It’s been years since the original release of Parks, the award winning hiking game from Keymaster Games. Over the years, this game has become one of our favorite options for a relaxing game to enjoy over coffee or to start the weekend. Parks Roll and Hike is a new small box game that was released at Gen Con this year. Let’s see what this new game from Henry Audubon and Mattox Shuler brings to this nature focused series.
Travel Ready
There’s a couple things that immediately stand out with Parks Roll and Hike. The small box is made for travel. You can tell that Keymaster built this as a portable game that can travel with you wherever you go. Even the player sheets that you write in are modeled after trail hiking journals which plays into the theme.
Each game of Parks Roll and Hike starts with selecting from one of six unique National Parks. Each park will have a unique landmark symbol along with additional scoring options that players can take during the game and/or at the end of the game. I was really surprised how each park felt different in scoring and complexity.
Players will each turn to an open page in their hiking journal where they’ll record everything they see and do over the course of 3 days of hiking. The active player rolls the five dice in the game and drafts a single die to record in their book. The single lead hiker die is an orange color and will cost you sun icons to draft it while there are still common dice available.
Taking the lead hiker die will advance the game to the next location on the map, allowing this person to record both the die and location icons. Each day ends when the lead hiker token reaches the end of the trail.
Stopping to Smell the Flowers
On the various dice you’ll find the following symbols:
- Landmarks: These are tree, mountain, flower and arrowhead icons. These can be used to start a new journal or used to fill in a perk in the sunset area of your journal.
- Pencil: The pencil icon allows you to write a line in a journal that already has a landmark. These journal entries are each worth a point at the end of the game and will trigger a bonus when the third line is recorded in a single journal.
- Water: You’ll use this icon to fill your canteen, scoring your highest filled canteen at the end of each day.
- Animal: These are fish, bear and bird icons that all give different bonuses each time they are used. Each one gives more resources moving from left to right.
- Binoculars: One of the most versatile icons, you’ll receive a bonus for each two binocular icons you take. You choose what bonus you want to chase with this icon.
- Sun: The sun icon lets you bank this resource to spend on choosing the lead hiker die or gain bonuses based on the park you are hiking.
Parks Roll and Hike offers plenty of paths to earn points. Investing in the sunset actions early on is a long term strategy. Drafting the water icons before your opponents will keep them from filling their canteen from day to day. Banking a good number of sun icons will give you the flexibility to take the lead hiker die and control the length and flow of the game.
Players will record the points earned from their canteen at the end of the trail each day. You’ll also trigger all the sunset actions you’ve invested in during the game. After 3 hikes on the trail, players finalize their scores and any bonuses earned during the game.
A Casual Stroll
Parks Roll and Hike is a casual game experience and fits nicely into the Parks series. While I feel like the complexity of the game is light, it’s exactly what my wife Erin wants in a roll and write game.
I’m a big fan of Three Sisters and French Quarter, two roll and write games known for their wild combos and bonuses. Parks Roll and Hike never feels overwhelming but offers bonuses for players that can chain them together. It’s a more casual experience and one that Erin really enjoys playing.
The gameplay fits the vibe that the Parks series is known for and fits the theme perfectly. Parks Roll and Hike is like a casual stroll as you stop to enjoy the beauty of nature. Since the box is so portable and has a small footprint, playing this game on the go feels like the perfect fit for the game.
One of the most thematic things about Parks Roll and Hike might also be one of my biggest gripes. Instead of putting tearaway sheets in the box, Keymaster gives players four fantastic hiking journals to write in during the game. It fits the theme so well but I can’t help but think about what happens when we hit the end of these beautiful books.
Each of the four journals come with a total of 28 pages. Depending on how much you love the game, this limitation could be an issue. When Parks Roll and Hike receives its retail release in September, you’ll have the option to purchase another set of four journals to keep the game going. If this price is right, this will only be a minor inconvenience.
The End of the Trail
Parks Roll and Hike has been a big hit for our family. Keymaster did a great job making this game stand out from the other games in this series. The art style is bright and playful while the production value is top-notch as expected. The six unique parks in the box are just enough variety to keep the game fresh from game-to-game.
At every player count, Parks Roll and Hike is an excellent way to spend 30 minutes. With it’s portable size, this game is an easy choice when playing at a restaurant or when stopping during a weekend hike.
Parks Roll and Hike will be available at your local game store and online in September 2024.
This game was provided to us by the publisher for review. Read more about our review policies at One Board Family.
Highs
- Great iconography and page layout
- Portable size and small footprint
- Six unique parks offer scoring variety
- Colorful and playful graphic design stands out
Lows
- Page limitation could be an issue if you love the game
- Gameplay is on the lighter side
Complexity
Time Commitment
Replayability
