Wingspan Review - Flock and Roll

[@isaacthimbleby8926]

Minor rules error at 7:08. You do not get a point for every bird on your board - you do however get the points written on each bird (which is mentioned separately slightly later).

[@jasonr1993]

Thanks, I thought we had been playing it wrong.

[@marcinprzezdziek2524]

Exactly !

[@TheHexyBeast]

i was about to type this when i saw ur comment lol

[@TheHexyBeast]

check out my solo review lol

[@squish1504]

Finn he needs to Ninja Edit :)

[@sanfranfan72727]

After 2 minutes of front loaded praise: "You almost certainly think this is going to be a glowing review" LOL not likely.

[@luiscarlosqg]

Yeah! Completely true (the hype is well deserved, though)

[@Healermain15]

You know it's bad when the Classic Shux Mid-Review Turnaround (tm) is two minutes into the video.

[@brotherhorus4316]

No it's not...

[@Cergorach]

After about a minute, you get this omnious feeling "This ain't gonna be pretty!", if you've been watching SUSD for a long time...

[@JaikuRirishii]

It's too... expected out of SU&SD? The opening was so positive, with no negatives being stated, that I just knew there was going to be a mid-review turnaround. If anything I was surprised (but relieved) how quickly the turn happened. It's like how in the first few years of House, the cold open was always the person you least expected getting sick, so by season 5 you just know it's going to be the healthiest person.

[@Coswagrigus]

This is the BEST negative review I’ve ever seen. While Quinns clearly doesn’t like the game, he’s still very kind and points to what makes the game lovely. Very open with his subjective feeling of the game, he never calls it objectively bad. Hats off boys, great review

[@pikkdogs]

If he said anything bad about the game, someone would come and burn his apar... flat down. Don’t believe me? Go to BGG and say anything remotely negative on the wingspan boards and you’ll be called an uncultured misogynist troll.

[@stupidytacct]

I love SUSD review of Scythe as well...

[@sebastianbruzzone4731]

@@Jellybeantiger wtf

[@WisdomProclaimer]

Most comprehensive and eloquently spoken review ever! The game is expertly deconstructed to give real gamers the best honest review.

[@Joshua_Tymchyn]

My mother and aunt (who are in their late 50's) have not only played and enjoyed this game, but they've gone through two copies of the score pad already and show no signs of stopping. This is a fantastic review and I agree with a lot of the points brought up, but it can definitely be an entry game depending on the person you try to introduce it to.

[@Fudgeemonkee]

"Your mother's a liar, your world is crumbling" - another classic SHUX quote that should go down in the annals of history!

[@Gnarrkhaz]

I love how hype doesn't seem to affect SU&SD if the gameplay speaks another language, which is exactly what you want from a review show.

[@Atlas-FM8]

Really? I often feel like SUSD goes into hyped games with a more critical eye than normal to see if the game is really worth all the acclaim.

[@28green]

When I saw they were reviewing Wingspan, I immediately before knew before watching they would pan it because they almost always pan hyped games.

[@carlatate7678]

@@28green Yep.

[@sopranoshelley]

@@28green Or maybe...Stonemaier games are just all overhyped

[@CreepySilences]

@@sopranoshelley Lol. So true. They're the opposite of Splotter games. It seems Stonemaier focuses on component quality to compensate for poor gameplay quality.

[@richardmoore5347]

Quinns: *Gives a well thought out review* My Brain for the entire review: "heh heh, Bird Girth"

[@MrMichkov]

Sigh, now we need to edit every every wikipedia plane entry. I'll take the Ds, dont forget to cite the video.

[@contra1212]

This is a masterful review. I own Wingspan and played many times, usually enjoying it. But there was always something beneath the surface that was gnawing at me. You've managed to dissect it completely, picking up all the points that annoyed me before I realised that they did. While at the same time explaining the rules and gameplay clearly within a couple of minutes, and showing what's to like or dislike about the game. Work of genius this review.

[@lisadefries6718]

My son bought it for me for Christmas. It’s a truly beautiful game. I have played bird sounds via phone while playing. I found whole game refreshing and a treat primarily because I just loved the appearance and enjoyed building up my collection of favourite birds . Today my son and I played and to our mutual confusion he won by a small margin. I had eggs on my birds and acquired food tokens on birds some quite high point birds etc and most of my board filled but he won without eggs and with slightly less birds and what at first glance looked like similar point. I also won most of rounds..... basically it didn’t seem right.... I don’t mind loosing but it’s feels strange when you believe and your opponent thinks you just won to discover you’ve lost😮 But there’s always next time 🙂

[@z-beeblebrox]

I love that one of Quinns's worst birds is an insect

[@Nezbo]

To be fair, then it is a really bad bird 🤔

[@AspelShuyin]

@@Nezbo Beautiful insect, though.

