Welcome to my review of Parks, the board game where you trek through beautiful trails, collect memories (and tokens), and try not to trip over your friends’ strategic plans. If you love outdoorsy vibes but hate bugs and sunburn, this might be your next table top obsession. I’ve played this with my usual group—who argue over thermoses like Olympic athletes—and I’ll spill the beans on the artwork, gameplay, and whether this game actually belongs in your collection, or if you’ll just use it as coffee table art. Spoilers: it’s a stunner, but I’m not afraid to grouse about the rough patches too.
How It Plays
Setting up
Grab your Parks board, shuffle the trail tiles, and lay them out in a row. Everyone picks a pair of cute little hiker meeples, grabs a canteen, and draws a player board. Stack up the park cards, gear cards, and season deck. Put all those tiny wooden resources (water, suns, mountains, and trees) nearby. Don’t forget the first player token—fights will break out if you do.
Gameplay
On your turn, send one of your hikers down the trail, stopping on a tile to collect resources or take a special action. It’s all about planning your moves and claiming spots before your buddies do. Sometimes you can use your campfire to sneak onto an occupied space, which always makes you feel clever. Gather resources to visit parks and grab gear to make life easier. Each round is a season, and each season brings a new twist from the season deck.
Winning the game
After four seasons, the game ends. Everyone counts up visited parks, photos snapped, and any points from gear or personal year cards. Whoever has the most points wins, and gets bragging rights until your group wants a rematch or someone spills salsa on the cards.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Parks.
Stunning Artwork and Top-Notch Components in Parks
The first thing that hits you about Parks isn’t the game itself. It’s the box. Seriously, I almost shed a tear opening it. The artwork looks like the kind of thing you’d hang on your wall if you were classy enough to have proper artwork instead of pizza coupons. Every park card features beautiful art from Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series, with colors so rich you’ll want to lick them. (Don’t actually do that. I tried. Tastes like cardboard.)
But it’s not just about looking pretty. The components in Parks are top shelf stuff. The hiker meeples are chunky, with adorable little backpacks. The tokens for sunshine, water, mountains, and trees actually feel nice to touch—unlike those cheap plastic bits from some other games I could name, but won’t (I’m polite like that). Even the trays for storing tokens are a delight! Game trays, by the way, make setup a breeze. My friend Dave, who once managed to lose a full deck of cards under his chair, found it almost impossible to misplace anything during setup. That’s a win in my book.
The cards are thick and shuffle easily, yet durable enough to withstand frequent use. After a few rounds of aggressive shuffling from my teammate (who approaches shuffling like she’s kneading bread), everything looked just as crisp as the day we opened the box. The eco-friendly packaging is just the icing on the cake—I like my pretty things guilt-free.
If you love games that feel as good as they look, Parks is like a spa day in a box. Next, let’s jump into the wild world of game mechanics and strategy, where stuff gets real… and sometimes, a bit sneaky.
Game Mechanics and Strategy: Hiking with a Purpose in Parks
Alright, let me tell you about the meat and potatoes of Parks: the game mechanics. The main idea is you move your hiker along a gorgeous trail, collecting resources like sunshine, water, and the odd forest token. You need those to visit parks (the cards, not actual campgrounds—trust me, my tent is still in the closet). Each player takes turns moving one hiker down the trail, and you can never go backward. It sounds simple, but buddy, your choices matter.
Here’s where the strategy comes in. If you leap too far ahead, you might miss out on the resources you need, but lagging behind means everyone else gobbles up all the good spots. I tried the “slow and steady” move one round, and my friends politely bulldozed every useful space before I could blink. Not cool, Jess. Not cool at all.
You can also spend your canteens for bonus resources, and gear cards twist the rules in clever ways. You want to time your actions to get the most value, but, full truth, sometimes a well-timed weather token or lucky gear draw can shake things up. The kids at my table picked up the rules quick, but there’s room for deep thinking too. I wish the game rewarded clever play a bit more and had less luck in some gear combos, but usually the winner earned it. Parks favors planning, but not at the expense of fun—and nobody ever felt picked on.
Next up, let’s see if Parks is a one-hike wonder, or if the replay value keeps it from gathering dust on your shelf!
How Many Times Can You Hike? – Replay Value and Game Length in Parks
Let’s be real, some board games make you want to play them once, then let them collect dust next to that copy of Monopoly your aunt gifted you. Not Parks! This game gives you plenty of reasons to come back for just one more trek through those stunning trails. The replay value in Parks is like that one trail mix with all your favorite bits—always something new in every handful.
There’s a pile of Gear, a stack of Year cards, and a whole deck of Park cards, so the experience can shift every play. I still remember the game where my buddy Dan just couldn’t stop snagging canteens, and somehow made water more valuable than gold. The available actions and the route change each season, so you’re not stuck in a rut. Even if you’ve played as many times as I’ve accidentally spilled my coffee on a rulebook (which is, um, a lot), things stay fresh.
Now, about the game length. Parks goes by quicker than my patience for games with a three-hour setup. You’ll finish in about 40 to 60 minutes. This is a sweet spot: long enough to feel you hiked somewhere, short enough to play two rounds in a night without needing a snack break the size of the Grand Canyon. And the four rounds give a sense of progression without turning it into a never-ending walk—or worse, a group nap.
So if you like a game that keeps you coming back for more and doesn’t eat up your whole evening, Parks delivers. Next up, let’s talk about the fun stuff—how much you’ll love (or maybe bicker with) your fellow hikers playing this game!
How Does Parks Bring Players Together? The Joy (and Shenanigans) of Sharing a Trail
Let’s talk about player interaction in Parks, because oh boy, things can get spicy. You’re not just wandering your own merry way down the trail. Nope, you and your friends are all hiking the same path and, trust me, the tension is real when someone takes the spot you were eyeing. My buddy Dave still gives me the stink eye for snatching the last campfire site before he got there. Sorry, Dave. (Not sorry.)
What I love about Parks is that it’s friendly competition. No mean-spirited take-that stuff, but plenty of chances to mess with Aunt Linda’s plans by simply being in the right (or very wrong) place at the wrong time. Every move matters, and it’s a hoot watching everyone whisper and plot in their heads. Strategy blends with a smidge of gentle mischief—just the way I like it.
I also noticed that quieter players don’t get steamrolled here. There’s no shouting down or ruthless ganging up. Everyone’s focused on their hike. Still, you’ll feel that satisfying click when your move blocks a rival, and a little groan from across the table means you did something right.
With all that said, Parks is great for game nights with friends, family or even with newer gamers. The balance of friendly interaction and personal planning hits just the right note for me.
Do I recommend Parks? Absolutely! If you like board games with tactical choices and just enough interaction to keep things lively (but not mean), this is your trail to walk.
Conclusion
Alright folks, that wraps up my review of Parks! I’ve played this one a bunch and honestly, it’s a keeper. The art is stunning, the components are the kind that make you feel a bit fancy, and the gameplay hits that sweet spot between chill and thinky. It’s not a game that’ll melt your brain, but it does make you plan ahead and pay attention to what your friends are doing. Sure, there’s a bit of luck with the gear cards, but skill matters most. I wish there was just a tad more player interaction, but sometimes it’s nice not to have your friendships on the line! If you want a game that’s easy to pick up, hard to put down, and looks good on your table, Parks is a great choice. Happy hiking, and remember—don’t eat the wooden acorns!
