Trails (2021) Board Game
Trails is a board game released in 2021 by Keymaster Games, designed by Henry Audubon. The game is set in the wilderness, where players take on the role of hikers exploring trails and encountering various animals and environmental elements. With stunning artwork from the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series, Trails offers a visually immersive experience for players.
## Game Components of Trails
– Trail Head and Trail End tiles
– Trail tiles with day and night sides
– Badge cards
– Photo cards
– Resource tokens (rocks, acorns, leaves)
– Hiker tokens
– Canteen tokens
– Sun token
– Wildlife token and die
– Bird Trophy
## How To Setup Trails
To set up Trails, start by placing the Trail Head and Trail End tiles. Shuffle the remaining Trail tiles and place them between the head and end. Shuffle the Badge deck and place two badges face-up next to the Trail Head and the Trail End, dealing one Badge card to each player. Shuffle the Photo deck and set the Wildlife Token on the center trail tile. Place the Sun Marker above the rightmost icon on the Trail End and the Bird Trophy below the Photo Action space. Each player receives a hiker token, a canteen token, and resource tokens in each color.
## Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
– **Gameplay Mechanics**:
– Players move their hikers 1-2 spaces along the trail or any number of spaces if using their canteen.
– Players collect resources (rocks, acorns, leaves) or take actions based on the space they land on.
– At the Trail Head and Trail End, players can turn in resources to earn Badge cards.
– Taking photos and encountering wildlife can provide bonus actions and points.
– The sun token moves towards the Trail Head as players reach the Trail End, revealing more powerful actions on the trail tiles.
– **Game Objective**:
– The goal is to earn the most points by collecting Badge cards, taking photos, and gathering bird sightings. The game ends when the sun token reaches the final space on the Trail Head, and the player with the most points wins.
## Player Experience
Trails is designed to be a quick and visually appealing game. The artwork, sourced from the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series, is stunning and thematic. However, the gameplay is often described as simple and repetitive. Players must manage their resources and plan which badges to acquire, but the lack of player interaction and the simplicity of the decisions can make the game feel less engaging. The game’s short playtime and portability make it a good “filler game” or travel game, but it may not be the main focus of a larger game night.
### Pros
– **Visual Appeal**: The game looks incredible, with beautiful artwork that fits the nature theme.
– **Portability**: The game is compact and easy to take on the go.
– **Teachability**: The game is easy to teach and learn.
– **Quick Playtime**: The game takes only 20-40 minutes to play.
– **Thematic**: The game’s theme of hiking and exploring nature is well-executed.
### Cons
– **Lack of Player Interaction**: There is no meaningful interaction between players, making the game feel solitary.
– **Simple Decisions**: The gameplay involves repetitive and simple decisions, which can be unengaging.
– **Limited Replayability**: The game has a limited number of ways to arrange the tiles and cards, reducing replay value.
## Personal Thoughts on Trails
Trails is best suited for those looking for a light, thematic game that can be played quickly. It is ideal for travel or as a filler game due to its small size and short playtime. However, players seeking more complex gameplay or significant player interaction may find Trails lacking. The game’s strength lies in its visual appeal and ease of play, making it a good choice for casual gamers or those new to board games.
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