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PARKS: The Board Game

Created by Keymaster Games

A game about exploring and discovering the US National Parks. Pre-order today!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Free Soloing and Insert Update
about 5 years ago – Thu, Feb 14, 2019 at 12:01:15 AM

Hello Hikers

Let's talk about Solo Mode

Thank you to everyone that joined the live stream on Monday! We shared a ton of information about solo mode and got to watch Mattox find out just how tough free soloing with those Rangers can be. Some key takeaways from what was discussed about solo mode are:

  • Scoring is a scaled scoring system rather than win/lose. Henry put it best when he said, “if you’re hiking at all, that’s not a losing situation.”
  • There is no year card! The year card is a component designed to draw out some friendly competition in multi-player. The rangers don’t do any scoring so it becomes unnecessary in solo mode.
  • Gear cards determine ranger movement. The cost of the top gear card determines how far a ranger will move down the trail. Simultaneously, the gear cards visible to the solo player are constantly getting covered up so the player’s options are always changing.
  • There are challenges if the rangers are too far ahead or too far behind you on the trail. Mattox’s play through really highlighted how player’s will have to look for ways to strike a balance on their hikes, to be resource lean, but still produce enough to collect those park cards. #canteens
  •  Here is the link to the solo rules if you want to read a little more about them.

Sleeved Cards and the Insert

We took some time on the stream to talk about the much debated topic of the Game Trayz insert and whether or not it will fit sleeves.

First, we want to say thank you to everyone who is taking the time to write about their preferences and experiences with sleeving versus not. It’s very hard to make a decision around this topic without excluding someone in some way. That’s why we’ve taken so long to talk about it! We want everyone to love this product as much as we do.

One of our core design principles is to create games that are easy to take with you. Whether you are out to dinner, on a camping trip, or just going to game night…wherever you go, we want gaming to tag along. This means a smaller box. 

Additionally, we want components to feel like they fit. Personally, it's feels like a let down to get a big box with great components and a lot of empty space. That empty space means things shift around which increases the chance of damaged components. That's why we partnered with Game Trayz. Noah, Game Trayz' founder and lead designer, has been working really hard to make everything fit in the size constraints we’ve given him and he's done so while also adding a lot of character.

Given the size parameters and number of components, the bottom tray will fit only fit un-sleeved cards. This is due to the vertical space required to fit sleeved cards. Removing the bottom tray from the box will provide enough room for sleeved cards and bottom tray components. We know this is disappointing for those of you who sleeve. We're sorry.

 Tantrum Con

We'll be in South Carolina for TantrumCon 2019 this weekend! Come hang out with us! We will have preview copies of the game to demo! To find us, just follow the trail to our new PARKS sign. 

  • The Keymaster Team

#ExploretheWilds

The One Where We Talk About Component Quality
about 5 years ago – Wed, Feb 06, 2019 at 11:16:05 PM

Hello Hikers

We are cruising on up to those next stretch goals! We are really excited for them, but we wanted to take a minute to highlight the component quality in the game right now. From the start, we've envisioned components that do justice to the PARKS artwork. This vision hopefully aligns with what you've come to expect from our games. We want the look, feel, and play of the PARKS experience to inspire you. So let’s talk about it!

Here’s what you were gonna get in this game even before we hit any of the stretch goals:

(Tegu blocks link for reference)

Stretch Goals

It was really hard for us to establish a core set of stretch goals for a couple of reasons; 1) Because of all the quality notes above that we knew belonged in the game from the start and 2) because we are making a commitment to have it in your hands by the end of summer. Our initial stretch goals were a reflection of our internal desires for the game, but then we got amazing feedback from YOU, our backers, which inspired us to add on a couple more. Here’s a little more about them:

Keep an eye out for Gametrayz mock-ups coming soon!!

Once we hit the 180K stretch goal, you will have unlocked all our stretch goals. We love all of the feedback we have received. With your help, we are making this game as nice as it can be and committing to our delivery promise.

  • The Keymaster Team

#ExploretheWilds

Any way the wind blows!
about 5 years ago – Sun, Feb 03, 2019 at 10:08:20 PM

Hey Hikers!

