Nestlings is a strategic dice and area control game by Lucky Duck Games where 1 to 4 players take on the roles of birds competing for dominance across four distinct biomes: savannah, alpine, freshwater, and desert. Each round, players roll their biome dice and take turns placing them in the biomes, aiming to gain priority and collect valuable resources.
The core mechanism involves strategically placing dice to gain priority in a biome. The first player to place dice in a biome gains the first choice of available resources and can discard a resource to thwart opponents' plans. However, if another player places more dice in the same biome, they take over the priority. This dynamic creates constant tension and requires careful planning and adaptation to others' actions.
Players earn points by feeding their nestlings with the appropriate resources and by achieving gathering goals. By adding segments to their resource ring on the player board, they can gain recurring victory points and immediate bonuses, leading to powerful chain reactions. Unused resources can be traded for additional benefits, allowing multiple strategies to achieve victory.
Nestlings offers high replayability due to the variety of biomes, resources, and goals, as well as the interactive mechanics that make each session unique. With a playtime of 30 to 60 minutes, the game is suitable for both short and longer sessions, and the solo play option makes it appealing for individual players.