That’s a good challenge, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to give five examples that would be agreeable to people. I get a LOT of push back on my negative review of Terraforming Mars. And I’ve got to say: it is with good reason. I’ve heard many excellent pro-TM arguments. (That doesn’t mean I’ve been converted… I still don’t want to play it!) Anyway, my arguments are with respect to the implementation of theme and my frustration with luck. Many people don’t care about that like I do, and I think my suggestions would just anger them. What do you think? What are TM’s biggest issues that need to be remedied?
Thanks for the video. I’m a huge fan of Wingspan and I’ll look into some of these. My family really enjoys Birdwatcher, so I was a bit saddened to see it as a dishonorable mention here. I agree that thematically it’s not perfect, but the gameplay itself is really fun and it feels different than other games in our collection. Although there are fewer birds, they’ve done this intentionally and focus on a specific type of bird. I wouldn’t even think of comparing it to Wingspan, however. They aren’t in the same realm. :-)
I really appreciate your honest feedback. I’m self conscious about negative reviews, which sounds like a dumb thing for a reviewer to say, but I also really love the hobby and appreciate the work that goes into EVERY game. Anyway, I can see see you watched my review as it is and you were able to express your disagreement in a very considerate way (which doesn’t describe everyone who writes a comment!) so thank you for that.
Thank you for clarifying the game comparison points and your suggestions. We have a friend who loves photographing birds but doesn't have the mental energy for an hour plus game. Thanks for introducing us to Birdscaping.
I saw this in my feed and thought 'those are fighting words!' My family loves Wingspan! As soon as I started watching though, I absolutely love this approach. I disagree with your assessment of Birdwatcher mind you, best addressed in another comment here that I replied to. I immediately went to check out Birdscaping and now I'm watching 5 games better than Everdell. Great video, thanks!
@@theperfectboardgame which is more than what i can say about your approach to disagreeing. Commenter: I still think wingspan is better, you: the game you love is so broken.
The comment about Birdwatcher seems a bit unfair. It's a set collection game, not an engine builder, so it isn't the same as Wingspan. But there are more than one individual of a given species in nature, so maybe it would be more fair to say that it looks like Wingspan but has a different mechanism. Also, one could easily just say you're capturing its image, not the bird itself. Jamming your single notion of how one interacts with birds into every game's concept is too narrow and unnecessarily harsh. Of course, the whole concept of the video is to troll Wingspan anyway, so I get it.
Yes, came here to defend Birdwatcher as well! I think you did that more effectively than I would have! The only thing I'd add is that you are incentivized to have a diversity of birds,as well as having full sets of a species. There is an end game diversity bonus for the 2 players with the most species. I'll admit, I do kinda get the thematic concern. When you take your 'picture,' the bird in your sights goes into your journal, but another bird in your tree gets startled into the clearing. If you were just taking a picture, wouldn't the bird in your sights also get startled? This would be mechanically difficult to implement though and would have gameplay issues, so I can live with the abstraction they've gone with.
I'm moving to Europe from Australia and bought re 40 new board games (which is huge considering I'm not a gamer) yet I bought Meadow for my 8yo to be, granddaughter, FlameCraft, Akropolis etc all largely due to ease, fun, and artwork. Wingspan just never tickled my interest, for some reason. I even got my granddaughter Animals of Sherlock for the same reasons. TrailBlazer though looks awesome 🙂 Earth is not yet available in Australia and will be buying it once it comes out. I would get Everdell if it was cooperative. Dislike playing competitive games within a family unit...between friends, yes, yet not when playing with family.
I’ve recently opted for Earth over Wingspan for purchase, for the very reasons you mentioned. I know enough people with a physical copy. I have not mastered either Earth or Wingspan but am enjoying Earth. There is a learning curve with Earth, particularly with understanding the abilities on the cards. So, not a gateway game in my opinion. I’ve also heard that Forest Shuffle is like Earth lite. Now, the ready to release Wyrmspan, a part of the Wingspan family may compete for “better than Wingspan.”
I like Wingspan a lot. I like engine building games. Wingspan is simple enough that less experienced gamers can still learn it, while still being satisfying to puzzle through for me. But Earth is Wingspan turned up a notch, slightly more complex, more going on. Great recommendation for sure. I'm definitely getting Earth out more than Wingspan right now.