[@CardboardBones]

@@Nezbo Aren't we all just bad birds, then?

[@ben-fe3zy]

Bernie Clifton, Rod Hull, moths. The rest of us can only try

[@Cameronwatt]

In my house we call it Terraforming marsh.

[@EuropeanBeerisBad]

Oh that’s good

[@ToddGretencord]

100% accurate, both games that I want very much to like, but, just don't.

[@TerraBooma]

I think you mean "Bioforming marsh" eyyy

[@playstationyoutube4416]

It's funny you should say that, because I came here to say that almost all the criticisms apply to Terraforming Mars. I have had games of both that went well where I built a nice engine, and games that went badly. The difference is that Wingspan takes half the time. By the time I start to realize my game of Wingspan has gone badly, I only have to be polite for another half an hour. In Terraforming Mars, it could be an other 2 hours. I will never play Terraforming Mars Again.

[@CreepySilences]

Except, one game has significantly more strategic than the other. :)

[@nobodywantsthethimble]

I appreciate how even if SUSD doesn’t like a game, the reviews still feel rather glowing. Their love of the hobby just shines through. I really enjoy this game, though I’ve only played the solo variant so far. It was one that I was really hoping to teach my in-laws, but as they are a bit older, they don’t like games with a lot of reading involved, and with almost every card doing something different (and with such small print), this would be an automatic pass for them. Which is a shame, since this game is targeted directly at them with big, neon crosshairs.

[@cutthr0atjake]

@Nobody Wants The Thimble You can't have seen their Scythe review then.

[@unlimitedrabbit]

The Oceania expansion Automa is merciless, even on Eaglet difficulty. I've yet to win a single first place nectar bonus.

[@AzraelCC]

Great review and a delightful conclusion. I have only one criticism: where is worm Matt and why isn't there a skit involving worm Matt being eaten by a bird?

[@Managarm]

This would be soooo good! Maybe as an extra once meeting is considered more responsible again...

[@Robmonster]

He was eaten by a bird before they could film the skit.

[@johnivanoplimo5172]

@@Robmonster Press F to pay respects.

[@cally77777]

I think the clue is annoying neighbours DYIing due to lockdown boredom. I would assume Worm Matt is social distancing down some hole in space-time.

[@ericfrancis7816]

That's a fair take. Myself, I like Wingspan quite a bit and can happily ignore some of the shortcomings that gave Quinns kittens (like the disconnect with the theme). But I respect his reasoning and, as always, appreciate the thought and time that go into SUSD reviews.

[@revimfadli4666]

I thought the theme-mechanic connection is a mixed bag; on one hand, you have disconnects like mentioned in the video, but on the other hand, card effects often match the bird's real-life traits

[@tehwicked1]

I know I'm late to the party but I felt compelled to say that this is one of my favorite KZbin videos... ever. Top 5 at least. You have an amazing ability to narrate these videos and your insight is fantastic. Thank you for this and all the videos you create. Thank you, sir.

[@acerumble]

I believe that others have mentioned in various ways, but I heartily appreciate Quinns' ability to project enthusiasm and wonder for a game that he himself may not care for if he sees value in it for others. That level of empathy is the mark of a high-functioning human being

[@xForceCh0keYou]

Lol, the end is nice, cute little bird family growing...then you realize the mom is tearing a pigeon apart and feeding it to her children

[@geerstyresoil3136]

yup, birds are mini raptors with feathers.

[@JEcklar]

@@geerstyresoil3136 Raptors had feathers, my good man! Birds are dinosaurs who perfected flying! :D

[@Squiddy00]

Watched some SUSD videos, stopped to unbox and play the copy of Wingspan that arrived earlier today, sit back down to find this video had released while I was gone. I feel _personally_ attacked.

[@MrDharda]

I would not worry, the game is amazing. Unless you wanted a competitive worker placement game, Wingspan is not that as he said. It's about doing each one a solitaire at the same time and then seeing how good you did compare to others. It's not as much as who wins this game, as who can get the highest score ever. And as soon as you understand the minors of the game it's great seeing the awesome new combos your friends have discover. If you understood that before buying it, you will love it. To anyone with doubts about liking or not the game I recommend Rahdo's Runs Through. He did amazing explaining me exactly why I needed this game in my collection and he wasn't wrong.

