Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

The Nintendo Switch has plenty of excellent board games already available on it. Wingspan is one of the best, if not the best of them. Admittedly the developers were fortunate in that they had the most beautiful, well-designed base material to work with, but rather than do a pedestrian copy/paste of the game to make for a boring digital release or, worse, somehow mess it up by trying to change the game in some way, the team has shown some real respect and appreciation for what makes Wingspan a special experience. Without changing the fundamental appeal of the game, the developers here have taken advantage of the video game medium to enhance the experience in all the right ways. Wingspan, on Nintendo Switch, is nothing short of perfect.

Wingspan can feel obtuse and overwhelming at the beginning, but the more you play, the more you discover the depth its concept offers, and when it finally clicks it becomes something excellent.

Wingspan is an example of how it is possible to take a board game and carry out a near-perfect conversion work to turn it into a functional and enjoyable video game. Nearly every element here has been the target of a marvelous work and players will find themselves welcomed by a very broad and encompassing tutorial, a lovely audiovisual world, an addictive multiplayer (as well as single player) experience and sharp, fine-tuned controls. Wingspan should be held as a benchmark for how to convert board games into electronic entertainment.

While I might recommend the board game over the video game overall, the video game is a worthy complement. It’s also a good local and online multiplayer experience (especially with crossplay with the Steam version), which gives Wingspan an added benefit in 2020. No matter what year it is, Wingspan is a remarkable adaptation of a tabletop game that is certainly one of the best of its kind on Switch.

Wingspan is a fine adaption of the physical board game and a much cheaper way of playing it at that. Features like online cross-play, local play and well-explained tutorials make this one of the better board game adaptions to hit the console and hopefully allows Wingspan to reach a much-deserved wider audience in the video gaming world.

Wingspan on the Switch is probably great if you’ve played it before — or, at least, if you can use any of the many handy guides you can find online as a how-to guide — but if you’re a newcomer looking for a fun board game to pick up and play, this one may not be it.

Wingspan is a strong card game for those with the patience to learn how it works. It's fun, compulsive and can sometimes truly surprise you with stacked effects and their outcomes. Its translation to the Switch is a little... difficult, but certainly not for want of trying. In handheld it's far from ideal, but on the dock, as a couch multiplayer experience, there's plenty of fun to be had. It's also enjoyable alone as you'll seek out ways to create the highest-scoring possible deck. Despite a few porting issues, Wingspan is definitely a good time, and it'll be difficult to stop after just one game. It's a lot cheaper than the physical game, too, making it a thoroughly viable alternative.

The lack of any story or narrative means that, well, to a certain extent the game is shallow. It’s got a lot going on in play, but not a lot to draw you back in or anything of the sort. Also, it’s a competitive game, and that means playing with certain other people can turn things into a cesspool because some folks just cannot handle competition even in a chill game. Your mileage will vary. But none of that is to change the fact that this is a very supremely relaxing game. If you have the right people around you, or are just in the mood for something relaxing? This is an excellent option. Just relax. Settle down for the game. Don’t worry about people who are going to make this into a big to-do or anything of the sort, just… let it wash over you. Sit on the couch. Close your eyes for a bit, there’s no timer. Ooh, look, a red-tailed hawk! It’s a beautiful bird and it catches cards for more victory points. This is a fun game.

Wingspan is a delightful introduction to American birdlife and complex card games. With beautiful illustrations and cerebral gameplay, it’s one to savour. Hardcore players may find the strategy lacking skill-wise, but this port is an excellent accompaniment to the board game.

The presentation is superb, with hand-drawn artwork and a relaxing ambient soundtrack. This all adds to the feeling that Wingspan is well aware it is targeting a very small niche. Even with that in mind we’re still not sure Wingspan needed a digital gaming iteration, and if you can get your hands on the physical version we’d recommend that as a first resort – even if it is triple the price. If not then this a more than serviceable alternative.