I sincerely applaud your efforts, however simply ranking five or six games yields a much too small and too poorly informed of a sample to yield meanginful results. Each time I use the tool the results vary. And it has no idea WHY I am ranking something lower. Is Viticulture #5 because the theme is unappealing, even though I love the mechanisms, or because I don't enjoy the mechanims although I enjoy the theme? I think you've got the beginnings of a great tool but it needs more. I hope you'll keep at it.
Thank you for your feedback! There is validity to your main point: that too few games will yield a result that can vary dramatically, but I can tell from your comments about theme and mechanics that you are not defining those things as they are defined in the software. The software is looking for more prominent characteristics of games. For example, the very fact that you used Viticulture as you example instead of Ticket to Ride or Carcassonne speaks volumes. Nevertheless your point remains: to meet the level detail you are expecting,you more information is required.
If Wingspan wasnt so successful, it makes you really wonder if all these other “Bird” themed games would have ever been designed/published. A lot of these games certainly “look” great thats for sure, even better than Wingspan.
I bet a lot of these games wouldn't have even existed without Wingspan. I think there may have been a few that came before, but that game really started a trend of nature theme games, which I'm very happy for since I love that theme
wingspan is better than these games,, game no.2 and birdwatcher is a copy of wingspan which tells me that these game would never exist without the success of wingspan, meadow is not better than wingspan :)
I agree complexity doesn’t make a game better no more than better graphics makes a video game more fun. However, is Wingspan really that complex? Maybe because my kids are ages 18-11 we find it easy to play? Appreciate the other recommendations since I haven’t played any of them.
I don’t consider Wingspan very complex. I said “4” in this video, right? The scale goes up to 10. I usually don’t give scores of 3 or lower unless they don’t involve any reading.
I am so excited for John Muir Trail. Should be getting to Kickstarter backers in May! I also backed Earth and should have that within the next two weeks. I’m really interested in the Print and Play! Thanks for sharing. How did you go about getting a professional print copy?
The link in the description is for files that are formatted for a printing service called Print and Play. That’s what I used! Here is some advice: I wish I had printed two sets of cards. After paying for shipping, the cost of 18 more cards would have been trivial and I suspect that you can easily play this game 4 player if you have two sets of cards. You may need to make a house rule that building the same card twice is not allowed.
@@myheartsathome1 I’m not sure. The site says shipping is in February, but there is still only a “pre-order” button: trailblazerjohnmuir.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Thank you. It's meant to be a toy and a source of inspiration. I find that the games I enjoy depends on my mood, so I made the quiz short and easy. You can take it multiple times using different games and different orderings to get (mostly) different results every time.
What i don't like in Wingspan is, that you can just concentrate on "Task"-Cards in the end. You will draw the one or the other card that will fit your board, you have built up the previous turns.
Thanks for the great video and nice that you think Earth is better than Wingspan, can't wait for you to try it out on a table and see what you think of it after that :)
great video =) been looking at wingspan and games like it and want to try it out "irl" but I have Earth and that is a great game but havent tryed it out with more players. Didnt think of earth as a engine builder until now xD wow have a great day
There’s no need to take successfull games and talk down on them. To say they are better ones. Go and design a game yourself. Publish it and then wait for others to talk down on your creation. Every game has its own charm. Everyone is different. This kind of content is harmful for the hobby. IMO (This video appeared in my feed. I just came here to comment).
@@theperfectboardgame It did! I also get your problem with Wingspan's theme. The cards kinda blur together and instead of being birds each card turns into just another action. It's still a seven for me but I can see my rating drop in the future. I just got into the hobby and it's my first 'real' boardgame. I do think it's a tiny bit overrated though. I love the artwork but reading alot of information from cards is not my thing.
Enjoyed your video. But I enjoy the solo version of Birdwatcher, I get your complaints with it especially compared to some of the other games you mentioned but it is challenging game and I think it was pretty fun!
I read the rules of Wyrmspan a while back. Didn't purchase it and still haven't played. From what I recall though, it was a bit more complex and adventurous, as you need to explore the caves on your player board to make room for more dragons.
You know what’s fun? When I decide on making these “5 games” video, I go through many, many considerations. If it wasn’t for my goal to make this video, I never would have discovered these games. And when I find a game that excites me like BoaF or Earth did, the sense of “victory” is enough to feel like a board game in itself.