Woah! You blew through another stretch goal! The first hiker token will now be upgraded from chipboard to a metal token. This will feel great as the first hiker can change multiple times throughout a game of PARKS. 

Each season, the first hiker to take the "Reserve a Park" action at Trail End gains the First Hiker token, allowing them to take the first movement in the next season. This give the player the ability to occupy a valuable location in turn forcing others to use their campfire early, jump to a much needed space before others occupy it, or claim the first location on the trail possibly increasing the number of turns that player will have during the season.



Are you BOARD of stretch goals? I hope not!

We are really excited about our next stretch goal - a wrapped board! This board will be used to organize the Canteens, Year, Season, Parks, and Gear. The trail (chipboard tiles) will be set up next to the board giving the game a really nice table presence. The below image is a mock up of what we have in mind.

*design not final 


Thanks again for an incredible start to this campaign! Keep spreading the word on social media and we will hit that next goal before you know it!

- The Keymaster Team

Postcards and Game Trayz and Bears, Oh My!
about 5 years ago – Thu, Jan 31, 2019 at 11:18:51 PM

Hello Hikers

Wow! Y'all crushed those first 48 hours. Thank you! Since first being introduced to Fifty-Nine Parks, we've been working furiously to create a game to match the art it's built around. This game is meant to inspire you to explore some of the earth's most amazing wonders. We hope the postcard you've unlocked will spark even more of a desire to get out there and see America.


So, what’s Metallic Ink? Also, Game Trayz and Wildlife Tokens!

The postcard isn't the only shiny addition to PARKS - now you get Metallic Ink! The shine will show up in suble places, like the copper lines you see on the gear cards, the titles of cards, and the line work of the playing cards. We made a little reference below for some examples of places you can expect shiny things!

We’re so excited to share that Game Trayz will be designing the tokens insert we just unlocked! We were planning on designing the tray in house, but we got really excited yesterday...and called Noah to see if he would design us something special (he said yes). This insert will house all the resources and photo tokens. You'll be able to take it out of the box and put it on the table for easy storage. It will also include a sweet lid to keep the pieces in place on your shelves!


Next up, we have the wildlife resources! There were a lot of conversations in the Keymaster office about what animal should represent the wild(life) resource. We all have a favorite, both in real life and in the PARKS art, so landing on the bears was challenging. Luckily, you have the opportunity to bring them all to life (and save Keymaster Games from certain doom)! If unlocked, the 10 wooden bear resources would become 10 iconic national park animals!


An update about donating to the National Parks Service

Like we said in our previous update, we are committed to honoring and supporting the national parks. As we are unable to use Kickstarter funds (per their rules) for donations, we are shifting our strategy to focus on giving MORE of our future retail sales than we had originally planned. Additionally, you will able to add money in the pledge manager to donate to the National Park Service.

Thanks again for your overwhelming support! We are excited to share our next few stretch goals, but first, let's go free those animals!
 

  • The Keymaster Team

#ExploretheWilds

We're Live, Funded, and Have an Update about the Donation
about 5 years ago – Tue, Jan 29, 2019 at 09:01:39 PM

Hello Hikers!

Thank you for joining us as we kick off 2019 on Kickstarter with PARKS. We’re so excited about this project, as it’s been an opportunity to collaborate with some really great people and to make a product we’re super proud to bring to you!

Thanks to everyone’s amazing support we’ve blown through our funding goal! And we are more than halfway to reaching that timed unlock!

Removal of Donation

Not long after our project kicked off, we learned that the donation we intended to make went directly against a Kickstarter Terms of Service. Kickstarter is our partner, without whom, this project would not be possible. And they have your best interests at heart with their Terms of Service. We are removing this language from the campaign. It will not be offered with the pledge tiers.

We are committed to finding ways to give back to the national parks, but per Kickstarter's rules, money raised for this project cannot be donated to the National Park Service. We will continue to discuss as a team the best way for us to honor the National Parks.

Explore the Wilds!

- The Keymaster Team