Trailblazers cover
2023BGG rank #2,046

Trailblazers

by Ryan Courtney · Bitewing Games

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Players1–8
Time30m
ComplexityLight
Age8+

About the game

What is Trailblazers?

Trailblazers are the gutsy folks who pave and brave the trails of the great outdoors. Whether by hiking boots, cycling wheels, or river paddle, these tenacious travelers seek to feed their insatiable appetite for adventure. With a scenic wilderness ever ahead and a freshly charted path upon the heels, one mustn’t forget to eventually find their way back to camp. For there are always new environments to explore, further expeditions to undertake, and more trails to blaze. In Trailblazers, players compete to earn the most points by building biking, hiking, and kayaking loops from their campsites of the matching trail type. Each round, players are dealt eight trail cards where they’ll draft two cards, arrange those cards in their personal area, and pass their hand to the next player three times. Cards must either be placed adjacent to or overlapping other cards. While players can push their luck by aiming to construct long and elaborate trails, only closed loops that start and end at a matching campsite will score points. Players also compete to fulfill “First To” and “End Game” goal cards. After four rounds, the game ends and the player with the most points from closed loops and goal cards wins. The standard edition of Trailblazers features a second deck of trail & player cards so you can play with up to 8 players. The box also contains two expansions (the Animals expansion and Adventurers expansion) that add another challenging layer of strategy and objectives to the experience. Finally, there are three unique solo modes that utilize the goal cards, Animals expansion, or Adventurers expansion.

How it plays

Mechanics

Closed DraftingEnd Game BonusesHand ManagementLayeringMap AdditionModular BoardNetwork and Route BuildingPush Your LuckRaceSet CollectionSimultaneous Action SelectionSolo / Solitaire GameSquare GridTile Placement

On the shelf

Categories

AdventureAnimalsCard GamePuzzle

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

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