@@theperfectboardgame always love seeing new recommendations, I can only find Birds of a feather on the game publishers website and unfortunately the postage to the UK is astronomical 😑
@@Flip5ide that’s good to know. I’ve emailed the company so when they get back to me I will let you know about that. The game was just released, so I asked if it is being sold in Europe and when it is expected to arrive.
I want you to know that I didn’t forget about your question, but the representative from the company never got back to me. I know they were working on a new Kickstarter, so I imagine they just got distracted by the newest project. Not sure what to tell you about delivery in the UK.
@@theperfectboardgame That's good because I just ordered it last week (before seeing this) and we never play 2 player only games at all. I'm glad I didn't waste my money.
Stonemeier games have excellent production but they've only made one good game in my opinion and thats Viticulture. They've been riding on its coat tails ever since. I think if any other company produced wingspan, and didnt give it such an insane production (it comes with a birdhouse dicetower for crying out loud) I dont think anyone would be giving it much attention. It's got some weird mechanics that dont really make thematic sense.
Dude. Yes. And THANK YOU! So many people watch this video and write a defense of Wingspan... that's fine, I was asking for it, but it is SO refreshing to read such an articulate comment that gets at EXACTLY what I'm trying to say!
Have to disagree with you about Birdwatcher. You also don't get that fact that you are taking a picture and putting into your album, not doing taxidermy.
If anyone like Bird theme game, I recommend Fly Away. It was made by a Singapore company n i love it True. I love meadow more than wingspan. The art is just phenomenal
Yes. I also think there are a lot of similarities in gameplay, but I didn’t mention Parks because I think it already has plenty of exposure (the real purpose of these videos is to share lesser known games) and I actually think Trailblazer is more thematic… I mean, how do you have a trail game without a map? While the art is similar, the overall production quality of Parks is top notch.
Please take another look at the difference in game boards, player boards and quantity and variety of cards in each... plus map packs and arrowheads... NO comparison
I was afraid you'd have Meadow here. Bought it because we liked Wingspan, but it is way worse. Tableau builder where all the combos are based on luck, no way to know what will come up (too many different ones), lacking true engine building.
I hear your point, but, I kinda have to ask: how is Wingspan any better? There are even fewer birds available to draft and sometimes you simply draw from a facedown deck. In any case, I appreciate that you gave my video a chance. Obviously, you are trying to find something that is "like" Wingspan because you already really like that game. Have you read the comments here? There are a few other recommendations or disagreements that you may find interesting.
@@theperfectboardgame Wingspan has a significant luck factor as well, but there is enough strategy that the stronger player wins the majority of the games, whereas in Meadow it feels completely random. You can't work toward long term goals and have no way of knowing which icons will be good later. In Meadow there is also no satisfaction of your turns getting progressively stronger like in Wingspan.
@@theperfectboardgame Yeah, I bet. I too have the same desire for that, unfortunately I still am not in a position to be able to explore like that. Hopefully in near future I will get the opportunity. Anyways, thank you, once again, for the great channel and great work and hobby you do!
Thank you, that is a very nice thing to write in a comment. These "better than" videos are part of a series. The intention was to bring more attention to lesser known games that I consider underrated. Being a small channel, I didn't think I could bring them the attention they deserve without some degree of "clickbaitiness", but maybe I handled it tactlessly.
For what it's worth, the series is over... I think. I made videos providing alternatives to Catan, Dominion, Ticket to Ride, Everdell, and Wingspan. My "hit list" ends there. It is now time to move onto a new series, a series about how I review games and how to utilize "the perfect board game formula." I know many people want to better understand what I mean when I give a high rating for "theme" or "mechanics" and it isn't always what people think I mean. I will make lists of exemplary games for each attribute. Hey, if you have any recommendations you'd like me to consider, let me know. The lists are: theme, mechanics, components, strategy, and complexity.
Earth & Meadow are both basically garbage. Wingspan's simple elegance makes it a classic. With three separate engine (rows) that are interwinted like meshing gears. If you want a deeper experience go with Wyrmspan.
Now you have me thinking: are there any games that are literally about garbage? Waste management is really quite interesting, made more so because many people take it for granted. Yes. Wyrmspan came out after this video; it is a deeper game, for sure.
It wasn’t out (or I hadn’t tried it) at the time I made this video. It is a very worthwhile consideration (beautiful game) for this list! Thanks for suggesting it.
