Bärenpark cover
2017BGG rank #421

Bärenpark

by Phil Walker-Harding · Lookout Games

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Players2–4
Time30–45m
ComplexityLight
Age8+

About the game

What is Bärenpark?

Up to two thousand pounds in weight and over ten feet tall, the bear is considered the biggest and heaviest terrestrial carnivore in the world. Of course, there is not just "one bear"; on the contrary, there are plenty of subspecies that differ from each other in various aspects. For instance, only the Kodiak bear (Ursus arctos middendorffi) weighs about 2,000 lbs. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) weighs "only" 1,100 lbs., but gets much bigger than the Kodiak bear, being as much as 11 ft. tall! Bärenpark takes you into the world of bears, challenging you to build your own bear park. Would you like another polar bear enclosure or rather a koala* house? The park visitors are sure to get hungry on their tour through the park, so build them places to eat! Whatever your choices are, make sure you get the next building permit and use your land wisely! (* No, koalas aren't bears, but they're so cute we couldn't leave them out of this game!) In more detail, each player in Bärenpark builds their own bear park, attempting to make it as beautiful as they can, while also using every square meter possible. The park is created by combining polyomino tiles onto a grid, with players scoring for animal houses, outdoor areas, completed construction, and more. The sooner you build it, the better! Cover icons to get new tiles and park sections. The game ends as soon as one player has finished expanding their park; then players tally their points to see who has won. —description from the publisher

How it plays

Mechanics

Grid CoverageModular BoardOpen DraftingSet CollectionSquare GridTile Placement

On the shelf

Categories

AnimalsPuzzle

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

  • How do setup and the first turn work in Bärenpark?
  • When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
  • How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?