Trailblazers

Draft trail cards and build biking, hiking and kayaking loops that lead back to camp.

Designer: Ryan Courtney
Published by: Bitewing Games

Trailblazers is a card game for people who like their adventures with a map and a campsite. Each round you are dealt eight trail cards, keep two, lay them in your own area and pass the rest along, three times in a row. Cards must touch or overlap what you already have, and you use them to build biking, hiking and kayaking loops that start and end at campsites of the matching trail type. The best loops earn points, bonus goals reward set collection, and you can push your luck by stretching a trail a bit further. Everyone drafts and builds at the same time, so there is little waiting. Plays up to eight, from age 8, in about half an hour. Released in 2023.

Draft two of eight cards, pass three timesBiking, hiking and kayaking loopsPlays up to eight, also solo

Who it's for

You want a quick drafting and route-building game that handles big groups and still feels like a map taking shape.

Not for you if…

You want heavy strategy or lots of direct conflict. Here each player builds their own trail network.

Vibe's take

Brisk and puzzly, with everyone drafting and building at once. Each card you take also decides what your neighbors never get to use, and the loops start to feel like little trips of your own.