Great video. I would love to see a “5 Games better than Terraforming Mars” video
That’s a good challenge, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to give five examples that would be agreeable to people. I get a LOT of push back on my negative review of Terraforming Mars. And I’ve got to say: it is with good reason. I’ve heard many excellent pro-TM arguments. (That doesn’t mean I’ve been converted… I still don’t want to play it!)
Anyway, my arguments are with respect to the implementation of theme and my frustration with luck. Many people don’t care about that like I do, and I think my suggestions would just anger them.
What do you think? What are TM’s biggest issues that need to be remedied?
I really enjoyed this video and appreciate all the work you put into finding great alternatives! I now have more games added to my wish-list :)
Thank you so much! I’m glad the video served its purpose for you.
Thanks for the video. I’m a huge fan of Wingspan and I’ll look into some of these.
My family really enjoys Birdwatcher, so I was a bit saddened to see it as a dishonorable mention here. I agree that thematically it’s not perfect, but the gameplay itself is really fun and it feels different than other games in our collection. Although there are fewer birds, they’ve done this intentionally and focus on a specific type of bird. I wouldn’t even think of comparing it to Wingspan, however. They aren’t in the same realm. :-)
I really appreciate your honest feedback. I’m self conscious about negative reviews, which sounds like a dumb thing for a reviewer to say, but I also really love the hobby and appreciate the work that goes into EVERY game. Anyway, I can see see you watched my review as it is and you were able to express your disagreement in a very considerate way (which doesn’t describe everyone who writes a comment!) so thank you for that.
Thank you for clarifying the game comparison points and your suggestions. We have a friend who loves photographing birds but doesn't have the mental energy for an hour plus game. Thanks for introducing us to Birdscaping.
I saw this in my feed and thought 'those are fighting words!' My family loves Wingspan! As soon as I started watching though, I absolutely love this approach. I disagree with your assessment of Birdwatcher mind you, best addressed in another comment here that I replied to. I immediately went to check out Birdscaping and now I'm watching 5 games better than Everdell. Great video, thanks!
Thank you so much! That is a very kind thing to say. I appreciate that you can disagree and be so complimentary about it.
@@theperfectboardgame which is more than what i can say about your approach to disagreeing. Commenter: I still think wingspan is better, you: the game you love is so broken.
The comment about Birdwatcher seems a bit unfair. It's a set collection game, not an engine builder, so it isn't the same as Wingspan. But there are more than one individual of a given species in nature, so maybe it would be more fair to say that it looks like Wingspan but has a different mechanism. Also, one could easily just say you're capturing its image, not the bird itself. Jamming your single notion of how one interacts with birds into every game's concept is too narrow and unnecessarily harsh. Of course, the whole concept of the video is to troll Wingspan anyway, so I get it.
Yes, came here to defend Birdwatcher as well! I think you did that more effectively than I would have! The only thing I'd add is that you are incentivized to have a diversity of birds,as well as having full sets of a species. There is an end game diversity bonus for the 2 players with the most species.
I'll admit, I do kinda get the thematic concern. When you take your 'picture,' the bird in your sights goes into your journal, but another bird in your tree gets startled into the clearing. If you were just taking a picture, wouldn't the bird in your sights also get startled? This would be mechanically difficult to implement though and would have gameplay issues, so I can live with the abstraction they've gone with.
Wingspan still better 😂
If it ain’t broke…
wingspan is overrated
I'm moving to Europe from Australia and bought re 40 new board games (which is huge considering I'm not a gamer) yet I bought Meadow for my 8yo to be, granddaughter, FlameCraft, Akropolis etc all largely due to ease, fun, and artwork. Wingspan just never tickled my interest, for some reason. I even got my granddaughter Animals of Sherlock for the same reasons. TrailBlazer though looks awesome 🙂 Earth is not yet available in Australia and will be buying it once it comes out. I would get Everdell if it was cooperative. Dislike playing competitive games within a family unit...between friends, yes, yet not when playing with family.
Where did you get that awesome neon sign “Board game Dad”???
My wife gave it to me for Christmas. It can be custom ordered on Amazon: amzn.to/3mmcq9c
Great content. I certainly understand the criticism about Wingspan. I'm looking forward to playing Earth, seems like a great game.
Thank you! Yea, I’m looking forward to playing a physical copy.
