Have you ever wanted to explore nature, collect canteens, and occasionally block your friends from that perfect vista—all without any risk of sunburn? Strap on your hiking boots (figuratively, no actual hiking required) because this is my review of Parks. I played this game with my regular group, and as always, we laughed, we strategized, and we discovered who gets weirdly possessive over acorns. So is it just another pretty box on the shelf, or does it have substance behind the scenery? Let’s find out.
How It Plays
Setting up
Pick your favorite animal-shaped hiker. Set out the trail tiles—the length depends on the season. Shuffle the park, gear, and canteen decks. Lay out resources: water, mountains, forests, and sunshine. Don’t eat the wooden tokens, even if they look tasty. Place the season card and weather tokens on the trail, and give everyone starting canteens and tokens.
Gameplay
Each turn, move one of your hikers down the trail. Land on a spot and collect the resources shown. Spend those goodies to buy gear or fill your canteens for fancy powers. Your hikers can’t share a space unless you use your special campfire token. Block the best spots, watch your friends squirm, and curse when someone snags that mountain space you had your eye on. At the end of the trail, visit a National Park by trading in your hard-earned tokens or take a photo for points. Rinse and repeat for four seasons.
Winning the Game
Once winter ends, add up the points from parks, photos, and your secret year card. Whoever has the most points wins. Gloat gently, or just pack up and plan your next scenic stroll. Easy as a walk in the park!
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Parks.
Stunning Scenery: Artwork and Component Quality in Parks
Let me tell you, if there were an award for board games most likely to cause people to gasp and say, “That’s just so pretty!”, Parks would win it every year. I’ve played a lot of games with my friends, but few get half the praise for sheer beauty that this one does. The artwork in Parks is basically the Mona Lisa of cardboard, but with less mysterious smiles and more waterfalls, mountains, and trees. Keymaster Games teamed up with the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series, and you can tell. Each card is a mini work of art. Whenever I draw a new Park card, I have to take a second to admire it before making my move—which has led to some impatient grumbling from my group. Sorry, guys! Art appreciation can’t be rushed.
The components make you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, too. The wooden tokens have shapes like leaves, suns, and little raindrops that I find oddly soothing to hold (seriously, I might start keeping one in my pocket for good luck). The main board and tray organizers are sturdy and feel built to last, so you don’t have to worry about anything falling apart mid-hike. Even the insert is clever, helping keep everything tidy—which is a miracle considering I once watched my friend Ben upend the entire box by accident. Not a single piece went missing! Even Ben was impressed, and he’s usually more into tossing game boxes than admiring their insides.
While the visual appeal is hard to top, let’s see if the gameplay flow and decision making in Parks is just as smooth as those printed landscapes. Spoiler alert: there will be opinions!
How Smooth is the Ride? Gameplay Flow and Decision Making in Parks
Alright, here’s where the boots hit the hiking trail, folks! Let me tell you, Parks does not waste your time with over-complicated rules or brain-melting setups. On your turn, you move your hiker along a winding trail. You pick up goodies like water, suns, and forests. These turn into card-collecting moments later, when you visit a park or grab some gear. (Pro tip: I tried to hoard water. Did it work? Nope. Still fun, though!)
Each round, the trail changes, and so do your plans. You see what everyone else is doing, and suddenly you regret not being more sneaky. Every move in Parks feels meaningful, because the resources you grab now can make or break your later turns. Those parks cards look innocent, but getting the right combo at the right time takes solid planning and a dash of luck. I can’t tell you how many times I misjudged the weather tokens and ended up one sun short. Classic Jamie move.
The gear cards add another layer because they’re spicy with special abilities, but you have to choose what to grab wisely. Should you hang back for that juicy resource? Or rush ahead before someone else swipes the park you wanted? Decisions, decisions. It’s all about timing and reading the table, with just the tiniest pinch of luck but mostly good old strategy.
Next up, I’ll talk about Player Interaction and Competition in Parks—so get ready, because sometimes these peaceful hikers are anything but friendly!
How Players Mix It Up in Parks: Competition & Clever Moves
When it comes to player interaction, Parks knows how to keep things friendly… but just spicy enough to cause a little drama. You’re all hiking the same trail, which seems like it would make for a peaceful nature stroll. Nope! Sometimes, it feels like a mad scramble for that last spot at a scenic overlook—especially when someone grabs the tile you just spent three turns working toward. I may have let out a sound that only dogs could hear when my friend snagged the Yellowstone tile before me.
But here’s the thing: Parks doesn’t force you to attack or block others outright. Instead, it gives you a bunch of ways to gently (or not so gently) mess with their plans. The shared trail is the main source of tension. If you want that juicy Mountain photo-op, you have to keep a close eye on who’s behind and in front of you. Hop too far ahead and you might miss out; hang back too long and someone else will snatch your dream park. Does it sound passive-aggressive? That’s because it is—and I love it! Your best laid plans are always at the mercy of other hikers’ sneakers.
Don’t even get me started on the Gear and Canteen cards. Everyone eyes that fancy gear card, but there’s only one. It’s a competition, but it never gets mean, which keeps the forest (mostly) peaceful.
And if you think that’s all there is, wait till you hear how often I want to go hiking again! Next up: replayability and game length—get ready for some surprises in the woods…
Replayability and Game Length: How Often Should You Visit Parks?
Let’s talk about replayability and game length in Parks. Because hey, who wants a gorgeous game collecting dust after two plays?
First, the replay factor here is actually pretty solid. Each session gives you a fresh lineup of parks to visit, different year cards, and unique combinations of gear and canteens. It’s sort of like the roadmap gets rerouted a bit every time. My group found ourselves coming back for another round just to try new paths to victory. One time, my friend Sarah tried hoarding gear like a squirrel prepping for winter—which actually worked disturbingly well. Next game, she faceplanted because the gear didn’t show up when she needed it. That’s the kind of variety I want!
The game length sits in the sweet spot for me. Most of our games clocked in at around an hour, sometimes faster if everyone remembered not to wander off thinking about real-life hiking. It’s not a quick filler game, but it never overstays its welcome. Even at higher player counts, the pace keeps moving. The only slowdown is when you stare at your tokens and start wondering if you should trade in your water for sun points, or just eat your canteen out of spite.
So, do I recommend Parks? Yes! If you like games that invite you back again and again, Parks is a breath of fresh air. Just don’t blame me if you start planning a real-life road trip after playing.
Conclusion
Parks packs a lot of color, charm, and strategy into one box—and it’s stayed on my shelf, which is an achievement in itself. The art and components are top notch, like little souvenirs you actually want to keep. The gameplay? Easy to learn, full of choices, and barely any luck, so I never felt like I was just rolling dice and hoping for the best. Sure, it’s not a cutthroat battle—unless you’ve stolen that last canteen my friend wanted, then all bets are off. Player interaction feels clever, and I’m always left wanting just one more trek. If you love beautiful games that play smooth and fair, Parks is well worth the hike. Thanks for tagging along on this review—I’m off to plan my next trip. Maybe one where I don’t lose my way to the waterfall!
