Keymaster Games | Parks | Board Game | Ages 10+ | 1 to 5 Players | 40 to 70 Minutes Playing Time

Product Information

There are also gear cards, season cards, secret goal cards, canteen cards, cards for solo play and some cardboard components that are very high quality and a metal first player marker. When the sun reaches the final space, that player takes one bonus photo for free. Each player then gets one more turn to carry out final moves, before points are tallied and a winner declared! Let’s Go ‘Round Again No normal human would do that but evil players will do that on a regular basis and then claim to have won but at what cost Nicole? What is the cost of your moral bankruptcy and soul?

Before we start, what’s the aim of Parks? It’s always wise to establish how to win a board game, when digesting the rules – or explaining them to others! Parks is a worker placement game for 1-5 players, with elements of set collection. The game lasts for four rounds –‘Seasons’– and during this time, you’ll aim to visit national parks. You’ll earn tokens, take photos, use hiking gear, and spend tokens to claim park cards. The player with the most points at the end of the fourth season wins the game. Sigh With Happiness During Set-UpOn a turn, a player selects either one of their Hikers and moves them down the Trail -- any space to the right of that Hiker’s current location. PARKS was played by some of the BGQ crew at Gen Con and most came away impressed. The production values are nothing short of amazing, and the gameplay is both smooth and engaging. It’s also on the lighter side of the spectrum, so don’t go in expecting a brain burner or and game with a ton of moving parts. Henry Audubon took the Tokaido concept and improved upon it a lot. As a family or gateway game, PARKS is excellent. For gaming groups looking for a light diversion, PARKS serves up nicely. Finally, I think PARKS has a nice amount of variety in the game. What helps is not only the changing of the trail each season, but the large amount of gear cards that let you break the rules in various ways. Speaking of the gear cards, I do wish there was a way to sweep the market of them. Too many times we’ve had cards no one was interested in languishing from round to round. It would be nice for them to clear out at the end of the round to see more options because there are a LOT of gear cards and usually, only 2-3 are bought in any one game. Spaces will either provide resources or an action. Final Thoughts:

I remember stumbling across the PARKS both (technically the Keymaster Games booth) at Gen Con 2019 and thinking “wow that game is pretty”. My friend then says to me “Oh, that’s PARKS, it’s gamer’s Tokaido“. Consider my interest piqued as I’m a fan of Tokaido even though the gameplay (without the expansions) is a bit too light. Is PARKS the game I had been looking for all along? Fun mechanics, pretty aesthetics, and a great theme… but does it roll up into an amazing game? Time to find out! Gameplay Overview: If you have more than 12 tokens at the end of your turn, you must discard down to 12. The tokens are component limited. Despite the gorgeous presentation and the occasional thematic flourish, like the way the season card determines the weather, PARKS is an odd bird in terms of conveying its subject. There’s really nothing to link your open choice of destination or the constant turnover of park cards with the actual act of hiking. It’s really very abstract. Yet the game has such a wonderful visual evocation of the great outdoors that this actually feels vaguely confusing, as though there ought to be additional rules and game elements that simply aren’t there. Where to Buy

It is safe to say that this game is certainly a bit of eye candy. But it is also a fantastic family game in addition to that. Personally, it will be a game that I play with my family during a holiday. Or a game I will get out to introduce people to the hobby. OK, it won’t be a go-to for me, but overall, I love PARKS. I think it has achieved a quality balance between, looks and function. Something we don’t often see, or at least to the level that PARKS has achieved. A delightfully looking game, with wholesome gameplay and a game that won’t disappoint!