Wingspan: The Board Game [ 2025-2026 ]

Elizabeth Hargrave, a healthcare policy consultant and avid birder, began designing Wingspan in 2013 out of frustration with repetitive board game tropes. Her goal was to create a "gamer’s game" that remained scientifically grounded.

Wingspan is a medium-weight strategy game where 1–5 players act as bird enthusiasts managing a wildlife preserve. Wingspan: The Board Game

Since its release in 2019, has evolved from a niche ornithological passion project into a global cultural phenomenon, selling over 2.6 million copies and being translated into 27 languages. Designed by Elizabeth Hargrave and published by Stonemaier Games, it challenged industry norms by replacing traditional themes like castles and conflict with a meticulous simulation of avian ecosystems. The Visionary Behind the Flock Elizabeth Hargrave, a healthcare policy consultant and avid

The bird powers were designed to reflect real-world biology. For example, predatory birds "eat" others (tucking cards for points), while vultures gain food when others make a "kill". Gameplay: The "Engine-Building" Ecosystem Since its release in 2019, has evolved from

Hargrave compiled a dataset of over 500 bird species with 100 columns of data—including wingspans, diet, and habitat—sourced from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society .