[@Cergorach]

Be save in the feeling that he isn't attacking you personally, he's attacking every fool that loves Wingspan! ;-) It looks interesting, but I totally get his explanation on playing this with mom...

[@jeremywhite92]

Eh. I think Quinns wrong about this one. Wingspan is a great game, with good replayablity, and attractive enough to encourage your non-gamer friends to sit down and enjoy it.

[@wm1pyro604]

you're allowed to like Wingspan lol. I own a few games thanks to susd, even though they did't recommend them.

[@LMKlees]

Id say dont let other peoples oppinions ruin your experience. I like Sentinels of the multiverse but still agree with their review of it. If you play it and don't like it that's one thing. Don't let yourself fall victim to inclusiveness bias. Just because people dont like what you like doesn't make you any less of a gamer or collector.

[@ClarkPotter]

Before you pulled up RFTG at the end, I had the thought, "You're describing RftG perfectly here, but the odds are exceedingly slim you are actually thinking of that game and about to plop it out." BUT THEN YOU DID!! I loved your channel already, but now I trust your taste forever. RftG is fantastic and surprisingly deep, altho it may take 20-50 plays to really figure out how to play it, all the while being accessible and easy to teach and ostensibly random. For RftG fans or those interested, even though it seems so random, and it is, over many games, the randomness converges to very low. I had played 1000 games of it vs. the AI, and my friend had played 300 vs. it. When he and I played, I managed to beat him in 32 of 33 games. It's like Rummy 500. Once you know the secret, you become hella strong. If you think RftG is mostly solitaire, then you don't know the secret and aren't hella strong at it. Thx for mentioning RftG as great. Bc it so is.

[@sussudiokim]

Awwww, watching these falcons grow up on your roof reminds me of my childhood. The chilly mornings when mother would bring back a warm corpse for us to devour. Great times.

[@maxranch5912]

There are not many who teaches you excited a game that they dont love :D

[@Direksone]

We typically house rule a 'draft' at the start of the game that I saw people do online when drawing the birds. Takes a bit of the randomness and feelsbad moment away. I do also miss that there is not a lot of interaction between players. Perhaps an expansion can take care of it? Overall I do really enjoy playing the game.

[@FosukeLordOfError]

That sounds like a great idea, a couple of my gamer friends are big into drafting as it is

[@RobertAcurso]

Could you elaborate on how you do the draft? Sounds like a great idea.

[@DanielRothhaar]

@@RobertAcurso Draw 5 birds, keep one, pass the other four, keep one, pass the other three, and so on until everyone has 5 cards.

[@SanjuroSan]

We do the same and we also draft 3x of the bonus scoring cards after we select our birds. Our games are much more tight and enjoyable.

[@Direksone]

@@RobertAcurso Exactly what Daniel says!

[@andywlasniewski6810]

I find the puzzle in Wingspan is to find out how to generate points in every turn. Food isn't (usually) worth points, but can I generate eggs, or tuck cards, or cache food while I'm getting it? There are a finite number of turns in the game, so how can I accomplish as much as possible with each turn? If you play a turn to just get food, or just lay eggs, or just gain cards it does seem boring. And yes, you don't always get the cards you need, but adapting to what's available is the main part of the game. The European Expansion helps a ton with variety and depth. Wingspan was my family's gateway game because we are birdwatchers. It has led us into the hobby from a place of obliviousness, and if that's all it accomplished it would be a great game.

[@Buffalodude1]

Thats awesome!

[@vrbalance2686]

Yes took me several games and realized it's a puzzle. Instead of getting frustrated at what I couldn't do I realized there must be something I can be doing to generate points. Last game I realized I was not going to catch up but had a crazy egg laying engine of 6 eggs so just laid eggs for final 3 turns and won because of egg points.

[@LMKlees]

Thats why i didnt like the game personally it biasts being an engine builder but in reality you are heavily restricted in what you can do. In the end I own Seasons for that specifically. Unfortunately Seasons theme sucks compaired to wingspan.

[@2CrowStudios]

Love the Race For the Galaxy shoutout, personally one of my favorite games to bring out that doesn't take all day to setup/play.

[@justintan3417]

For some reason when you said "this is a real troubling creature" so matter-of-factly I burst out laughing. I enjoyed the nature programming in this review!

