New Wingspan board game with dragons has already made my 2024

Wingspan is swapping birds for dragons in a new board game due later this year.

Announced by Stonemaier Games ahead of pre-orders going live this January 31, Wyrmspan has a lot in common with its predecessor; you'll attract dragons to your sanctuary with unique resources before using their abilities to draw in more yet more of them. Considering how often Wingspan makes its way onto lists of the best board games, that's no bad thing – and with Wingspan designer Elizabeth Hargrave having a development role on this one, it's certainly promising.

However, Stonemaier emphasizes that this isn't a simple palette swap that turfs out feathers for fire-breathers. According to the official listing, it is "inspired by the mechanisms of Wingspan, though its unique elements make Wyrmspan a standalone game." More specifically, you won't be unlocking sections of your board in the same way. Instead, you'll have to excavate spaces on all three biomes (Amethyst Abyss, Crimson Cavern, and Golden Grotto) first. The more caves you open, the more dragons you can entice… and the more abilities you get as a result. 

You'll also be able to send an adventurer off to explore these areas each turn. This activates special effects that may give you an edge in your race against other "amateur dracologists." Speaking of which, your objective is similar to the one found in Wingspan – it looks as if you're competing to complete a range of goals that'll net you points.

Happily, you don't even need to rely on chance to attract dragons. Rather than rolling dice for resources, you'll always be able to choose one of the four available. According to Stonemaier, "the food dice are often a nice element of variability and player interaction in Wingspan, but we found it just a little too frustrating in Wyrmspan if all resources weren’t consistently available." The addition of four different 'Guilds' that offer benefits, and facts being in a field guide-style book rather than on the cards, are other departures.

As for the dragons themselves, there are dozens to choose from with their own powers (more than 180, to be precise). But they all have one thing in common – original, watercolor artwork by Clementine Campardou. That includes 35 'Hatchling' cards showcasing adorable baby dragons. These eventually grow into full-size monsters, but in the short-term, they seem specifically designed to melt our hearts… and go a little way to vindicating my dream of a Pokemon-themed spin on Wingspan.

Wyrmspan will be available from the Stonemaier Games store at the end of January ahead of a worldwide retail release in March 2024. It was designed by Connie Vogelmann, the mind behind Apiary. (Yes, the board game about space bees.)

For suggestions of what to play next, don't miss our guides on essential board games for adults, board games for families, and must-have board games for 2 players.