The new Wingspan sequel, Finspan, is taking us down into the depths of the ocean

The acclaimed tableau building board game Wingspan won over a ton of fans in the years following its release with elegant mechanics, gorgeous avian creatures, and a fantastic digital edition. Now, publisher Stonemaier Games is taking us from the skies above to the depths of the oceans in its latest board game, Finspan. Whereas Wingspan focused on birds, this sequel will instead introduce us to 135 species of fish, all of which have distinct abilities and features. Various aspects of Wingspan’s gameplay, such as laying eggs, tracking round-based achievements, and playing cards in one of three territories, will return in this underwater adventure. However, there are several interesting differences besides the theme that will make diving into Finspan a unique, original experience.

Fish are friends, not food

In Finspan, you and up to four additional players will build a collection of marine life across the Sunlight, Twilight, and Midnight zones of your ocean mat. However, you won’t be playing these fish cards in perfectly straight rows, as you would in Wingspan. Instead, the three zones are stacked on top of each other. In addition, you’ll pay for your fish by discarding other cards, rather than spending food. Each player has a team of diver tokens that activates a particular column of fish, and sometimes, a once-per-round bonus. In addition, the eggs you place on your fish can now evolve, first into young and then into schools. This last mechanic is one that I’m particularly interested in exploring since you can move around young after they’ve hatched.

The lack of dice in Finspan also distinguishes the game from Wingspan, which requires players to roll for food tokens. This occasionally left your ability to play cards up to chance. In this regard, the fish-focused board game appears to be more similar to Wingspan’s other sequel, Wyrmspan, which swapped out the birds for dragons.

Diving into the depths

Stonemaier Games’ aquatic engine builder offers players plenty of variable scoring opportunities. Plus there are tons of ways to win, all in under an hour. The board game’s components look gorgeous, and players who are ready to take the plunge will soon be able to order the deluxe token pack, in addition to the base game, from the publisher’s website. Finspan releases on January 22nd, and includes a solo mode that utilizes a 17-card Automa opponent deck.