Parks

PARKS, by Keymaster Games, is a beautiful, relaxing board game experience. In it you control two hikers, trekking across the National Parks of the US. What ‘memories’ will you make along the way? What photos will you snap?

A game of PARKS last four rounds (the four seasons of a year). Your two hikers move along a modular trail board, in a point-to-point fashion. Wherever you move your hiker, you’ll gain any resource tokens on that spot. These resources represent ‘memories’: the fresh mountain vista; the splendour of sunshine; the scent of pine in the air. Locations along the trail also provide actions you can take. At the end of the season (round), you get the chance to trade your memory tokens for a National Park card. These are worth varying points, and the National Parks have required memories as a cost. You might also pay resources to take a photo (also worth points). Picking where you want your hikers to trek is a big decision, since set collection sits at the heart of PARKS.

The trail gets longer with each passing season. With the start of a new season, the trail tiles get shuffled and re-laid out, along with an extra tile. No two hikers can share the same spot, so it’s first-come, first-served. Unless, that is, you want to use your Campfire token. But you only get one of these per season, so light it with care! Also, if you can fill a Canteen with a water token you get access to harder-to-come-by memories. Other Gear cards offer further engine building options. How will you trek through the PARKS?

With adorable wooden components and an awesome custom-built insert by Game Trayz, PARKS feels like a luxury product. Plus the gorgeous artwork by Fifty-Nine Parks? Playing PARKS will make you want to go off on your own trek…