[@GeekCroftGamers]

Great review - - the “your engine blows in the open” articulated well the fuzzy feeling I had. Still, I would play again, just to roll in the bling and visual delight.

[@danrabin1784]

Lovely review, as always! Peregrine falcons are gorgeous birds. My first year at university I lived on the 18th floor of an 18-floor dormitory. The university had a camera set up to watch the Peregrine that decided to nest on the roof. Beautiful bird (and chicks) but not fun to hear them screeching at 4 in the morning nearly everyday. Especially since, lucky me, the nest was right above my window! It was lovely to see them fly off towards the river, however, right from my room.

[@alexhuddleston3950]

I find it delightful how Quinns can go from brilliant lines like 'some sort of ovoid cashback' to dad jokes like 'assembled the aviangers' in pretty much the same sentence.

[@sloopdoopyh1493]

This is legitimately one of the best and most well written reviews on your channel! Great work!

[@PotatoMcWhiskey]

I am a big fan of bird girth after watching this review on 2x speed.

[@ian4175]

PotatoMcWhiskey Wait, you have interests other than Civ? I don’t believe it.

[@district_re]

Whoa! I just discovered your Civ6 videos yesterday, and now I've scrolled into the comments on this boardgame video and found your name! Mind: blown!

[@kyleparker613]

I love your civ videos Potato! Thank you for the content.

[@realkingofwales3917]

I did that to!

[@marxussy]

Oh hello there

[@MotiviqueStudio]

I really loved the outro here. I also loved the amount of enthusiasm given to a game the reviewer wasn't personally thrilled about, that still showed how it might be a lot of fun for people for whom it might resonate more.

[@reinboldwilliam]

"Big as a man, eating garbage." Is my new description on my Tinder profile.

[@collin7776]

You succinctly explained my feeling of the game, the RNG feels bad in this game. I like RNG in a game like Nemesis, because even if you're on the bad end at least you're part of a story. Wingspan is a beautiful game but I get more enjoyment in looking at the cards and feeling the paper quality of the manual than the game itself. Highly highly recommend Race for the Galaxy as well.

[@pipos193]

RNG is not really SUCH a factor in this game. With all these variables, it's up to every player to make the best out of the available options. I've played over 100 games, introduced many friends and family to the hobby, and no one has ever complained that they lost because of the RNG or that it's too complicated.

[@Iamwrongbut]

Filippos Farmakis you’ve played 100 games and never got screwed by your beginning cards? If you draw a hand of expensive cards (2+ food to play), and there are no cheap ones showing, it sets you at a severe disadvantage if other players get a bird that gives a wheat every time it’s activated, or that allows them to draw 2 bird cards etc. There have been multiple games I’ve played where my opponents have asked to restart the game because they felt their hands where unfairly good starting off compared with others. The RNG is SO important on the first few turns. Especially since there is no true catch-up mechanic built into the game.

[@collin7776]

@@Iamwrongbut yup that happens too many times, in a sense it's almost a good thing as it levels the playing field. My wife has managed to win about 30% against group of life long max/min dedicated players.

[@sybrwookie]

@@collin7776 That doesn't level the playing field as it's just as likely for your wife to get screwed by bad luck as everyone else.

[@rmsgrey]

@@sybrwookie If every player is as likely to get screwed by RNG as every other player, that sounds like a pretty level playing field to me...

[@bwah9481]

“This is a game about playing some kind of dark timeline version of Dr Dolittle trying to trap birds in a pyramid scheme.” That’s the Quinns I love.

[@DevilboyScooby]

I love how much you put into your reviews even if you don't like the game. And the fact you've clearly played a few games , not just one then written it off as a bad job. That plus humour makes this the best board game review channel on YT, imho.

[@nanogibbon]

I have to admit, I was watching the end of this review with tense excitement waiting for Quinns to bring out Race for the Galaxy, and was not disappointed by the delicious frisson when he did. Good review! Very fair.

[@bleproxursox]

i had to pause this video after you revealed your top 3 birds because i was suddenly overwhelmed with how much i love pigeons. thank you, fellow pigeon advocate

[@blaizerhodes]

"Indolent chicken nuggets that pass for birds in New Zealand... " .. nice

[@airync3583]

I used this game to introduce my parents to modern board games on a visit at Christmas and now they are absolutely hooked. They waited 6 months for a copy of it to arrive at their local small town games shop and purchased other games in the mean time. It might not be perfect, but I love it and am really glad they loved it too as I am really excited for my next visit as I will be packing mostly board games for our enjoyment.

