There are two types of campers in this world: those who pack a single deck of cards and call it good, and those who treat the wilderness like their own personal mobile game cafe only with worse seating and more raccoons. Well, I suppose in Colorado, there’s a third type, one who can only pack one or two choice games for camping, because they’ll be backpacking their way up and down three different 14ers and still need room for their microbrew crowler, dog accessories, and weed.
If you’re either of the latter two, welcome home.
Really, this list of small box, nature themed games is for all campers, whether they rough it under the stars, stretch out in the back of their Subaru, vacation at a family friendly campground, or glamp next to a wi-fi router. It’s for campers who game, campers who wish they had time to game and only find said time while camping, and hypothetical campers that spend a lot of time thinking about how they should go camping while instead gaming (Read: Me).
A Gentle Rain
Peaceful. Reflective. Tactile.
A Gentle Rain is a solo tile placement game about encouraging lilies to bloom. It’s brief, meditative, and extremely compact (I’m looking at you backpackers). As you play, you draw and place tiles, matching colorful flower segments in order to make spaces for each of eight flower tokens. Place all eight before your tiles run out to win.
To be honest, the first thing I noticed about this game was the tile material. For a game that’s marketed as deeply experiential, the designers definitely made the right component choices. Whether you’re keeping score or not, the whole experience is gratifying in a “I needed this more than I realized” sort of way.
Best played at dawn, at dusk, after a big cry, before a big cry, or simply when your phone dies and you remember the point of being outside.
Kodama: The Tree Spirits
Charming. Strategic. Haunting, but in a cute way.
I first played Kodama at Platt Park Brewing about one pandemic ago, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve been pining for this game ever since. For the longest time, I couldn’t remember the name. All I remembered were whimsical tree tiles covered in flowers, mushrooms, and caterpillars. I remember building my tree in wonky ways, trying to be the hottest spot for tree spirits in my neck of the woods – like a Shinto Studio 54 but with fewer disco balls and more rotund fireflies.
For years since, I would keep an eye out for the game at every shop I entered. I tried googling “tree building spirit game” and “kami tree building game” and “top 20 games about trees” but to no avail. The tree spirits were avoiding me – probably because I’d forgotten they were called tree spirits. I started fantasizing about finding the game at a local market, inside an overlarge tree knot, or tucked in an old steam trunk beneath the floorboards of an abandoned farmhouse.
All I can say is it was worth the wait. This 2-5 player strategic tableau builder remains as replayable and lovely as ever. It’s also a nice vibey, compact addition to your next foray into nature.
Best played after the clearing of a low-lying mist reveals the game box nestled at the base of a live oak tree and a park ranger you never met mystically proclaims “but this campground has been abandoned for 100 years.”
Trails
Scenic. Accessible. Dynamic.
This pocket-sized cousin of Parks has you hiking back and forth along a unique trail as you compete to answer the age-old question: who is the best sightseer? The trail itself is randomized between games, taking you deep into forests, along snowy mountaintops, and even into San Francisco. As you hike, collect acorns, earn badges, and compete to take the most pictures of birds.
Trails drew me in with its peaceful stylized artwork, but what kept me playing was the shifting sun mechanic, which causes tiles to flip and the trail to shift. But don’t worry, the only shifting sun you’ll be contending with is the one in game. Trails is easy to learn for 2-5 players and takes 20-30 minutes to complete.
Best played right before you embark on your own hike or right after you decide “nah – let’s just play another game of Trails.”
Ravine
Unhinged. Cooperative. Feral, but in the best way.
You’ve crash-landed. You have a handful of twigs and one mushroom. Someone’s already going mad. That’s the vibe of Ravine, a delightfully chaotic survival game where the goal is to outwit starvation, weather, and your own selfishness.
This cooperative survival game asks players to combine resources in order to get through night after night until rescue. Use sticks and stones to build weapons and shelters. Eat whatever it is you find on the ground (it’s probably fine). Suffer untold horrors like giant squirrels, voices of the dead, and rain.
Ravine is especially camping friendly, as it plays 3-6 players (with expansions taking that number even higher) and lasts maybe 20 minutes.
Best played in the light of a dying campfire and after the last of the smores disappears, wondering the whole time who you’ll ally yourself with if things go sideways.
The Mire
Strategic. Slippery. Adorably cutthroat
One thing we didn’t expect to hear about The Mire from fans of the game was how brutal it was. Here we thought we were making a calming abstract strategy game about keeping your head above water, and we ignored the obvious fact that you accomplish this by making sure the other person doesn’t. (Expansion idea: Bog Bodies). Of course, this should have come as no surprise given one of our first “testimonials” for the game came in the form of a friend’s quip: “This game is going to cause a divorce. Also, I’d totally buy it.”
The Mire is a highly compact 2-player duel of wit, balance, and slow decay. As you move around the tiled board, it moves too, disappearing, shifting, and unapologetically ruining your plans. Yes, it asks you to think several steps ahead. Yes, some of those steps will specifically target your opponents options. No, it doesn’t pay to be nice.
Best played anywhere you have room for a nice little bag of tiles and a burning desire to antagonize someone. (Expansion idea: Family Vacation.)
Ready to build your collection of small box games for camping? START HERE!