Wingspan

Elizabeth Hargrave's bird-themed engine builder won the 2019 Kennerspiel des Jahres (the Oscar of board games) and sold over 1.5 million copies. You build a wildlife preserve by playing bird cards that trigger chain reactions of eggs, food, and card draws. The theme sounds niche — competitive birdwatching? — but the mechanics are so elegant that non-gamers get hooked within one round. The art by Natalia Rojas and Ana Maria Martinez is museum-quality; some people frame the cards. Plays 1-5 players in 40-70 minutes.