How To Play: Parks

Overview

If you ever wanted to win at Parks without flipping the board in frustration, you’re in the right spot! I’ve played Parks more times than I’ve lost socks in the dryer. This guide covers not just How To Play parks, but also the best tricks I use with my friends to actually win. I’ll cover the basic rules and then spill the beans on clever strategies that work.

What’s in the box

• 1 Trailhead tile
• 1 Trail End tile
• 12 Season cards
• 10 Year cards
• 48 Park cards
• 24 Photo tokens
• 35 Wildlife tokens
• 30 Sun tokens
• 30 Water tokens
• 18 Mountain tokens
• 18 Forest tokens
• 15 Canteen cards
• 24 Gear cards
• 12 Trail Site tiles
• 1 First Hiker token
• 1 Camera token
• 4 Player tokens (2 hikers per player)
• 1 Campfire token per player

How To Play Parks: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Lay out the trail tiles to form the path for the season.
2. Place plant, sun, water, and mountain tokens near the path. These are your tasty resources.
3. Shuffle the park cards, gear cards, and canteen cards. Deal each hiker a canteen and two hikers in their color.
4. Give every player a campfire token (it looks like a tiny s’more disaster, don’t eat it).
5. Set up the season and year cards. Reveal the first season card and give out secret year cards to players.

Gameplay

1. Each round, players take turns moving one of their hikers forward on the trail. Pick wisely, you can never move backwards, even if you forgot your trail snacks.
2. When you land on a trail space, collect the matching resource or take the action shown.
3. If the spot is taken, you can’t go there unless you toss your campfire token on it. Poof! Now you can share, but just once per season.
4. Some spaces let you fill your canteen or grab gear. These help you stretch your resources further.
5. Once you reach the end of the trail, visit a park, buy gear, or snap a photo for points. The early bird gets the best choice, so don’t dawdle!

Winning

1. After four seasons, everyone counts up points from parks, photos, year cards, and leftover resources.
2. The person with the most points wins, and earns bragging rights as Best Park Explorer (and maybe the right to pick the next snack).

Special Rules & Conditions

1. Weather tokens drop extra resources on specific trail spaces, based on the season card. Don’t miss these party favors!
2. Each season brings a new twist. Always check the season card for its special rule—it can change your whole plan.
3. Remember, canteens fill with water and help trade for other resources. Use them before the season ends or you’ll regret it when you’re thirsty!
4. If both your hikers are at the end, your turn is done for the round. You can’t send them back out for just one more marshmallow.

Best Parks Strategies

Mastering the Trail: Secrets to Moving Smart in Parks

Plan Every Step

When I played Parks with my friends, I learned that wandering aimlessly means you miss the good stuff. Always plan your next move, so you get the best spots.

1. Look ahead to see what resources are coming up
2. Block others by taking spaces they need
3. Save your campfire for crucial moments

Timing Your Movement

Don’t rush to the end unless you have to! The longer you stay on the trail, the more goodies you can grab.

1. Move slow unless an opponent forces your hand
2. Count other hikers to avoid getting bumped early

Sneaky Shortcuts

If you want to know How To Play parks with style, use the advanced trail sites wisely. They can save you a ton of time.

1. Jump to special sites if they fit your plan
2. Watch for new tiles each season

How To Play Parks: Mastering Resource Management for the Win

Pick Up Every Pebble

Sometimes you find yourself staring at the mountain tokens like they’ll turn into s’mores. Instead, always grab rocks when you can. You never know what park will want them next.

1. Scout the trail for easy pickups.
2. Don’t skip rocks just because you want the fancy water token.

Swap Smart, Not Hard

Trade tokens using the campfire or special gear. Let other players race for sun and water while you sneak in trades and snatch a park.

1. Save your trade-ins for the last minute.
2. Watch your friends cry as you claim the park they wanted.

Gear Up

Buy gear that gives you more stuff for less, especially early on. That way, you pile up tokens faster than a squirrel prepping for winter.

1. Spend tokens on gear instead of souvenirs early.
2. Choose gear that matches the parks you want.

Seasonal Action Timing: Don’t Let the Weather Fool You!

Pay Attention to the Weather

Each season changes up the trail. So, watch those weather tokens! They give extra goodies if you land on them first, so plan your steps.

1. Check out the weather pattern before the season starts.
2. Decide early if grabbing that token helps your long term plan.

Plan for Season Powers

Season cards offer new rules each round. Use them to your edge, and don’t forget to surprise your pals with what’s possible!

1. Read the season ability card right away.
2. Make moves that get the most out of the new twist.

Time Your Campfires

Campfires let you jump ahead. Use them when the trail gets crowded, but not too soon! You don’t want to burn out too early.

1. Hold onto your campfire until someone blocks a key spot.
2. Use it to snatch a trail spot just as you need it most.

Ready to Hit the Trail?

Parks can turn even the most chill game night into an epic trail trek. Trust me, I have watched friendships teeter on the edge for the last Forest token. If you remember to plan your moves, snag those resources before your buddy does, and light your campfire at just the right time, you’ll have a fighting chance—unless you forget to hydrate. May your parks be many and your friends only a little salty. That’s How To Play parks like a champ!

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