[@ArmyPrint]

"A cross between a tasty stew and an excel spreadsheet" spells out so simply why I love board games

[@SamYoumansS6R16Y]

"These birds have skills, like, Napoleon Dynamite!" Thank you for that wonderful reference!

[@rossmclatchie3431]

I really love the SUSD reviews, but funnily, I often find myself disagreeing with them. Some of my favourite games tend to get good but less than glowing reviews (Wingspan. Scythe, Marvel Champions), while others I'm not so keen on (Fog of Love) get the highest praise. But I love the way the reviews are constructed, and the opinions put across, because I can see what it is about those games that they dislike/like and it's put in such a way that I often agree with those points, it's just that they have more or less impact on my personal enjoyment of the game.

[@JoeyOstrander]

This is the best review I've found for a deck of playing cards featuring illustrated birds. I'm sold.

[@marshallchaney8845]

I'm a fan of Wingspan, but I do appreciate the way Quinns dug into the disconnect between theme and rules. I'd be really interested to see somebody examine Race for the Galaxy in the same way. Does that theme fit better with the engine-building mechanics, or do we not look that closely because space isn't a novel theme for a board game?

[@Spelpojken]

Ofc. And many of the faults being named here are the same in Race (yeah I can see that I only produced on two planets and you on five). And E.H. favorite game is Race. That’s the game Wingspan is more or less “based” on. I love Race, more then wingspan, but I wonder If that’s just bc it’s sci-fi. I can say with certainty that in my main game group, Wingspan is by far the more preferred game to get to the table.

[@drwtng]

Good point. To me, the disconnect hit me when we started spending eggs as a resource... my simple brain could not parse the logic...

[@simonadams]

Likely. The problem for Wingspan is that it is excessively praised for an 'accessible' theme often without critical assessment of whether the theme is actually implemented well. I don't think I've ever heard someone say anything positive of negative about Race's theme, but that's because Race is not trying to be thematic. It's just simple mechanical brilliance.

[@jamez62982]

@@drwtng Birds come out of eggs, how about that? 🎉😅

[@simpelton524]

@@drwtng you're not spending them as resources, they're hatching into new birds.

[@ToddCarter]

This review is one of the funniest I think your channel has produced. I laughed especially at the mom being a liar and when you made fun of New Zealand birds and your lists of favorite and least favorite birds. Great stuff. I really like wingspan and wish I could show this video to people to convince them to play it! Ha. Still, hope you keep up the good work.

[@ToddGretencord]

Thanks for this review. This is the sort of commentary that keeps me coming back to you guys. The world needs more thoughtful criticism without any malice. There are not may writers working in the scene who could sell a game, to the right audience, whilst simultaneously (and no less successfully) steering people away. Well done. I'm not a fan of this either and I feel almost guilty for it considering how universally liked it is. It is a gorgeous thing and has a lot to like, unfortunately the game play leaves me cold.

[@bobbler42]

I call ravens for smarts, robins for helping in the garden, and kiwis for being weird badgers.

[@JackingtonKensington]

Nesting Peregrine Falcons? That sounds like an unbelievable dream!

[@jasonnewell7036]

Thanks for putting into words my main issue with Wingspan as a game, the lack of agency in building your engine. I got distracted by your bookshelf, listening to your take on Wingspan, when suddenly my brain goes, "Ooh, he's got Elfquest books!"

[@StillIt]

Don't insult our birds!. . . . . It's all we have haha

[@gamingpond]

This was a fantastic review that went in depth about all things that both make this game great and where it falls short, I really appreciate you daring to take a different stance than the myriad of reviews that think this game is pretty and works alright and leave it at that. You also ended with a recommendation for my favourite game, so bonus points for that!

[@m00npie]

I honestly feel like I’m missing something every time I play a game (multiple times, mind you) that I don’t particularly care for while everyone else unabashedly sings its praises. It’s comforting to know that I’m not alone, although I do wish I enjoyed this gorgeous gem of a game more. :)

[@the.nikkoman]

SU&SD is one of the few tabletop reviewers that I can relate to, especially on this review. Thank you sir Quinns and your team. P.s. this review felt more personal that the other reviews 😂

[@jasonmatthews2935]

I have been watching a TON of reviews during this Covid-19 time. Yours was one of the finest, well thought out reviews I have seen. I don't really agree with the conclusion. I think its because I don't really worry about winning so much as I enjoy building my Avian-egg-maximizinator. But I followed your logic all the way through, and agree with the points individually, but not in their sum. Thank you for the deep analysis.

