- Publisher : Matagot
- Designer(s) : David Gordon (I), Michael O'Connell (II)
- Artist(s) : Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, Mesa Schumacher
- Players : 1–5
- Playing time : 40 - 60 Min
- Weight BGG : 2.22
What's this?
Inspired by Wingspan but adapted for the aquatic world, Finspan immerses you in three distinct marine zones: the photic zone (near the surface), the dysphotic zone (deeper), and the aphotic zone (very deep). The goal? To study, discover, and collect fish species while helping them evolve and interact in a rich and dynamic ecosystem.
How do you play?
🎲 Turn Flow
On your turn, you have two possible actions:
- Play a fish: You pay its cost (cards, eggs, juveniles, or consumed fish), then place it in your ocean.
- Dive into one of the three columns of your board: You activate bonuses and abilities by descending into the depths.
🐠 Key Actions and Mechanics
- Eggs → become juveniles → transform into schools (3 juveniles on a space = 1 school).
- Fish consumed: Some fish must cover a smaller one, which “consumes” it.
- Abilities: Fish cards have different abilities:
- Place (when you play the fish),
- Activate (when diving into the fish’s column),
- End of game (scoring bonus).
- Weekly Achievements: At the end of the first 3 weeks, specific objectives earn bonus points.
🏆 End of Game
At the end of the 4th week, the following are added:
- Points from visible fish,
- End-game bonuses,
- Eggs, juveniles, schools, and fish consumed.
The player with the most points wins!
Is it good?
Having enjoyed Wingspan and Wyrmspan, I was curious to try Finspan. The latter is often compared to its predecessors for being more accessible and faster to play. It skillfully incorporates the principles of Wingspan while adapting them to a new biotope, thus offering a gameplay experience that is both familiar and new.
Like the other games in the series, Finspan adds an educational dimension, with detailed descriptions of each species, and the Fish card illustrations are as beautiful as ever.
The card tableau building and engine mechanics will be familiar to fans of the “Span” series, but a few new features bring a real freshness to the gameplay: the vertical organization of the tableau, the merging of juveniles into schools, and the clever use of the personal discard pile.
Finspan is probably the most accessible of the three games, which makes it particularly suitable for families. Yet, it hides a great deal of strategic depth: optimizing actions can lead to brilliantly linked turns thanks to a few well-thought-out combos. Conversely, poor planning can sometimes leave you with a nearly useless turn—and be careful, you only have 6 turns per round!
The end-of-round timers are still present, remain an effective mechanic, and add tension and clear and varied objectives.
In summary, Finspan is overall very good. It’s a lighter, more accessible version of the “Span” series. It appeals with its beauty, fluidity, and ease of learning, making it an excellent choice for new players or family games, without sacrificing the tactical depth that will appeal to more experienced players.
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Review Finspan
Positives
- Rewarding and strategic board building
- Accessible yet strategically deep
- Beautiful card artwork
- Good replayability
- Intermediate scoring adds tension
Negatives
- Cardboard tokens contrasting with the overall aesthetic of the game
- Predominant indirect interaction, which could disappoint players looking for a strong confrontation
- A potentially redundant purchase for collectors who already own Wingspan and Wyrmspan, despite its specific features
