Everdell, the base game, and playing it a just a few times, I now own the entire collection! It is such a wonderful game! When i bought the base game, I was trying to decide between Everdell, Root or Wingspan. Went with Everdell. Now, I want to either buy Root or Wingspan. Watching this video....I think Root will be my next purchase?

[@danisanchez1279]

I have both and I agree Everdell eclipsed Wingspan. Since we have Everdell is more difficult to bring Wingspan to the table. A question for you Alex do you think that Endless Winter is going to take out or compete with Everdell or they are more different than what I con see?

[@yoonkl8101]

There is no argument that Wingspan is far from a great game - it's 'ok' as a game. But the strength and popularity of Wingspan isn't due to its game design - it's the experience and enjoyment of handling 170 different birds (200+ with expansions). My wife and I've played Wingspan 50+ times but everytime I forget how 'just ok' the gameplay is - because I love love love seeing the birds so much. With minimal setup, we can set it up, play and pack it up well under an hour. We love Everdell too (20+ plays) but it does start to feel more repetitive than Wingspan because you start to see same cards over and over again. Everdell + expansion definitely offer more strategic paths, but I really think games like Wingspan is less about winning strategies and more about enjoyment.

[@BoardGameCo]

It sounds to me like you like the birds...I am curious how many feel that way. For me the birds are completely uninteresting.

[@yoonkl8101]

@@BoardGameCo not saying Everdell's theme isn't interesting - actually the theme/mechanic immersion and the combo of animals/buildings are so well interwined that none of its expansions could introduce new cards without breaking that fine balance. It's really a great joy to see how each combos work thematically and mechanically in Everdell. As for Wingspan, I think there are enough bird lovers (or at least those who find the artwork attractive) out there for SMG to sell over 100K copies. Wingspan is a classic 'wife' game - if my wife likes it, it will get played. Also like to add that, to me, BGG ranking means nothing more than a popularity contest. It completely fails at ranking the greatness of games. It means nothing to me that Wingspan ranks higher than Everdell.

[@dave3805]

Right, Everdell is a better game, but I enjoy Wingspan more.

[@CocoDrawsGames]

After about 20 games of wingspan I can assure you that if all you're doing on your last turn is laying eggs, in most cases you didn't plan your last actions well enough. Unless the eggs fulfill other bigger scoring conditions there are usually easier ways to get more points per turn. People always complain about that but I've found that as players gain more experience in the game it happens less and less. But maybe that's just what I've seen. Both of these games are great and I don't really know which one I prefer

[@BoardGameCo]

I'll happily cede to your experience...I only have 3 plays.

[@sarahschreffler5407]

@@BoardGameCo Wow... I have been surprised lately how many of my youtubers are doing reviews of games with very few plays -- such that I realize I, who am not a reviewer, have played the game much more. How do you evaluate a complicated game after just a handful of plays?

[@davidagosta]

I enjoy both, I have played both many times, I will continue to play both - but I only own Everdell (and all the expansions). Many times I have thought “should I add Wingspan to my collection?” and each time I didn’t feel a compelling reason to do so. The reasons you listed of differing cards powers, paths to victory, and luck mitigation are my major reason to prefer Everdell. I like games that give you lots of options so you don’t get players that know they are out of contention half way through the game and have to go slog through the rest. Also the “Guess I'll Lay Eggs” effect - I have seen too many games where players take that action not just for their last action but for the last 2-3 moves of round 4, because no better option is available with the number of moves remaining. Usually they can only do 2 of: get the food they need, get the bird they need or play the bird. So instead they just use all remaining actions to get eggs.

[@anhvu6824]

Yea. When my group play Wingspan, if you are not spamming the egg action for point in the last round and the other guy is, you lost

[@citobalsells6064]

Gotta ask what happened at 3:07! If you look closely at the pebbles, they suddenly move a little!

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol good catch. I coughed. My most common edit is when I sneeze or cough.

[@mylor1066]

Instant thumbs up. I've been loving the podcast, I listened to 6 episodes today and the vibe is great between you three.

[@BoardGameCo]

Glad you're enjoying! We have so much fun with it.