I’ve recently opted for Earth over Wingspan for purchase, for the very reasons you mentioned. I know enough people with a physical copy. I have not mastered either Earth or Wingspan but am enjoying Earth. There is a learning curve with Earth, particularly with understanding the abilities on the cards. So, not a gateway game in my opinion. I’ve also heard that Forest Shuffle is like Earth lite. Now, the ready to release Wyrmspan, a part of the Wingspan family may compete for “better than Wingspan.”
I’ve played Earth a lot since making this video. I still really like it. Definitely a good choice!
I like Wingspan a lot. I like engine building games. Wingspan is simple enough that less experienced gamers can still learn it, while still being satisfying to puzzle through for me. But Earth is Wingspan turned up a notch, slightly more complex, more going on. Great recommendation for sure. I'm definitely getting Earth out more than Wingspan right now.
Thanks for sharing. Also, since making this video, Raising Robots has come out. Definitely check it out.
I sincerely applaud your efforts, however simply ranking five or six games yields a much too small and too poorly informed of a sample to yield meanginful results. Each time I use the tool the results vary. And it has no idea WHY I am ranking something lower. Is Viticulture #5 because the theme is unappealing, even though I love the mechanisms, or because I don't enjoy the mechanims although I enjoy the theme? I think you've got the beginnings of a great tool but it needs more. I hope you'll keep at it.
Thank you for your feedback!
There is validity to your main point: that too few games will yield a result that can vary dramatically, but I can tell from your comments about theme and mechanics that you are not defining those things as they are defined in the software. The software is looking for more prominent characteristics of games. For example, the very fact that you used Viticulture as you example instead of Ticket to Ride or Carcassonne speaks volumes. Nevertheless your point remains: to meet the level detail you are expecting,you more information is required.
If Wingspan wasnt so successful, it makes you really wonder if all these other “Bird” themed games would have ever been designed/published.
A lot of these games certainly “look” great thats for sure, even better than Wingspan.
Absolutely.
I bet a lot of these games wouldn't have even existed without Wingspan. I think there may have been a few that came before, but that game really started a trend of nature theme games, which I'm very happy for since I love that theme
wingspan is better than these games,, game no.2 and birdwatcher is a copy of wingspan which tells me that these game would never exist without the success of wingspan, meadow is not better than wingspan :)
I agree complexity doesn’t make a game better no more than better graphics makes a video game more fun. However, is Wingspan really that complex? Maybe because my kids are ages 18-11 we find it easy to play? Appreciate the other recommendations since I haven’t played any of them.
I don’t consider Wingspan very complex. I said “4” in this video, right? The scale goes up to 10.
I usually don’t give scores of 3 or lower unless they don’t involve any reading.
That is affirming, thank you. I try to find the right balance between being relatively unknown while also being great games.
I am so excited for John Muir Trail. Should be getting to Kickstarter backers in May!
I also backed Earth and should have that within the next two weeks.
I’m really interested in the Print and Play! Thanks for sharing. How did you go about getting a professional print copy?
The link in the description is for files that are formatted for a printing service called Print and Play. That’s what I used!
Here is some advice: I wish I had printed two sets of cards. After paying for shipping, the cost of 18 more cards would have been trivial and I suspect that you can easily play this game 4 player if you have two sets of cards. You may need to make a house rule that building the same card twice is not allowed.
When does the John Muir trail game become available
@@myheartsathome1 I’m not sure. The site says shipping is in February, but there is still only a “pre-order” button: trailblazerjohnmuir.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
@@myheartsathome1 Kickstarter backers get theirs in May/June, so I’d assume retail would be after they in the summer at some point.
Wow! Thank you for making the game attribute tool to help us identify games we will enjoy. Amazing work.
Thank you. It's meant to be a toy and a source of inspiration. I find that the games I enjoy depends on my mood, so I made the quiz short and easy. You can take it multiple times using different games and different orderings to get (mostly) different results every time.
What i don't like in Wingspan is, that you can just concentrate on "Task"-Cards in the end. You will draw the one or the other card that will fit your board, you have built up the previous turns.
Yeah, I hear you. I think it’s a flaw in any game where you can draw objectives that you already filled by chance.
Just wait till The Flood comes out! A "better" version to compete with Ark Nova
Thanks for the great video and nice that you think Earth is better than Wingspan, can't wait for you to try it out on a table and see what you think of it after that :)
Of course. Earth is going to be a huge hit, but I’m glad I discovered it “before it was cool.”
