Wingspan vs Wyrmspan — Which Should You Buy First?

May 24, 2026

If you've been eyeing Stonemaier's two big "spans," you've probably hit the same question I hear all the time from customers: do I get Wingspan or Wyrmspan first?

Short answer: it depends on who you're playing with and what kind of game night you're after. Long answer below.

The quick version

Wingspan is the original. Released in 2019, it took the board game world by storm and won the Kennerspiel des Jahres in 2019 — basically the gaming equivalent of an Oscar for accessible strategy games. You're attracting birds to your wildlife reserves, feeding them, laying eggs, and building a chain of bonuses. Gentle engine-building with stunning illustrations of real birds.

Wyrmspan came out in 2024, designed by Connie Vogelmann (not Elizabeth Hargrave, who designed Wingspan). Same designer feel from Stonemaier, but you're managing dragons in a cave system instead of birds in habitats. It's a bit crunchier — more puzzle, more interactions between cards, more decisions per turn.

Both play 1–5 players. Both take about 45–70 minutes. Both have art that genuinely stops people walking past your table. Both will sit on your shelf and look incredible between sessions.

Pick Wingspan if you want the gateway

If the people you play with don't game much, or you've got kids around 10+, or you just want something relaxing to play on a Sunday afternoon — Wingspan is the safer bet.

The theme is universally appealing. Everyone likes birds. Even your mother-in-law who refuses to learn new games will sit down for Wingspan because it doesn't look like a game — it looks like a beautiful coffee table experience.

The rules click after one round. Nobody gets aggressive at you across the table. There's no attacking, no take-that, no negative interactions to make anyone feel bad. Just you, your reserves, and the slow satisfaction of building a working bird sanctuary.

Wingspan also has massive expansion support. Europe, Oceania, Asia, the Fanmade Wingspan expansion, and the various promo packs add new bird cards, new habitats, and new bonus cards. If you fall in love with the base game, there's a long runway of content to keep it fresh for years.

Pick Wyrmspan if you want the next step up

If you've already played Wingspan and want something with more chew, or you're a regular gamer who finds Wingspan a little too gentle — Wyrmspan is the better fit.

Wyrmspan has more decisions per turn. Your dragons interact with each other in ways birds don't. There's an exploration mechanic with the caves that adds real spatial planning. You're not just placing cards in habitats; you're building out a dungeon, training dragons through stages, and managing how your guild progresses through the caverns.

It's still family-friendly. It's still beautiful. But the gameplay rewards thinking ahead in a way Wingspan doesn't quite push you to. Game length feels similar but the brain engagement is noticeably higher.

The art is next-level. Full painted illustrations of dragons that look like they belong in a gallery. The dragon cards genuinely make you stop and admire them mid-game.

What's actually different mechanically?

A few specifics worth knowing if you're choosing between them.

Card combos: Wingspan rewards habitat-specific engines. You build up birds in one habitat to chain into bigger effects. Wyrmspan's dragons unlock abilities as they progress through stages, so you're managing dragon advancement, not just collecting cards.

Resource management: Wingspan has food tokens you roll for and spend. Wyrmspan has a more refined economy — you're juggling coins, eggs, dragon advancement, and cave exploration simultaneously.

Scoring: Wingspan scores you on birds, eggs, food cached on cards, bonus cards, and end-of-round goals. Wyrmspan scores on dragons, exploration progress, guild abilities, and goal cards. Wyrmspan's scoring rewards combo-building more aggressively.

Solo mode: Both have a solo automa. Wingspan's is the more polished of the two — it's been iterated on through expansions. Wyrmspan's solo works fine but feels less refined.

Player count sweet spot: Both play best at 2–3 in my experience. Both work at 4–5 but the downtime between turns grows.

Are they too similar to own both?

This is the question I get asked most often, so let me answer it honestly: no, they're different enough that owning both isn't redundant.

Different theme, different mechanical focus, different mood. Wingspan is a Sunday afternoon with tea. Wyrmspan is a Saturday night when everyone wants to actually concentrate. I've got customers who own and regularly play both, and they don't feel like they're playing the same game twice.

If you can only pick one and you're new to modern board gaming — Wingspan. If you've played a few "modern" board games already and want the next layer of depth — Wyrmspan.

What about expansions?

Wingspan expansions to consider: European Expansion (the most universally recommended — adds end-of-round powers and 80+ new birds), Oceania Expansion (introduces nectar as a new resource), Asia Expansion (adds a duet mode and a 7-player automa), and the Wingspan: Fan Edition with community-designed birds.

Wyrmspan expansions: As of 2026 the expansion content is still ramping up. The base game is fully complete on its own and doesn't require expansions to play well. Stonemaier are usually steady with expansion releases, so expect more over time.

Honest take: don't buy expansions until you've played the base game a dozen times. Expansions are for when you've genuinely worn out the original.

Common questions

Is Wyrmspan a re-skin of Wingspan? No. They share visual DNA and the same publisher, but the mechanics, scoring, and decision space are meaningfully different. Wyrmspan is its own design, not a paint job.

Do I need to play Wingspan first to enjoy Wyrmspan? No. They're standalone. Either one can be your first.

Which is harder to teach? Wingspan is slightly easier to teach to non-gamers because the bird theme is intuitive and the rules build gently. Wyrmspan takes about 10 more minutes of explanation but isn't dramatically harder.

Which is better for solo play? Wingspan's solo mode is more polished, but both work fine for solo gaming.

Do they share components or accessories? Some accessory makers (including us) produce upgrade kits compatible with both games. The cards in each game are the same size — Standard American (57×89mm) — so if you sleeve one, the same sleeves work for the other.

The good news for both

Whichever you pick, we've got you covered.

We design and 3D print compatible upgrade kits for both Wingspan and Wyrmspan, made right here in Melbourne. The Wingspan kit gives you proper egg holders, food token trays, and bird card stands — no more flicking cards over by accident or dropping eggs on the floor. The Wyrmspan kit does the same job for dragons, eggs, and exploration tokens.

We've also just launched a premium multi-colour version of the Wyrmspan kit — proper dragon-themed bowls in three colour variants (Frost, Fire, Shadow), printed overnight on order.

If you're sleeving your cards as well, we stock matching sleeve sets for both games. Pair the kit with the sleeves and your copy will look genuinely better than the photos on the box.