PocketParks (2026)

Overview

PocketParks is a set collecting card game featuring all 63 US national parks with gameplay inspired by Chinese Mahjong. From Acadia to Zion, it has it all! Each cards features original photography of the park shot by the designer. Cards also include GPS coordinates of the location where each photo was taken to help inspire others to go explore the US national parks.

The goal of the game is to get the most points over 3 rounds and points are earned based on how many and how big your sets are. Sets are created based on 16 different distinguishing theme icons that help define features of the parks (ex desert, volcanoe, island, biggest parks, smallest parks, etc).

At the start of the round players begin with 6 cards, one card is flipped face up to form the discard pile and the rest of the cards are the draw pile. On a players turn, they can do one of three different actions: 1) Play/build on a single set. 2) Draw two then discard one card or play an event card. 3) Pay cards to steal from another players set or hand. The player that has three sets: a set of ≥2, set of ≥3, set of ≥4 will end the round, but all players score points with their sets. sets of 3 are one point, sets of ≥4 are 2 points, and the round winner gets 1 point for each set of 2.

Special rules:

Set of 5: with 4-of-a-kind hidden in your hand, once the 5th card is discarded, you can stop the game and claim the set of 5 off turn (play continues on as if you just had your turn) Set of 9: if you get 9-of-a-kind in your hand then you can just win from your hand and there is no need play your sets.

—description from the designer