@@theperfectboardgame haha, hope it will also, glad you found that out as well :)
Good old video title trick to make more views...
great video =) been looking at wingspan and games like it and want to try it out "irl" but I have Earth and that is a great game but havent tryed it out with more players. Didnt think of earth as a engine builder until now xD wow
have a great day
I really, really like Earth. I keep bringing it out and I think it has been over a year since I made this video.
@@theperfectboardgame have you tried out the expansion yet? What is your thoughts on it?
There’s no need to take successfull games and talk down on them. To say they are better ones. Go and design a game yourself. Publish it and then wait for others to talk down on your creation. Every game has its own charm. Everyone is different. This kind of content is harmful for the hobby. IMO (This video appeared in my feed. I just came here to comment).
I’m wondering if you based this comment off the title or if you watched part of the video?
I feel your pain bro...@@theperfectboardgame
@@theperfectboardgameyeah, I feel like some people are blindly criticizing. It’s clear that this video wasn’t meant to put down wingspan in any way
Yes I was looking forward to this video!
I hope it met your expectations!
@@theperfectboardgame It did! I also get your problem with Wingspan's theme. The cards kinda blur together and instead of being birds each card turns into just another action.
It's still a seven for me but I can see my rating drop in the future. I just got into the hobby and it's my first 'real' boardgame. I do think it's a tiny bit overrated though. I love the artwork but reading alot of information from cards is not my thing.
Enjoyed your video. But I enjoy the solo version of Birdwatcher, I get your complaints with it especially compared to some of the other games you mentioned but it is challenging game and I think it was pretty fun!
Fair enough!
Everdell better than aaaaaall these games ❤️
I thought he'd have Everdell here. Not sure I'd agree, but it would have made a good case.
Clickbait. This guy is a youtuber first, and a board gamer second.
Indeed. There is just no reason to own Meadow if you have Wingspan. Well, Meadow is slightly more simple, but there are way better kids games.
What about Wyrmspan?Is it worth?
I read the rules of Wyrmspan a while back. Didn't purchase it and still haven't played. From what I recall though, it was a bit more complex and adventurous, as you need to explore the caves on your player board to make room for more dragons.
Birds of a feather looks very interesting, i guess I'd better go check out earth as well!
You know what’s fun? When I decide on making these “5 games” video, I go through many, many considerations. If it wasn’t for my goal to make this video, I never would have discovered these games. And when I find a game that excites me like BoaF or Earth did, the sense of “victory” is enough to feel like a board game in itself.
@@theperfectboardgame always love seeing new recommendations, I can only find Birds of a feather on the game publishers website and unfortunately the postage to the UK is astronomical 😑
@@Flip5ide that’s good to know. I’ve emailed the company so when they get back to me I will let you know about that. The game was just released, so I asked if it is being sold in Europe and when it is expected to arrive.
@@theperfectboardgame ahh that's great, thank you!
I want you to know that I didn’t forget about your question, but the representative from the company never got back to me. I know they were working on a new Kickstarter, so I imagine they just got distracted by the newest project. Not sure what to tell you about delivery in the UK.
Is Canopy really only for 2 players?
Technically, it can be played 3- or 4- players using a variant
@@theperfectboardgame That's good because I just ordered it last week (before seeing this) and we never play 2 player only games at all. I'm glad I didn't waste my money.
Watching for less than 30 seconds and I know I want to subscribe
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for another awsome video from Wingspan lover! I hope I can find more than Meadow in Europe soon🤞🤞
Stonemeier games have excellent production but they've only made one good game in my opinion and thats Viticulture. They've been riding on its coat tails ever since. I think if any other company produced wingspan, and didnt give it such an insane production (it comes with a birdhouse dicetower for crying out loud) I dont think anyone would be giving it much attention. It's got some weird mechanics that dont really make thematic sense.
Dude. Yes. And THANK YOU! So many people watch this video and write a defense of Wingspan... that's fine, I was asking for it, but it is SO refreshing to read such an articulate comment that gets at EXACTLY what I'm trying to say!
Have to disagree with you about Birdwatcher. You also don't get that fact that you are taking a picture and putting into your album, not doing taxidermy.
But why is the bird removed from the environment after a photo is taken?
If anyone like Bird theme game, I recommend Fly Away. It was made by a Singapore company n i love it
True. I love meadow more than wingspan. The art is just phenomenal
Oh wow, I love your recommendation. “Extra points” for finding a game I was unaware of.
