This is a series of posts where I play 100 boardgames.
Game: Parks (1st Edition)
Designer: Henry Audubon
Year: 2019
Country: U.S.A.
Publisher: Keymaster Games
Parks is a game celebrating American national parks. Each player has two hikers and each of the four rounds consists of a season. Your two hikers hike a trail consisting of action spaces in random order. Your goal is to gain resources such as water and sunshine which can then be spent to gain the various parks on offer. You can win by gaining points from the parks, by taking photos and fulfilling secret, personal goals.
Somewhat reminiscent of trail-based worker placement games such as Great Western Trail, Parks is much lighter, quick to set up, learn and play. It took us ten to fifteen minutes to get to the point where we were making meaningful decisions based on an actual understanding of the game.
The basic mechanics are complicated by the canteens which allow for using water to switch resources and items which give various game mechanical advantages. You can try to figure out whether it’s good to just try to get as many parks as possible, or focus on items which then allow you to gain more points later.
The vibe in Parks is wonderful, wistful and pleasant without being cloying. It makes you want to go hiking in a national park.