Sometimes you get style with no substance; other times you get substance with no style. Parks comfortably has both.
Oui oui, a new version of the fantastic sightseeing tabletop game is on the way, and it’s taking hikers and backpackers across the European continent. Parks Europe is the latest standalone entry in the series, focusing on 48 national parks spread throughout various European countries. The game is currently available for order on Backkit, with the crowdfunding campaign running until August 5 at 8am.
If you haven’t played Parks, let’s start there. At its core, Parks is a worker placement game, where one to four players will move their hikers across a short board, collecting resources to be spent on national park cards that gain them victory points. Layers of abilities, round-based rewards, and tools flesh out the mechanical experience, but the game itself is very laid back and relaxed.
Instead of gorgeous national parks dotted across the United States, Parks Europe will take players from the Dolomites through to the Krka. The core tenets carry over from Parks, with a few new wrinkles included to freshen things up.
The Chalet is a new mechanic that allows players to turn in Snow resources to spend time at a lovely warm lodge, moving a track and drawing new Wonder cards. Another new addition, Wonder cards offer immediate actions that can turn the tide in a tight spot or give players a boost when they need it most. Support Conservations and The Via Ferrata alter the Trail Sites, transforming the actions players take when they stop along the board, adding even more strategy to each move.
You’ll likely have noticed that both the original and Parks Europe include drop-dead gorgeous artwork. With Parks Europe, eight incredibly talented European artists have been commissioned to bring the 48 national parks cards to life, which they have done exceptionally well. The game’s components are equally beautiful, particularly if you snag yourself the Chalet edition. All of the game tokens are wooden, like the original, and are cute as hell.
Speaking of which, let’s talk campaign rewards.
Thankfully, it’s as simple as it gets. Parks: Europe – Chalet Edition is the single option with this crowdfunding campaign, and it’ll set you back $126. The campaign ends on August 5, with the game shipping in October.
The Chalet Edition will include wooden tokens, printed wildlife tokens, a cloth bag for season tokens, double-layered player boards, and a mini World Heritage Sites expansion.
We want to hear from you. Have you played Parks? Are you planning to back Parks Europe? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
