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.

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.

Wingspan is a calm, thought-provoking bird-watching game with fun visuals and sounds and simple controls.

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.

If the Switch is the only choice you have, it's not the worst option. This is perfectly playable and works fine. But if you can somehow play this in person with your small group of socially distanced friends or on your PC while talking through Discord, then that would be the optimal way to experience this lovely little game.