Top 15 Board Games If You Like: Wingspan
For those who fell in love with Wingspan, the appeal often lies in its perfect blend of strategic depth, engine-building mechanics, and soothing immersion into nature's beauty. Whether it's the thrill of creating intricate card combos or the serene joy of watching your bird sanctuary thrive, Wingspan delivers a unique gaming experience.
But if you're ready to spread your wings and explore new games, this list highlights titles with the same captivating elements of strategy, stunning artwork, and engaging gameplay. Whether you're a casual gamer or a seasoned strategist, these picks will satisfy your love for nature and smart decision-making.
Disclosure
1. This article is not a review. It is a quick overview of these games.
2. The article includes games based on our own opinions. We have played some of the games, but not all of them.
3. The games are not sorted in any particular order. If you want to learn more about a particular game, click on the included links!
4. The article contains affiliate links - when you buy through links on our site, we may earn commission at no cost to you.
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1. Ark Nova
Why It's Similar: Ark Nova shares Wingspan's strategic depth and engine-building mechanics with a strong focus on a nature-themed experience centered around conservation.
What to Expect: In Ark Nova, players manage modern zoos, work on conservation projects, and build animal collections. While the theme is nature-centric, like Wingspan, the gameplay is more complex, offering deeper strategic planning as you balance habitat building, animal care, and global conservation efforts. It's a more detailed but equally rewarding nature-themed experience
2. Mariposas
Why It's Similar: Mariposas was designed by Elizabeth Hargrave, the same creator of Wingspan. It shares a focus on nature and features lighter mechanics, making it accessible and casual while retaining a thoughtful theme.
What to Expect: In Mariposas, players guide butterflies on their seasonal migration, moving across the board to gather resources and breed new butterflies. The game provides educational value by exploring the life cycle of monarch butterflies, paired with movement-based gameplay that's easy to learn but still engaging. It's perfect for those who love nature and want a relaxing yet strategic experience.
3. Everdell
Why It's Similar: Everdell features tableau building, resource management, and a beautifully illustrated nature theme, much like Wingspan. The game's aesthetic and strategic depth make it a natural fit for fans of Wingspan, who enjoy nature-themed games with engine-building elements.
What to Expect: In Everdell, players take on the role of woodland creatures building a city within the charming forest of Everdell. You'll manage cards, workers, and resources, all while balancing your city's growth and your citizens' needs. The game's enchanting artwork and intricate strategy offer a deeply immersive experience, with a touch of whimsy that adds to its appeal.
4. Photosynthesis
Why It's Similar: Photosynthesis shares a strong theme of nature and strategic depth, much like Wingspan. Both games emphasize ecological systems and thoughtful decision-making, appealing to players who enjoy nature-inspired gameplay with a competitive edge.
What to Expect: In Photosynthesis, players cultivate trees from seed to total growth, positioning them to collect sunlight while blocking their opponents. The game offers a beautifully immersive experience, where strategy revolves around managing light and timing growth cycles. The stunning visuals and environmental focus provide a calming yet competitive experience, making it perfect for fans of Wingspan who appreciate nature-themed strategy.
5. Parks
Why It's Similar: Parks shares Wingspan's stunning artwork and nature theme and offers a light, approachable strategy. Both games immerse players in the beauty of the natural world while providing relaxing but engaging gameplay.
What to Expect: In Parks, players hike along scenic trails, visit iconic National Parks, collect resources, and take photos. The game's simplicity makes it easy to learn, while its strategic elements and gorgeous visuals keep players invested. With each playthrough, you'll experience the beauty of the outdoors, much like Wingspan's peaceful yet thoughtful atmosphere.
6. Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
Why It's Similar: Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition features card-driven engine-building and resource management, much like Wingspan. Both games challenge players to build effective engines through strategic decision-making.
What to Expect: This streamlined version of Terraforming Mars offers a faster-paced experience while retaining a deep strategy. Players develop their colonies on Mars by managing resources and playing cards to expand their infrastructure, making it a great fit for those who enjoy the tactical planning found in Wingspan but are looking for a more space-oriented theme.
7. Oceans
Why It's Similar: Oceans features evolutionary mechanics, strong player interaction, and a deep nature-based theme, much like Wingspan's focus on ecosystems and species.
What to Expect: Players manage and evolve marine species, adapting to environmental changes and predators. The gameplay revolves around survival and adaptation in an ever-changing ocean ecosystem, offering strategic depth and immersive nature-based challenges.
8. Evolution
Why It's Similar: Evolution shares Wingspan's focus on nature and ecosystems but with a deeper emphasis on strategy and adapting species. It combines survival, resource management, and competition in a dynamic, ever-changing environment.
What to Expect: In Evolution, players must create and evolve their species, equipping them with traits to survive against predators and changing climates. The game revolves around adapting your species to the ecosystem, ensuring they thrive by eating, defending themselves, and reproducing. With mechanics that challenge you to react to opponents' moves and environmental conditions, Evolution offers a more direct competitive edge, making each game highly replayable as you balance offensive and defensive strategies.
9. Viticulture
Why It's Similar: Viticulture shares Wingspan's engine-building mechanics, using cards and resources within a peaceful, nature-inspired setting. Both games emphasize careful planning and incremental growth as players work to create something thriving—a vineyard or a bird sanctuary. Also, both games are published by the same publisher.
