Parks Europe or Parks?
Same designer, same trail, two complete games. Parks walks the U.S. National Parks, Parks Europe crosses the Alps, the Dolomites and the Camino. Here is what changes, and which one fits your table.
Same trail.Other mountains.
Parks Europe is not an expansion: it is a complete game. You do not need Parks to play it: it is a game of its own.
The heart is the same.
You move one per turn, as far as you like, never backwards.
The site where you stop decides what you do.
Forest, Mountain, Sun, Water, Wildlife as a wild. Twelve spaces to carry them.
You spend resources to visit parks, and photos turn into albums of 5.
Three walks down the trail, then you count points.
What each one adds, and what it is.
Why Europe is more demanding: in Parks a stop does one thing. In Europe a single stop can do three: the site’s action, the Via Ferrata above it, and your conservation projects tied to that site.
Parks, explained
- Gear
- Cards you buy with Sun and keep in front of you. Each has an effect for the rest of the game, like taking a Photo by trading Sun.
- Canteens
- Tokens on your board, in three rows. When you gain Water you can pour it there instead of your backpack: a full row gives its bonus at once, once per season.
- Passion card
- A face-up goal, like visiting 3 Parks that cost Water. When you reach it, flip it and choose: a power for the rest of the game or points at the end.
- Campfire
- Your own token. You cannot stop where another hiker is, unless you put it out. It is relit at the end of the season.
- Camping mode
- A variant for later: tents above some sites; take one and you use a campsite with a stronger action.
Parks Europe, explained
- Via Ferrata
- Above every trail site there is a second tile with another action. Spend a carabiner, a token you gain on the trail (you hold up to 3), and you take that action too: two actions in one stop.
- Snow
- Every Via Ferrata climb, and a couple of sites, gives you a Snow token. It is worth nothing and fills two of the twelve spaces in your backpack, so you carry fewer resources. You cannot throw it away.
- The Chalet
- The only way to get rid of Snow: stop there, hand it all in and move that many spaces up its track. Along the way you draw Wonder cards and take awards worth 5, 4 or 3 points. Whoever is furthest goes first next season.
- The Mug
- A marker on a three-step track on your board. The mug action fills it one step, or you drink it for a bonus that depends on the step: a chalet action or a free project, three rolls of the die, or a park without paying.
- Conservation Projects
- Cards you pay with resources and place under your board. Each is tied to one of the four core sites (Forest, Mountain, Sun, Water): every time you stop there it gives you its action too.
- Wonder cards
- Cards in hand, up to 3, to play any time in your turn for a quick boost, like 2 Sun. Some are campfires: they let you share a site or score at the end.
| Parks · Second Edition | Parks Europe | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks | 63 U.S. National Parks | 48 European parks |
| Trail | 8 sites reshuffled every season | 4 core sites + 3 advanced that change every season (9 in the box) |
| Extra cards | 37 gear, 10 passions, 21 Ranger Teddy, 9 volunteer projects | 36 Wonder, 28 conservation projects, 12 seasons |
| Who goes first | First Hiker token, worth 1 point | Whoever is furthest on the Chalet track |
| Depth (BGG) | 2,3 out of 5 | 2,5 out of 5, few votes |
| Art | Josh Emrich, Lisk Feng | eight European artists, cover by Carlotta Notaro |
| Language | Italian (Ghenos) | English |
Same step, two games.
Pick a stop on the trail and see what happens in each game, rule by rule.
From the two rulebooks: Parks Second Edition 1.1 and the Parks Europe Field Guide.
Alone on the trail: Teddy or Greta.
Both games play solo against a ranger who walks the trail with two pairs of hikers, takes sites before you and removes cards from the displays. Same rating table at the end: from Dayhiker at 30 points to Trailblazer at 50.
Ranger Teddy · Parks
A deck of 21 cards tells him which hiker moves and how far. Volunteer Project cards raise the difficulty from Beginner to Extreme. Season bonuses are won by having enough of the season’s resource.
Ranger Greta · Parks Europe
She rolls the trail die for each of her two colours to move. At Trail’s End she takes the leftmost «both actions» spot and discards the oldest park and project. When you gain a Chalet award you also draw a Wonder card.
In two players, both rangers can join as a third hiker for an extra challenge.
Two boxes, two trips.
Italian edition · GhenosParks · Second Edition
The U.S. National Parks, everything in Italian. The cleanest place to start.
English edition · KeymasterParks Europe
48 European parks, Via Ferrata, chalet, mug, conservation projects. Complete game.
Which one is for you?
Parks if
- it is your first Parks, or you play with people new to games
- you want everything in Italian
- you like a clean turn: stop, take, visit
- you want gear and a personal Passion to build on
Parks Europe if
- you already played Parks a lot and want new decisions, not just new parks
- you like combos in a single turn: Via Ferrata, projects, mug
- English at the table is fine
- you want European parks by eight artists
Skip both if
- you want direct conflict: here you only take sites and cards before others
- a calm game about walking and photos does not grab you
Frog’s advice
Never played Parks: start with the Second Edition, in Italian if your table needs it. Played it a lot and want more to chew on: Parks Europe. Already love your Parks and want a new trip with the same feel: Europe is the same walk on new trails.
What people ask before buying
Is Parks Europe an expansion of Parks?
No. It is a complete standalone game: you do not need the original Parks, the Second Edition or any expansion to play it.
Can I mix Parks and Parks Europe?
They are two separate games. The publisher presents Europe as a standalone game and does not give rules to mix the boxes.
What is the main difference?
The heart is the same: two hikers on a trail, resources, parks and photos over three seasons. Parks has gear, canteens, Passion cards and Camping mode. Parks Europe has the Via Ferrata with carabiners, Snow and the Chalet, the Mug, Conservation Projects, Wonder cards and park suits with awards.
Which one is harder?
Parks Europe has more systems that combine in a turn: BGG puts it at 2.5 out of 5 against 2.3 for Parks, with few votes so far. The turn is the same: move a hiker, take the site’s action.
Which one should I start with?
If you have never played Parks, start with the Second Edition: it is the cleanest, and it is available in Italian. If you have played Parks a lot and want new decisions, Parks Europe.
Is Parks Europe in Italian?
The edition we sell is in English. Parks Second Edition is available in Italian, from Ghenos.
Can I play them solo?
Yes, both. Parks has Ranger Teddy, moved by a deck of cards, with Volunteer Projects to raise the difficulty. Parks Europe has Ranger Greta, who rolls the trail die. Both end with a rating from 30 to 50 points.
How many parks are in each?
63 U.S. National Parks in Parks Second Edition, 48 European parks in Parks Europe, illustrated by eight European artists.
How long does a game last?
40 to 70 minutes for both, according to the publisher. 1 to 5 players, ages 10 and up.
America or Europe? The trail is waiting.
Our assistant has read the Parks Europe rulebook. Ask whatever you like: you stay on this page.