[@vladimirkramnik347]

What a beautiful, adorable, and wholesome ending. Really put a smile on my face.

[@chrisclark784]

I love your reviews, because you guys portray even games you dislike in a way that can let really defensive people off easy. I like the game, but I am glad to hear opposite opinions, because glowing reviews always make me hesitant. I do agree spending bird eggs to attract other birds is bizarre.

[@rickadam6051]

Those eggs hatched, and you trade those babies to a non-playable character's aviary to get one you didn't have in exchange for yours :)

[@m.ha.558]

I am giving you my first youtube-like ever, and you deserve that for your shout-out to our abandoned pigeon friends on the streets

[@brningpyre]

When you can't hear the neighbours while Quinn talks about them, it just makes him seem like a lunatic, LOL.

[@DevilboyScooby]

"A dark timeline version of Dr Doolittle, trying to trap birds in a pyramid scheme" That should be the tagline! 🤣🤣🤣

[@emmawhitt9363]

i understand the top 3 bird list, i really do, and i respect all 3 birds very much. But i do shed a tear for the lack of the raven, the poster bird for my goth people

[@Quinns_Quest]

I hear you. Raven (or another corvid) would be a shoe-in for the number 4 slot

[@SkylluszYn]

@@Quinns_Quest Never been so relieved to see an addendum in the comments.

[@varianor]

Quinn's list of the top 3 birds is a global list. Wingspan started with just North American and South American birds... I'd be curious what his list from the birds in the game would be.

[@nicolaspetroselli2989]

"This is a game about playing some kind of dark timeline version of Dr. Doolittle, trying to trap birds in a pyramid scheme." I really love this channel.

[@pm71241]

I love SU&SD for these occasional brilliant insights ... I couldn't have said it better about why Point Salad is rarely a good thing.

[@TheShapingSickness]

But most games are point salads

[@Accatitippi]

@@TheShapingSickness No, they aren't. I'd say that most games have 1-3 ways to score points. In wingspan, I think literally everything can be worth points!

[@foxy_miki9978]

Ahh man I been wanting you to review this FOREVER! Just got the game in the mail today.

[@camsy83]

I'm glad I already had Wingspan before this review. I really enjoy it and never would have bought it if I'd seen this first

[@lisadefries6718]

It was a gift for Christmas and I love it. So does my son. I also got azul which is great and my latest favourite everdell and root....can a person have too many games? ...assuming you can get in front door 😂🤣😂🤣

[@MussoGames]

@@lisadefries6718 I keep asking this question, but another Kallax shelf later, I think the answer is no if you have the room 😂

[@WuschelofDespair]

@@lisadefries6718 yes, boardgamers tend to hoard more and more games, more than they have actually time to play for. I try to keep my collection small but classy. My „prev owned“ list on BGG is longer than my owned list and I don’t regret that, I have games I really enjoy and play often.

[@veerchasm1]

THIS is the video I needed to see. I’ve been on the fence about this game. Great job

[@steveholmes11]

I think you've nailed my feeling about another game. Visiting a friend I was asked "Want to play a card game". It was called "Race for the galaxy" and after 30 minutes explaining the rules I sat drawing cards while the home team were making elaborate shapes with theirs and doing multiple things every turn. There appeared to be no player - player interaction and no way back form a "bad starting hand".

[@danibee535]

it's mentioned at the end of this review in glowing terms :) it's a difficult game. took me a good few goes to get into it at all and i'm still not that good at it (or maybe my friends are just particularly excellent). but it is a classic for a reason and well worth another go or two. with experience, your starting hand doesn't dictate your performance at all really.

[@chayashida]

Yeah, RftG is random, but after I learned that good players can play there way out of a bad starting hand, I syatted to realize there was a different level of play to that game. There was a guy that wrote a neural net that learned how to play well - it's what the ios and Android apps is based on. And it's really good at the game. Race for the Galaxy wouldn't be a game I teach to a friend that was just getting into board games - it's harder than Wingspan - but it is a great game and a classic if all players are willing to invest the time to learn and get good at it. But that can take hundreds of plays...

[@dragondai912]

this is one of my favorite reviews because it was absolutely insanely hilarious. Thanks for the laughs.

[@besaevik]

Funny that this video turned up as I’ve been recently contemplating buying wingspan or not..:)

[@frankbraker]

THANK YOU for turning me on to Race For The Galaxy.