What to Expect: In Viticulture, players take on the role of vineyard owners, managing everything from planting vines and harvesting grapes to aging wine and fulfilling orders. The game offers strategic depth through worker placement, as you must efficiently allocate resources to maximize production and sales. With beautifully designed components and a serene theme, Viticulture delivers an immersive experience where every decision feels meaningful, like building an engine in Wingspan. It's perfect for gamers who enjoy long-term strategy and creating something from the ground up.
10. Azul
Why It's Similar: Azul offers a strategic experience with simple yet engaging mechanics, much like Wingspan. Its elegant gameplay and stunning visual design satisfy those who enjoy strategic decision-making with a relaxed, accessible feel.
What to Expect: In Azul, players draft beautifully designed tiles to create patterns and score points by filling their boards efficiently. The game's appeal lies in its simplicity, with quick turns and straightforward rules, making it easy to learn but challenging to master. The tactile pleasure of handling the tiles and the game's beautiful aesthetic delivers a calming, satisfying experience. While not as nature-focused as Wingspan, Azul offers a similar balance of strategy and visual beauty, making it a favorite for casual gamers who appreciate both form and function.
11. 7 Wonders Duel
Why It's Similar: 7 Wonders Duel shares Wingspan's focus on card drafting and tableau-building, providing a deep strategic experience designed specifically for two players. It offers a rewarding, head-to-head competition that engages players with multiple tactical decisions, similar to Wingspan players' choices.
What to Expect: In 7 Wonders Duel, players take turns drafting cards to build their ancient civilizations, with each card impacting military strength, scientific advancements, or economic growth. The game offers multiple paths to victory, from military domination to scientific breakthroughs, allowing for varied strategies each time you play. Its accessible mechanics, strategic drafting depth, resource management, and building wonders make 7 Wonders Duel a highly engaging experience. If you enjoy Wingspan's balance of planning and decision-making, this game will deliver a similarly satisfying challenge.
12. Cascadia
Why It's Similar: Cascadia shares Wingspan's beautiful nature theme and strategic decision-making, offering a peaceful yet competitive experience. Like Wingspan, it focuses on building ecosystems, making it a natural fit for fans who enjoy balancing strategy with nature's calming aesthetic.
What to Expect: In Cascadia, players draft and place habitat tiles to create harmonious ecosystems for wildlife, including bears, salmon, and eagles. The game emphasizes strategic tile-laying and pattern-building, where each decision can enhance your habitat's balance. With straightforward rules and a high replay value, Cascadia provides a relaxing yet engaging experience. The game's elegant simplicity and strategic depth make it a fantastic option for Wingspan fans looking for a nature-themed, puzzle-like challenge.
13. Honey Buzz
Why It's Similar: Honey Buzz offers a delightful nature-themed experience, with engine-building and resource management mechanics that will feel familiar to Wingspan fans. Both games emphasize creating efficient systems within a beautiful, nature-focused setting.
What to Expect: In Honey Buzz, players manage bees in a whimsical hive, foraging for nectar, producing honey, and selling it in the market. The game uses worker placement mechanics to simulate the complex world of bee colonies, with each action you take building your honey-producing engine. The strategic depth comes from deciding how to grow your hive and produce honey most efficiently. The charming artwork and engaging gameplay make it a perfect fit for fans of nature-themed strategy games like Wingspan.
14. Red Rising
Why It's Similar: Red Rising shares Wingspan's card-based tableau-building mechanics and strategic depth. It offers an engaging system where players must carefully balance and optimize their card collections.
What to Expect: Based on the famous dystopian novel, Red Rising immerses players in a world of power struggles and political intrigue. The game involves collecting and managing character cards, each with unique abilities and synergies. Players craft strategic combinations to score points while outmaneuvering their opponents. Like Wingspan, the game rewards strategic thinking and planning but with a theme centered on a dystopian future rather than nature. It's a highly tactical experience that will appeal to fans of intricate card management.
15. Root
Why It's Similar: Root shares Wingspan's nature-inspired setting, intricate strategy, and beautiful artwork while offering a more complex, asymmetric gameplay experience.
What to Expect: In Root, players control different woodland factions, each with unique abilities and playstyles, competing for dominance in a whimsical forest. The game combines strategic depth with rich interaction between players, as each faction has its own goals and mechanics. With its dynamic gameplay and charming, hand-drawn art, Root creates an immersive experience where players must carefully plan their moves and anticipate their opponents' strategies. It is perfect for those who enjoy deep strategy games with a nature-based theme but with a more competitive and interactive twist.
16. Bonus - Wyrmspan
Why It's Similar: Wyrmspan is the spiritual successor to Wingspan, so it shares a lot of similarities.
What to Expect: Similar gameplay, but with dragons. Sure, there is more to it, but overall Wyrmspan introduces a lot of the same mechanics as in Wingspan. Is this a good or bad thing - that is up to you to decide.
Conclusion: Your Next Wingspan-Level Obsession Awaits!
If Wingspan has captured your heart with its strategic depth, beautiful design, and nature-inspired gameplay, these 15 games will surely take your board gaming experience to new heights. Whether you're into engine-building, tableau construction, or simply love an excellent nature theme, each game on this list offers a fresh twist while keeping the elements you love intact.
Ready to discover your next tabletop obsession? Dive into these games, and you might just find a new favorite! Drop a comment with your thoughts, and don't forget to subscribe for more must-try game recommendations!
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The Spheres of Life: Mythical Forest is a new competitive fantasy card game for 2-7 Players. From stunning design to fun gameplay, this exciting game can be a fantastic addition to your family and friends' game nights!