Parks is one of the most, if not the most beautiful games I have played. The artwork on the box and cards was done in collaboration with the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series which highlights 40 artists around the world who created these stunning works of art. Even more, the rule book is made of satisfyingly tough material, quality wood components (with each ‘wild’ piece representing a unique animal), and a storage system that comes prepared in the box right from the start. In doing all of this so well, it makes you worried they might be compensating for sub-par gameplay… but they most certainly are not.

The game play is reminiscent of Tokaido where you gain resources or special actions by moving your hikers to specific locations. However, you are not allowed to move backwards, and you cannot occupy the space of another hiker (unless you exhaust your campfire that season). You continue to do this over four seasons, gathering resources that allow you to purchase (or visit) National Parks claiming their respective victory points. The tension between players gathering your much needed resources, blocking your ideal path forward, or claiming the national park you desperately needed creates a deeply competitive game that leaves little to be desired.  And if you are just looking for a relaxing experience where you can enjoy-the-view, then the solo mode has you covered.

The engine-building component provided by player’s canteens and items continued to elevate gameplay as the seasons progress, with hardly a dull moment. Overall, each game I played has ended relatively closely, with each player in awe satisfied by the artwork and memory tokens they have collected.

Keymaster games hit it out of the PARK with this one! Try it out today!

You may also like: Tokaido, Mariposas, Wingspan

Information for this review is based on my plays with 1, 2, and 3 players.