[@rantidev3489]

Absolutely agree with the illustrations feeling like they're from a taxidermy catalogue

[@dj1jesus375]

I didn't expect to laugh so much! Again, fantastic review, I am very impressed!

[@LindirTheGreen]

The point at 12:40 is incredibly astute. If you get dealt bad cards at the start and you complain about it at the end after the game is over, it's boring and lame for everyone. If you take a gamble and it openly blows up in your face it's awesome and fun.

[@lukas9827]

That last clip where the falcon family feeds on the poor pigeon... that's something I was not expecting seeing today :)

[@mooks4751]

First Root and now Wingspan... I am inexplicably wounded

[@oneMeVz]

all Vultures: Awesome! Hummingbird Moth: God is insane

[@bearhustler]

Hummingbird Hawk Moths (the full and even more birds name) are brilliant, and unlike hummingbirds we get them in the UK!

[@Electroporcupine]

I'm so early I'm still covered in the amniotic fluid that sustained me until I grew strong enough to break free from my egg and emerge cheeping and crying into the bright morning light.

[@qarsiseer]

It’s funny, you say you don’t want to introduce it to your mom, but my mom introduced me to Wingspan. She and I love it the most out of my family and talk about it all the time.

[@Wirddesigns]

as family game its great even my 7 year old gets the game and plays well.

[@CarbonBasedRainForm]

I encountered a problem with grown-ass men throwing the eggs off the table when i was trying to teach the game, so I'm surprised kids can sit through it

[@Ragoom_]

Came for the review, stayed for the Crokinole board cameo.

[@petemagnuson7357]

I would like to sign up for more bird name ASMR please and thank you.

[@goodbadideas6071]

A Race For The Galaxy recommendation in 2020? Quinns you mad man! You Mad Man!

[@matthewovall112]

As always an extremely well thought out and fair review. My inner child still feels attacked though.

[@lowkeyloki5359]

board game review with a brittish comedy style of delivery, this is great

[@ehhhsteve8582]

This is an excellent review of Wingspan, a game I absolutely love. You are spot on with the luck element. In a 2 player game it isn’t as noticeable since you can better telegraph your turn; but a stroke of good luck can greatly swing the game in your favor. I don’t notice the bad luck as much, though, since we can usually get between 75-85 points reliably. I disagree on the theme. Wildlife habitat management says to manage for plants that will produce or attract the food which in turn attracts the birds. Diversity leads to diversity so I have no problems with the theme from that standpoint.

[@Duskraven377]

This, along with Tokaido and Takenoko, are one of the few board games I play just to relax. No competitiveness. Just eggs and birbs and food. When my friends finish playing, then we go "Oh yeah, there's points. Let's see who wins!"

[@danielpiotrowski4946]

My girlfriend says I only buy games that su&sd review, so I bought wingspan 2 months ago. And here we are...

[@squish1504]

Daniel Piotrowski I’ll take your copy of Wingspan then...

[@douglasmayer7461]

I didn’t buy this game off the back of this review, but had a chance to play it the other day with my wife (a moderate gamer), a friend (gamer) and his wife (an occasional gamer). We all really enjoyed it, despite it being bigger, longer and more complex than a lot of games we all play. After playing this game my wife and I felt like we loved the extra crunch, and it left us wanting to not only play again, but look at some other games we had been too scared to play. Not a beginner’s game, but maybe a gateway game for people wanting to get into something heavier? Love you guys!!

[@timgrebin]

Minor error Quinns - you pulled that handbrake turn with your right hand and that means you are driving a left hand drive car which on UK roads is not very safe as you will find it more difficult to have good visibility of the road. Thank you.

[@BigRenz13]

They live in Canada so he is correct! Haha

[@Xitoshi]

Came for the review, stayed for the bird names ASMR

[@MandatoryQuest]

With each new review by SUSD I feel my tastes drifting from the channel, which is fine and I'll still keep watching because the videos are always top notch commentary. I love and own both El Dorado and Wingspan, but Wingspan has been a massive hit with my group over El Dorado. How can you not feel bad in El Dorado when your opponents are racing ahead in what is by definition a race game. Sure you might get some bad draws and see your opponent powering ahead in Wingspan, but at least your game is internal enough that you can try your best to get a decent score. I much prefer being behind in Wingspan with options, than stuck behind someone intentional blocking routes in El Dorado. There is much more conflict in both Istanbul and El Dorado to Wingspan too, so I'm not sure its fair to say they are 'conflict light' in comparison. I do agree with a lot of your RnG points though which hold the game back from being as satisfying as other engine builders or euros.