[@mylor1066]

@@BoardGameCo is sender really your middle name?

[@BoardGameCo]

@@mylor1066 yes :)

[@aurasphere87]

One additional point to consider is everdell requires wayyyy less reference to the rulebook/appendix to confirm rules or card effects. Wingspan demands continuous clarification of rules regularly due to the vast number of mechanics.

[@harryjohnson6655]

However, if you collect brown bird power cards in Wingspan, you get to do MORE each time you assign a worker - it rapidly ramps up as you place bird cards. I like both games.

[@Quitit4once]

Everdell surelly is a nice game, but there is one thing that Wingspan managed to achive, wich no other boardgame ever did befor. Wingspan brought me to appreciate and participate in a new aspect of reallity. I now go out and can name most of the birds i see and hear, now i care about nesting grounds and migrationrouts and that is awsome. And i think Everdell gamewise is the better game but Wingspan brought me an entire ne passion "the World of the birds" and that's why for me its nr.1.

[@BoardGameCo]

That's awesome :) Thanks for sharing.

[@theboardmasters5800]

Can't comment on the comparison as haven't played Wingspan but I love Everdell! Only problem I have with it is my shuffling skills aren't up to standard so find that cards just don't show up game to game...

[@misterman99]

Would you settle for I own and love wingspan and all the expansions but just backed the complete edition of Everdell? XD

[@BoardGameCo]

I'd settle for enjoy what you enjoy :) I'm just one data point :)

[@aSyphodias]

I agree! :D But more seriously I think Everdell is a better game (maybe my bias towards worker placement) but Wingspan is more family friendly. I'm still going to have a look at the counterpart video :)

[@BoardGameCo]

I haven't yet watched the counterpoint...I need to.

[@npckse8508]

I am not sure that either is really family friendly. I think both of these look far more approachable than they are. I have taught both to experienced gamers and it took time for all to catch and grok everything.

[@PaulMazzoni]

So I haven’t t played Everdell, first off, so you have me curious. And though I am not an engine building guy, I love Wingspan. So the problem that I THINK I might have with Everdell is the same problem that I have with most engine building games and that Quackalope hits on around the 10 minute mark - getting specific cards to chain. That’s what I love about Wingspan; you can work with what you have and it forces you to focus on which of the 3 tracks to place cards. My chief complaint on Wingspan is if you start out with really lousy, expensive cards that give you no abilities, you’re screwed. Should be a starting deck and then mix those cards in.

[@LordoftheBoard]

Same here. It can be the worst feeling to not have the cards ever come up. Wingspan you can adapt most cards!

[@theRabbitFly]

Everdell has engine building aspects, for sure, but Everdell is not so much about optimizing an engine, but optimizing a turn or a couple of turns/season. The only real combos are the critter and the houses they live in aspect, and there is nothing that is stopping you from ignoring that combo if the critter you want is available, it can even be beneficial. Other combos will often be developed out of strategy. I have never found that my village is not working because I am lacking a certain card. I might prefer having a certain card for it's utility, but not having that card only means I have room for another card, and in Everdell, that can often be a good thing. I have never played a game of Everdell where I felt I had to take a card as a secondary price because the card I really wanted was not available. Most often, there are several cards that I want and I have to make the hard decision between them. As with wingspan it is affected by the randomness of the deck though. And the first season will potentially be quite limited due to this. But again. Every game of Everdell I have played has ended where every player had a full village and where every player had to make tough choices between several cards they wanted to add.

[@sebastianh5992]

I totally agree with you, Everdell is the much better game! There are reasons for Wingspan for sure, most of all its great accessibility. But as an advanced boardgamer, I absolutely prefer the mechanics and the style of Everdell. Thank you so much for this great video, please give us more of these duels/comparisons! Cheers

[@BoardGameCo]

Thanks :) And there will be more of these videos :)

[@BoardGameTime40]

Such a great video, thank you!! Only ever played wingspan, and I love it! But you have definitely inspired me to get everdell. Loved the video! :D

[@dadtier564]

I thought... I was the only one... the lay eggs as the last action has come up so much in our playgroup!