I don't see it listed on BGG. Are you sure you have the title right?
@@ButOneThingIsNeedful I think it’s Fly-A-Way: boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/319792/fly-way
@@theperfectboardgame Thx.
@@ButOneThingIsNeedful ua-cam.com/video/Yh7k5YGBPSQ/v-deo.html
5 games better than wingspan. Go fish, checkers, candy land, chutes and ladders, monopoly.
This made me laugh. Thanks!
And forest shuffle?
Trailblazer looks very similar to Parks Oo
Yes. I also think there are a lot of similarities in gameplay, but I didn’t mention Parks because I think it already has plenty of exposure (the real purpose of these videos is to share lesser known games) and I actually think Trailblazer is more thematic… I mean, how do you have a trail game without a map? While the art is similar, the overall production quality of Parks is top notch.
Please take another look at the difference in game boards, player boards and quantity and variety of cards in each... plus map packs and arrowheads... NO comparison
I was afraid you'd have Meadow here. Bought it because we liked Wingspan, but it is way worse. Tableau builder where all the combos are based on luck, no way to know what will come up (too many different ones), lacking true engine building.
I hear your point, but, I kinda have to ask: how is Wingspan any better? There are even fewer birds available to draft and sometimes you simply draw from a facedown deck. In any case, I appreciate that you gave my video a chance. Obviously, you are trying to find something that is "like" Wingspan because you already really like that game. Have you read the comments here? There are a few other recommendations or disagreements that you may find interesting.
@@theperfectboardgame Wingspan has a significant luck factor as well, but there is enough strategy that the stronger player wins the majority of the games, whereas in Meadow it feels completely random. You can't work toward long term goals and have no way of knowing which icons will be good later. In Meadow there is also no satisfaction of your turns getting progressively stronger like in Wingspan.
I see your point. At the time, I chose Meadow because I was thinking of a game that is more thematically coherent.
@@theperfectboardgame Well, that is true, thematically Meadow makes more sense. Have you tried Fox Experiment? Had hopes for that one.
Thank you very much for this great video and many recommendations! Awesome!
I have so much fun discovering new or relatively unknown games. Happy to share!
@@theperfectboardgame Yeah, I bet. I too have the same desire for that, unfortunately I still am not in a position to be able to explore like that. Hopefully in near future I will get the opportunity.
Anyways, thank you, once again, for the great channel and great work and hobby you do!
Another bird themed game that is cute, light, fast and fun is Cubirds.
I wish your content didn’t rely on clickbaity titles and going “against the grain” of the community at large. I think you’re better than that.
Thank you, that is a very nice thing to write in a comment. These "better than" videos are part of a series. The intention was to bring more attention to lesser known games that I consider underrated. Being a small channel, I didn't think I could bring them the attention they deserve without some degree of "clickbaitiness", but maybe I handled it tactlessly.
For what it's worth, the series is over... I think. I made videos providing alternatives to Catan, Dominion, Ticket to Ride, Everdell, and Wingspan. My "hit list" ends there. It is now time to move onto a new series, a series about how I review games and how to utilize "the perfect board game formula." I know many people want to better understand what I mean when I give a high rating for "theme" or "mechanics" and it isn't always what people think I mean. I will make lists of exemplary games for each attribute.
Hey, if you have any recommendations you'd like me to consider, let me know. The lists are: theme, mechanics, components, strategy, and complexity.
Unfortunately it's clickbaity titles that get the clicks. And clicks get the chips...
Interesting stuff, thanks.
5 games better than Wingspan? Thats not exactly difficult.
Forest shuffle!!!!
i only play computer games, not physical.
You’re missing out! (But I don’t play video games, so I am missing out, too!)
Welcome!
Wingspan sucks and link to quiz doesn’t load quiz properly😅
Yeah. I updated my rating system and now I need to update my quiz.
Earth & Meadow are both basically garbage.
Wingspan's simple elegance makes it a classic. With three separate engine (rows) that are interwinted like meshing gears.
If you want a deeper experience go with Wyrmspan.
Now you have me thinking: are there any games that are literally about garbage? Waste management is really quite interesting, made more so because many people take it for granted.
Yes. Wyrmspan came out after this video; it is a deeper game, for sure.
😂
And forest shuffle?
It wasn’t out (or I hadn’t tried it) at the time I made this video. It is a very worthwhile consideration (beautiful game) for this list! Thanks for suggesting it.