Parks
There is perhaps no better match for park-loving gamers than the simply named Parks by Keymaster Games. Your only goal in this game is to have the best sightseeing year by visiting American National Parks. Over the course of four rounds you’ll move two backpackers across a modular trail that changes each season, camping in various locations to gain natural resources. These resources are spent to visit parks for points or purchase gear to help you on your journey (or to take a photo for bonus points!). This game is visually stunning, with unique artwork on every card that evokes retro-style national parks postcards. I love games that are fun to play even when you don’t win, and in Parks it’s just as much fun to collect sets of your favorite park cards as it is to rack up major points. With a second edition releasing this month, this is the perfect time to discover Parks and find a new family favorite!

Switchbacks
In Switchbacks, players take turns placing hiking trail tiles onto a shared map. Each tile denotes the elevation on that section of the mountain. Trails are formed when you place a tile such that adjacent map sections form consecutive elevation measurements. You’ll have a cache of hiker tokens that you can place on the mountain on each turn, in hopes that they eventually end on completed trails. With a small box size, simple rules, vibrant colors, and a 15-minute playtime, you may find yourself packing this one in your backpack more often than not.

Cascadia
Pop quiz: where can you find elk, bears, salmon, mountains, wetlands, and rivers in the same biome? In the wonders of our Pacific Northwest! In Cascadia, you will be building a two-layered map: the first layer forms habitats, and the second consists of the wildlife living in those habitats. Each animal type (elk, bears, salmon, hawks, and foxes) scores points differently. Hawks want to be solitary, for example, while bears want to be in pairs, and foxes want to be surrounded by different animals. All the natural imagery is themed around the geography and wildlife found in the Northern Cascades. This game presents a great strategy puzzle that keeps me coming back again and again even after dozens of plays. As an added bonus, this game includes an element I wish was present in more family games: adapted rules for a “family variant” that simplifies scoring for younger children.

Meadow
This game is truly for the nature-lover, even if that nature is found in your own backyard! Meadow is a set-collection game that imitates a natural scientist observing habitats and creating a field journal. An array of cards displays various flora and fauna, as well as the habitats and structures in which they reside. You’ll be stringing together observations by playing cards that build on one another to eventually observe more complex creatures, moving from grubs and fungi to rodents and birds. The gameplay in Meadow is admittedly a little clunky, but the watercolor art is incredible and it is fun to explore the various critters, plants, and habitats included in the game. A field notes section of the rule book provides facts about every single card, making the game very educational!