[@samimerila1074]

I have both with one expansion. I like them both. I think the difference is that with Wingspan it’s ten minutes of teaching and no need for FAQ vs 30+ minutes of teaching and some FAQ to clarify combinations. Plus the graphical design in Everdell is at the best poor. It is very hard for example to notice “open” locations in other players tableau. Plus I wouldn’t play Everdell with AP players. But I love them both.

[@sairam71]

Wingspan base is better. Everdell base game at least is pretty cookie cutter. Resources, fill up tableau, discard bad cards to make room for better cards. The goals are way too random. My everdell base tAbleau always seems to look the same. Wingspan makes you think a little more as you have to make the most of what you have. I think both games have the same tension of... I need that one card!!! Funny how we see the same points completely differently. :)

[@Quackalope]

I totally agree with you :)

[@DanRoberts44]

I like both games, but Wingspan does feel like if Bob Ross and MacGyver had a baby. I always feel like I am limited in strategy based on what starting cards I get, and always run out of time to truly adjust on the "fly." :) Everdell 9/10, Wingspan 8/10, but would play either if anyone suggested a game. In that sense, they both win.

[@BoardGameCo]

Agreed entirely

[@damienbarber]

Truth be told, these 2 games are both tied for first for me. I feel you did make a better overall argument for Everdell (albeit a few of your reasons were a little silly and almost seemed thrown in for comedic effect than really making your point). Both are awesome games!

[@BoardGameCo]

Hey! Nothing is silly! Except maybe that little squishy berries one which is more about components in general :)

[@larrytedmcbride]

Sounds like Everdell is a gamer’s Wingspan. I’ll be going with Everdell asap:)

[@BoardGameCo]

I can't disagree :-)

[@barbaramazzocca4605]

Yesterday, I watched a video saying Wingspan is better than Everdell. I'd like to know which one is easier to learn how to play.

[@JacobPorterLadder]

That birdhouse is beautiful Also, my wife is a wildlife biologist and works a lot with birds, so she loves the theme #TeamWingspan

[@BoardGameCo]

I value and support you. But I also disagree ;) #teameverdell

[@LordoftheBoard]

Jacob, respect ✊ #teamwingspan

[@BoardGameCo]

@@LordoftheBoard you traitor! I had no idea you were joining up :)

[@LordoftheBoard]

@@BoardGameCo haha I’m so sorry... but duty called! Had to protect my birds 🦅 it was fun and was cool to be apart of a confirmation bias!

[@billybirdy9507]

Birds is a much preferred theme to many people compared to fantasy creates.

[@scottmackintosh5934]

I’ve just recently bought Everdell. I love both games. Apart from the theme and components which are amazing, my favourite thing about Everdell is the fact that at the start you basically have nothing and can’t do much at all. So when you reach the final rounds you feel like you’ve achieved something when you get resources and cards easily. It’s so fun. You get a real good shot at a slow almost nothing engine and plenty of time with your built engine as well. It’s a great mix I think. My only criticism of wingspan is the 5 turns in the last round. I am loving Everdell so much because of how fun and very thinky it is

[@BoardGameCo]

Everdell is amazing, always a fun time.

[@raggededge68]

"Squishy berries!" We constantly have to remind our son not to put the berries in his mouth! (He's 21, by the way!) Agreed--there is just something so satisfying about those little things, but "Oh, The Places They Can Go!" when you accidentally drop three or four of them and they bounce in every direction! We have all three expansions and love playing epic games with all of them together.

[@Elitistb616]

I just got my collector's edition, and I can sympathize with your son, I really want to do the same. I'm 44.

[@jonathanw3199]

I am a birder so that personal bias makes the game better, but agree Everdell is a great game.

[@Fighterfan69]

Everdell is Better! I agree. Grabbed Wingspan when it first came out based on the pedigree of Stonemaire games. My wife and I played it and thought 'Well, The components are good'. It just didn't click with us. We got Everdell afterward and didn't look back and It's still one of my wife's favorite. You start out where you think you can't do much but as the rounds progress, so many combos and card usage. It's just better designed. The fact that Everdell has worker placement sold it for me. The expansions are awesome adding more options. What do the expansions for Wingspan do? Adds more birds with some new actions they can do. Wingspan is good for what it is. I think it's just more accessible to many. Easier to teach I guess. Of course, everything is a personal opinion yet it seems that there are many that agree with you.

