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Everything that changed between editions and whether any of it matters
If you are trying to decide between the two editions of Parks, or wondering whether to upgrade from your existing copy, this post covers every difference we are aware of. We own the second edition and have played extensively. Where we reference first edition specifics, we have cross-referenced with player reports and BoardGameGeek documentation.
The short answer: buy the second edition if you are buying new. It is a straightforward improvement across every component category and the price difference at retail is minimal.
The longer answer follows.
What Is Parks?
If you have arrived at this comparison post without reading our full review, Parks is a route-building resource-collection game for one to five players where two hikers travel along a seasonal trail collecting resources and spending them to visit US National Parks. The cards feature artwork from the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series, one of the most celebrated contemporary illustration projects in the US.
Full review at letsplaygames.uk/parks/. This post assumes you know the game and are specifically asking about the edition differences.
At a Glance: Edition Comparison
| Feature | 1st Edition | 2nd Edition |
| Year | 2019 | 2020 |
| Publisher | Keymaster Games | Keymaster Games |
| Box art | Original illustrated box | Updated illustrated box with slightly different colour treatment |
| Trail tiles | Original graphic design | Revised graphic design — cleaner icon layout |
| Player mats | Original layout | Revised layout with clearer action spaces |
| Park cards | Original print run | Same Fifty-Nine Parks art, minor card back design update |
| Canteen token | Circular cardboard token | Redesigned token with clearer use tracking |
| Gear cards | Original layout | Revised icon clarity on several cards |
| Scoring track | Standard scoring track | Revised scoring track with improved contrast |
| Solo automa | Included | Included (same) |
| Retail availability | Out of print / secondary market | Current edition, widely available |
The Trail Tiles
The trail tiles are the most-handled component in the game. They are placed and rearranged at the start of each season and form the shared action space that both players move their hikers along. In the first edition, the tiles use an earlier iteration of the graphic design that some players found slightly cluttered when multiple tokens were placed on them.
The second edition revised the tile layout for cleaner readability at a distance. The resource icons are better spaced and the action text is slightly larger. When you have tokens, gear cards, and two pairs of hikers occupying a busy trail, the 2nd edition tiles are noticeably easier to read at a glance.
This is the most functionally meaningful change between editions. Not dramatic, but real.
The Park Cards
The Park cards are the centrepiece of the game and the main reason people fall in love with it. They feature artwork from the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series and every card looks like it belongs in a gallery.
The actual artwork on the Park cards is identical between editions. The Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series artwork was not changed. What did change is the card back design and the overall card stock quality. The 2nd edition cards have a slightly more premium feel in hand, though the difference is subtle enough that many players would not notice it without direct comparison.
If the Park card art is the reason you want this game, both editions have the same art. Neither edition has a meaningful advantage here.
The Canteen Token
The Canteen allows players to store resources between seasons, which is one of the game’s most important strategic tools. In the first edition, the Canteen is represented by a circular cardboard token with a simple icon. In the second edition, the Canteen token was redesigned with a clearer interface for tracking how many resources are stored.
Players who have used both editions consistently prefer the second edition Canteen. It is a small quality-of-life improvement rather than a fundamental change, but the Canteen comes up every session so the improvement compounds across plays.
The Player Mats
The player mats show each player’s hiker tokens, resource collection areas, and gear card slots. The second edition revised the layout for cleaner readability, with slightly more separation between the action areas and improved contrast on the resource icons.
This is another incremental rather than dramatic improvement. Players who learned on the first edition mat will not feel lost on the second, and vice versa. If you are teaching new players, the second edition mat gives them a slightly easier time reading their options during the first session.
The Box Art
The box art changed between editions. The first edition uses an illustrated mountain landscape scene. The second edition uses a revised version of a similar scene with a slightly different colour treatment and updated typography for the title.
This is purely aesthetic. Neither box is objectively better looking and preference here is entirely personal. Both are attractive boxes.
What Did NOT Change
The following are identical between editions and should not factor into your decision:
- The Fifty-Nine Parks artwork on every Park card
- The core gameplay mechanics
- The solo automa system
- The hiker miniatures
- The wooden resource tokens (sun, water, forest, mountain, wild)
- The metal campfire first-player token
- The number of Park cards, trail tiles, and gear cards
- The seasonal structure of the game
Should You Buy the 2nd Edition?
| If you are buying Parks for the first time: yes. The 2nd edition is the current printing, is widely available, and is a straightforward improvement across every component.If you own the 1st edition: probably no need to upgrade. The changes are real but none of them are significant enough to justify rebying the game if you already own it and are happy with it.If you own the 1st edition and primarily play with new players: the slightly cleaner trail tile and player mat layouts in the 2nd edition are the most compelling reason to consider an upgrade. The readability improvements help new players most.If you own the 1st edition and find a second edition cheaply second-hand: it is worth picking up for the component improvements. |
Where to Buy
The second edition is the version currently stocked at most UK hobby game retailers. Zatu Games, Chaos Cards, and Firestorm Games all typically carry it. The first edition occasionally appears on secondary markets including BoardGameGeek’s marketplace, eBay, and Facebook selling groups at reduced prices.
If you find a first edition at a significantly lower price than the current second edition RRP and budget is a factor, it is still an excellent game. The second edition is better across every component, but the first edition is not a bad experience.