[@DClairRobinson]

"Indolent chicken nuggets that pass for birds in New Zealand" lol

[@hagarthelucky]

Ah SU&SD, you're the Mark Kermode of boardgame media: I come for the encyclopedic knowledge, but I stay for the rants. Keep being you, never change.

[@Ends_Of_Invention]

need a licensed SUSD t-shirt that says GET FOOD GET BIRDS GET EGGS GET PAID

[@Nico-ml5eg]

Thank you! Finally someone else who's not a major fan of this game. I thought I was the only one in the world. I love birds, production of this game is amazing, but I just don't enjoy playing this...

[@lazer888134134]

I’m with you man! Never really got a great game with at it

[@GadBoDag]

I feel vindicated... I was worried they would love it.

[@john1kavanagh]

I'm so glad that this is a voiced opinion. I can see Wingspan looks nice with the production and art, but there are things that are jarring about it. The egg "currency" is one to me - it never made sense - or the communal dice feeder - why? I don't get why someone is allowed to reroll when they are same thematically although I understand mechanically the need to, but the biggest issue for me was the sheer luck with the cards. I know people talk about drafting at the beginning to mitigate some of this luck. But early on if someone has a card, i mean bird, that allows you to tuck something under or cache something on top, they can run away with the game. It is the luck with the cards/food "dice" that ruins it for me. I know it is not always about winning, but I have played so many games of Wingspan where at round 2 I was just treading water whilst others took off. However, it seems I'm in the minority and I appreciate that this is out of step with a great many...

[@Trevin_Taylor]

Nico finally? Haven’t been on the internet in 2 years, I see.

[@squish1504]

john1kavanagh very odd. I’ve won so many times against a lot of people “tucking” or “caching” cards through use of bonuses and birds that allow extra bonus cards.

[@gianlucamuscolinolluch8263]

''These birds have skills, like Napoleon Dynamite'' Just hilarious

[@ThePirateParrot]

This game is for those of us who don't really like super "interactive" or competitive games. I get why some people don't like it but this is one of our favourites.

[@Weldingization]

The review never mounts "the game isn't competitive enough" as an argument for not recommending it, though?

[@Iamwrongbut]

You like to play solo games next to other people? That’s how I feel this game is, unless someone happens to take one of the 3 bird cards that are face-up.

[@mrpeach32]

@@Iamwrongbut I'm not the same person, but yes: I like playing solo games next to each other.

[@sybrwookie]

The lack of interaction is not the main problem here. The game has no theme. No, "birds" isn't a theme. What are you playing as? Why are the birds you played working together? Why are the birds laying eggs in each others' nests all the time? Why are other players' birds giving me food? It's pretty drawings of birds. The gameplay is terrible. You either luck into an engine or you sit there watching the person who did luck into an engine do 4x what you possibly can on every turn. The game lasts 2x as long as it should for a game this light. The downtime between players is ridiculous and given how the board state can drastically change, there is no way to effectively plan your turn unless it's a turn which does not care at all about the board state. So you just sit there, bored, looking at pretty pictures of birds, wondering how much more fun you could be having if you were outside looking at them for real instead.

[@jumalphas]

A little thing we do to make it less random : we draw 10 cards at the beginning. The rule doesn't change : you still keep 5 (cards + ressources) total. But you have more choice.

[@iamspamus8784]

This was the best game of 2019 (for me)!!! It is amazing. I was so surprised. I should not like it, but it captivated me. I loved it from the first few turns of my first game. I got to it late, probably Dec 2019. Now I've played it 9 times or so, the pandemic having lessened my ability to play. I have the European expansion, which is very good. The extra round end bonuses add a lot. I will get the Oceania one too. It has gone through the second printing already. The third printing is due out in July 2020, I think. I have some co-workers who are waiting for that. All in all, a solid 9 or 9.5 out of 10 for me!!! I did add in the wooden food and bird tokens, but that just made it better.

[@TheVisualante]

This is a great review thank you! Even though it’s not a recommendation from you I actually walked away wanting to play it simply by your review. I didn’t understand the hype around this and this is the first review that actually got me interested in the game. Thank you!

[@Dracinard]

"So now I've disgorged all of those hyperlatives, you probably think this is going to be a glowing review..." Oh, this isn't my first rodeo.

[@RyanShyffer]

This is the greatest game review video I have ever watched.