[@BoardGameCo]

Agreed. I'm happy to own both but like one far more than the other.

[@ScytheNoire]

You are completely right. In fact, I think if Wingspan hadn't been put out by Stonemaier Games, it wouldn't have been as popular.

[@BoardGameCo]

Well that's true...but still no denying how well it has been received.

[@sarahschreffler5407]

I was introduced to Wingspan from the non-gaming world. They don't care who put Wingspan out. They care that it is a pretty game and fun to play.

[@elijahharms935]

To his third point I agree that the everdell cards are more versatile but in wingspan if you have played the game enough you will find people that know when they need certain cards like the Atlantic puffin for bonus cards and big points in one card, or the common raven to get food at the same time as laying eggs. Great video, very interesting! 👍

[@akahdrin]

I love both and will play both whenever asked. But if I get to pick, I will pick Everdell without hesitation.

[@BoardGameCo]

Fair enough :)

[@Nero7441]

Everdell isn't available at the moment in my region so I have Wingspan and my family loves it.

[@BoardGameCo]

Both are great!

[@TylerAndToast]

Check Amazon right now! Been looking for months and finally found it for 60

[@wsiegel9539]

Okay I listened to both of you before commenting... Great idea. I can see both points from each perspective and I do love both of these game. For me Everdell is so reliant on that Meadow that in a two player game you may see endgame card in the beginning of the game and production cards at the end of the game. Luck of the draw. BGG has 2 player variants because of this. And yes lay eggs ( if you have nothing else to do.) I will play either and can not really pick one over the other. But I hear ya.

[@revimfadli4666]

The Meadow cycling also doesn't scale well to 2 players, which is something that those 2p variants often fix

[@simonb9898]

There's a border variant for Everdell that fixes the 2P issues.

[@Dantigua]

We have both and love both. Both games get better each time we play them. But Everdell IS better. How many times have I said, even though egg laying is never my strategy, "I guess I'll lay eggs"!? Every time.

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol yes. Still a fun game but those last rounds...

[@ariandarkon185]

No, this time Jesse wins here at home, because I can not play Everdell with my family ;) but Wingspan. Wingspan is not so complicated this is the only reason for my decision. When Covid is over it is another thing. For me in person I can not answer the question else because I love both games and hold them dearly.

[@AnimatronicBadgerlord]

As someone that has, and loves, both of these games. Everdell wins on the theme for me. It makes the portion of my brain that is dedicated to Redwall twinge in delight every time I play it (same with Root). I love them both though. (Though I will fight that Wingspan has a better Solo mode, but both are good for that)

[@tomasxfranco]

Everedell's 25 expansions scared me away from it. But how necessary are they?

[@BoardGameCo]

I'll let you know once I've played even one :)

[@tomasxfranco]

@@BoardGameCo Will wait for the vid. ;)

[@benphelan6361]

They aren’t necessary at all.

[@Charley461]

i think its hilarious in a good way that squishy berries is a big reason Everdell is better

[@tazatom]

When I was in Pittsburgh pa, the gaming group preferred gizmos than wingspan. They thought wingspan was too long for the same experience that gizmos could give you.

[@theRabbitFly]

That is my feeling as well. Everdell is a much heavier game than both though.

[@michael3123]

I have not played either game but after watching both videos i want to play Everdell!

[@BoardGameCo]

An excellent choice!

[@drewcoleman7263]

Are these different enough to warrant having both in your collection?

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes....but I could see the answer changing to no over time. Right now Wingspan is better when I want something a level lighter/quicker.

[@RicardoCarvalho_1996]

I just played Everdell for the first time yesterday and indeed squishy berries are squishy and it's sooooo nice

[@justagirlwhogames949]

Now on to the important things. Fowl facts. How many ducks are currently included in Wingspan with the additions of the European and Oceania expansions?

