How To Play: Parks

Overview

If you’ve ever wanted to conquer the great outdoors without leaving your kitchen table, Parks is your game. After one too many arguments over who gets the last canteen, my friends and I finally nailed down the rules and strategies. This guide gives you a quick outline of how to play Parks and my best strategies for snagging victory right under your friends’ noses.

What’s in the box

• 48 Park Cards
• 24 Season Cards
• 12 Year Cards
• 35 Trail Site Tiles
• 10 Hiker Meeples (2 per player, 5 colors)
• 1 Camera Token
• 36 Canteen Cards
• 15 Gear Cards
• 1 Trailhead Tile
• 12 Reserve Tokens
• 1 First Hiker Marker
• 1 Wildlife Token
• 59 Resource Tokens (28 Water, 22 Sunshine, 12 Mountain, 12 Forest)
• 10 Wildlife Tokens
• 1 Campfire Token per player
• 1 Start Player Marker
• 1 Instructions Booklet

How To Play Parks: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Lay out the trail tiles in a line. Shuffle and randomize their order each season.
2. Give each player two hikers, a canteen, and two secret year cards. Keep one year card, discard the other.
3. Place all the resources (sunlight, water, mountains, trees) in piles. Set up the gear cards and park cards.
4. Draw the season card and read it aloud. Place wildlife tokens nearby.
5. Each player puts their hikers at the start of the trail. You’re now ready to play!

Gameplay

1. Players take turns moving one of their hikers down the trail, stopping at a trail site to gain its benefit.
2. A hiker can only move forward, never backward. You can leap ahead, but you’ll skip sites you pass.
3. If you land on a site with another hiker, you must use your campfire. Once it’s out, you can’t double up again this season.
4. Collect resources and special bonuses from trail sites, canteens, and gear cards.
5. When a hiker reaches the end, you can visit a park, buy gear, or take a photo, all for the right price in resources.
6. When all hikers reach the end, reset the trail, draw a new season card, and get ready for the next round.

Winning

1. The game ends after four seasons (rounds).
2. Add up the points from parks visited, photos taken, gear bonuses, and your completed year card.
3. The player with the most points wins. It’s that simple!

Special Rules & Conditions

1. You can use wildlife tokens as any resource — they are wild, so use them well.
2. Some season cards change the rules for one round. Watch out for surprises!
3. If two players tie, the one with the most photos wins. If still tied, well, you both get to brag!

Now you know How To Play parks. After you play once, you’ll get the hang of it, and soon you’ll be racing your friends to the best hiking trips. Just remember to snatch up those wildlife tokens before Dave does.

Best Parks Strategies

Mastering Trail Selection Timing in Parks

Understand the Flow of the Trail

Keep an eye on where other hikers stand. Moving fast lets you nab juicy spots, but sometimes patience walks you straight into better options.

Block With Purpose

Don’t be shy about blocking your friends (even if they glare). Here’s how:

1. Spot the resources they want most.
2. Camp out on those spaces before they do.
3. Save your canteen for a surprise move at the end!

Plan the Last Push

Time your last moves to avoid rushing the end. If you finish too early, you might miss great actions. Watch and wait for openings.

Master Gear and Resource Management in Parks

So, let’s talk about Gear and Resources, the real engine under Parks’ hood. My friends always hoard every resource, but I learned the smarter path. If you focus on efficient Gear use, you can save time and impress your friends with your new kit. Here’s how you can use Gear and resources better than my pal Dave, who once traded water for sunshine (don’t ask).

1. Prioritize Flexible Gear

1. Pick Gear that gives bonus resources for several park types.
2. Avoid Gear that seems too situational; stick with useful all game long.

2. Don’t Overpay with Resources

1. Use exact resources when visiting parks.
2. Keep track so you don’t waste rare tokens.

3. Plan Resource Combos

1. Mix Gear for powerful combos—like gaining water every time you use a camera.
2. Always check for hidden ways to chain effects!

If you want a shot at winning, keep this in mind while learning How To Play parks. Your resource game will thank you.

Outsmart the Seasons: Mastering Hike Planning in Parks

Read the Season Card Early

1. Always check the season bonus at the start. If it gives extra resources for certain stops, plan your route to milk those spaces.
2. Let your friends know you “accidentally” forgot the bonus last round. Watch them sweat as you score big this time.

Plan Flexible Routes

1. Plan for your dream hike, but stay flexible. Unexpected moves by rivals can spoil things. Adjust, adapt, and laugh (at Dave, who never adapts).

Time Your Hike End

1. End your hike at the perfect time. Sometimes waiting an extra turn lets you collect that key resource or snap up a park before someone else does.

With these season and hike planning tips for Parks, you’ll soon be the king or queen of the trails. And hey, now you can show off your “How To Play parks” knowledge at every game night!

Final Thoughts From the Trail

If you made it this far, congrats—you’re basically the John Muir of Parks now. My friends and I have argued, blundered, and fist-pumped our way through many playthroughs. So take these strategies, mix in a little luck, and you might just snag more parks than Dave (sorry, Dave). Remember, it’s about smart moves, laughing at your own mistakes, and yelling “I CALLED THAT PARK FIRST!” just a bit too loud. Now you know how to play parks with a few extra tricks up your flannel. Happy hiking—and may your canteens always be full!

Want to know what we think of Parks? Read our detailed review of Parks here