Finspan Board Game Review

Finspan is a 1-5 player engine-building game where you collect and play fish cards to create a thriving underwater ecosystem. Throughout the game, you’ll build add fish to your habitats, lay eggs, spawn fish and form schools, manage habitats, and score points through carefully orchestrated combinations of marine species. Having joined our collection just a month ago, we’ve been eager to determine how it stacks up against similar titles like Wingspan and Wrymspan.

Board Game Scores & Ranks:

• BGG Weight: 2.35
• Play time: 40 – 50 Mins
• Player Count: 1-5 players
• Year Published: 2025
• Game Designer: David Gordon (I), Michael O’Connell (II)

Game Mechanisms:

• Engine Building
• Card Drafting
• Set Collection
• Resource Management
• Action Selection

First Impressions

After our initial plays, Finspan presents itself as a streamlined engine builder with an aquatic twist. While it shares mechanics with Wingspan and Wrymspan, it stands as a distinct experience. One immediate difference is the game’s pace – Finspan is noticeably faster, allowing us to complete two full games in just over an hour.

Our photos showcase the deluxe components, which are an optional add-on to the base game. These premium fish tokens and egg markers add a wonderful tactile element to the experience without altering the core gameplay. The weight and feel of these components create a more immersive gaming experience that the standard cardboard pieces can’t match.

Gameplay Overview

Finspan centers around building three types of underwater habitats: the vibrant Reef, vast Open Ocean, and mysterious Deep Sea. On each turn, players choose one of four actions: drawing fish cards, playing a fish from their hand to a habitat by paying the appropriate resources, activating habitats to generate resources and trigger effects, or claiming a special ability card.

What sets Finspan apart from its counterparts is the water current system, where resources (fish) flow between connected habitats, creating interesting decisions about habitat placement and timing. Each fish card contributes to your ecosystem in unique ways, with predator cards being able to consume smaller fish creating food chains, symbiotic species boosting adjacent cards, and specialized fish unlocking powerful one-time or ongoing abilities.

The game introduces a compelling risk-reward element with its school mechanics, where playing similar species in the same habitat can create powerful cascading effects. This balance between specialization and diversification adds strategic depth that keeps each game fresh.

Review

Despite only having Finspan for a month, we’ve played it multiple times at 2, 3, and 4 players. We’re pleased to report it plays well across all these player counts, with each offering a balanced experience. At 2 players, the game feels more strategic with greater control over available cards. With 3-4 players, competition for key species creates interesting tension without significantly extending playtime.

Finspan is a bit simpler than its bird and dragon counterparts, making it more accessible to casual gamers while still offering enough strategic depth to engage experienced players. A standout difference is the stronger emphasis on income generation (fish and eggs) – building an efficient resource engine early is crucial for success. Perhaps more than the other games in this series, Finspan places heavy importance on end-game point and action cards, creating interesting strategic pivots in the final rounds.

The deluxe components elevate the physical experience substantially. The premium fish and eggs provide satisfying tactile feedback that enhances immersion in the marine theme. While not necessary for gameplay, they transform the visual table presence of the game and make resource management more physically engaging. These are not included in the base box, and the cardboard tokens do a great job. However, if you have the means, the Deluxe Token Add-On from Stonemaier games is worth it

Replayability

Variability Factor (2/2) – With 180 unique fish cards, different starting player powers, and variable habitat goals, Finspan offers exceptional setup variety. The randomized coral reef tokens and shifting resource markets ensure each game begins with distinct strategic considerations. The interplay between available cards creates different ecosystem opportunities each game, making every session feel fresh even after multiple plays.

Strategic Depth (1.5/2) – Despite being simpler than its counterparts, the game supports multiple viable strategies. Players can focus on predator chains for higher point cards, symbiotic relationships for engine building, or specialized habitats for resource generation. The strong emphasis on income and end-game scoring cards creates meaningful decisions throughout, with timing becoming increasingly important as the game progresses.

Content Volume (1.5/1.5) – The card pool provides substantial variety, and the faster gameplay means we can experience more of the content in shorter gaming sessions. In our month with the game, we’ve encountered numerous card combinations and interactions, with plenty left to discover. The game includes enough content to sustain interest through dozens of plays.

Decision Space Evolution (1/1.5) – The game rewards experience as players learn to recognize valuable income engines and powerful end-game combinations. The decision space evolves as players better understand the timing of when to pivot from engine building to point accumulation, a distinction that becomes clearer with repeated plays.

Depth of Mastery (0.5/1) – While Finspan maintains consistent enjoyment, its streamlined nature means the strategic ceiling appears somewhat more predictable than heavier games. However, the emphasis on end-game scoring cards creates interesting puzzles to solve that maintain engagement even for experienced players.

Play Experience Variety (1/1) – Each game creates unique marine ecosystems with distinct narrative elements. The water current system and variable goal cards ensure that sessions feel different, with players adapting their approach based on available card combinations and resource flows.

Ease of Getting it Back to the Table (0.5/1) – The game’s quick setup time and faster gameplay make it very accessible for regular game nights. The ability to play two games in just over an hour is a significant advantage when time is limited, and the intuitive iconography means rules explanations remain brief even after time away from the game.

Who is this game for?

Finspan is an excellent fit for players who enjoy medium-weight engine builders with nature themes but prefer a faster gameplay experience. It plays well at 2, 3, and 4 players, with each count offering a balanced experience. The game is particularly suited for those who appreciate Wingspan or Wrymspan but want a more streamlined alternative that still captures the satisfaction of building interconnected card combinations.

The strong emphasis on income generation, access to your own discarded cards at various times and end-game scoring cards will appeal to strategic players who enjoy planning several turns ahead. The simpler ruleset makes it more accessible to casual gamers, while experienced players will still find enough depth to remain engaged. Players who value component quality should consider the deluxe add-on we’ve showcased, as it significantly enhances the tactile experience without altering the game’s mechanics.

Those looking for a quick engine-builder that can be played twice in just over an hour will particularly appreciate how Finspan delivers a complete experience in a shorter timeframe than its counterparts.

With its blend of familiar mechanics, unique underwater theme, and streamlined gameplay, Finspan demonstrates that refinement of existing concepts can create an experience that stands on its own merits. Its high replayability score reflects not just the variety of content, but how effectively it delivers a complete and satisfying experience in a condensed timeframe.