[@brownrhythms]

I have yet to place 3rd or worse in Wingspan nor lose a 2-player play. I even beat one of the guys who I know I can always get a loss from and he had played it before me. I actually won that game as well. I will say one aspect of the randomness and uniqueness for the cards is in Everdell you might need a King as where in Wingspan you might only need a type of bird or a bird of a certain size so you are more flexible in what you are looking for. My last play in Everdell I went in one direction early only for there to be no real follow up, and it was my lowest score in a number of plays and maybe ever. I have done rather well without loading up on eggs in Wingspan. Yes, it can be an obvious thing as I have had a couple plays where my last round was heavy egg laying. I have also ended up with 9 eggs at games end. Side note, I have everything Everdell as where I just have base Wingspan. Not sure I'm down for figuring out how to handle the cards from all of the continents. Everdell is more plug and play from that standpoint. My wife definitely likes Everdell more. It might be her favorite game. It likely helps in that she can beat me at it. She can get within 1-3 points of me in Wingspan.

[@RulebooksForYou]

Totally agree with every single point!

[@BoardGameCo]

:)

[@RyanOSullivan]

I like this series idea! I'm for sure in the Everdell camp. BIAS CONFIRMED!

[@BoardGameCo]

Boom. Bias wins every time :)

[@esthertaylor5692]

I own, and have played, both games several times and agree that Everdell is my preferred game. It is one of my favourite games.

[@BoardGameCo]

Yes! Both are excellent....but degrees of excellent are different :)

[@AgelessTrial]

I haven't been a big fan of this channel until I watched this video. "Welcome to confirmation bias--you see what you want to see" hahaha love it

[@BoardGameCo]

Lol I'll take it

[@mrbaudolino4678]

I don't own both games (yet) so my opinion my seem biased. But before I got Wingspan I had been watching carefully reviews and playthroughs to make my decision on which one to get. Though you have valid points, Wingspan keeps been my favorite game of all time and I think it's a better game than Everdell. But I will get both someday anyway. Great pair of videos!

[@anhvu6824]

Wingspan egg action really need a fix somehow. The last round and winner always come down to who ever have the full set of egg and spamming it. It is honestly just unfun for the last round to boil down to egg laying. It also felt like the previous round has just been setting up for egg.

[@TheShoogunn]

I haven't tried Everdell and yet I agree with you that it's a better game. I absolutely hate the theme of Wingspan, it actively kept me from trying it for a long time, and when I finally did, such a disappointment.. I love engine building, it's one of my favorite mechanisms, but in Wingspan because you can do less and less actions, it takes away the satisfying feeling that engine building usually gives me towards the end of a game. Still have it because I wonder if I played it wrong, so I want to revisit the rules and try again, but for now it sits as the game I own that I like the least.

[@BoardGameCo]

If it helps I got rid of wingspan at one point, I got it back and enjoyed it more without the hype attached.

[@TheShoogunn]

​@@BoardGameCo Yes, hype is the stepping stone for disappointment.

[@scyldscefing3913]

I see what you guys are doing. I may have to go with Jessie on this one.

[@BoardGameCo]

It's ok, I still like having you around :)

[@timstimbre9762]

I've heard the Duck bellied Magpipe edition of Blingspan will feature actual squishy bird droppings.

[@BoardGameCo]

Ummm.....great?

[@AaronAndSusie]

Also the Everdell art prints from Kickstarter are decorating my daughters nursery!

[@LeeKenshin7]

As a counterpoint to your reason number 3 against Wingspan, which actually is a knock against the game, are the OP cards such as the Ravens, Killdeer, Franklin's Gull, and Common Chiffchaff. At the beginning of the game, I would often think, "I could really use a few of these cards as a starting hand"; would easily score 100+ each time. Nonetheless, I agree that Everdell >> Wingspan.

[@BoardGameCo]

Cool, I must not have run into or noticed those yet.

[@robinett74]

Thinking about trying to have six cards up for grabs in Wingspan instead of three (first expansion added a second card holder afterall). Wonder if that would break the game or make it more strategic/better

[@harryjohnson6655]

I doubt if it would really make any difference to game play as there are so many birds. But as house rule, try it out!