Trailblazers - Game Review

Title: Trailblazers

Designed By: Ryan Courtney

Art By: Seth Lucas

Published By: Bitewing Games

Released: 2023

Player Count: 1-8

Time to Play: 30 Minutes

Ages: 8+

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Overview:

Trailblazers is a trail-laying puzzle game where players map out hiking, biking, and kayaking routes around campsites, all while trying to score points through clever drafting and card placement. Each turn brings the opportunity to blaze short, safe paths or gamble on longer, riskier trails in the hopes of a big payoff. Just don’t forget to loop your trails back to the campsite—or all that effort goes to waste! With simultaneous drafting and a fast playtime, it’s a tight, brain-burning experience whether you're in the great outdoors or cozied up at your game table.

What's purr-ty cool:

A Deluxe Box Packed With Possibilities

The deluxe version of Trailblazers is loaded. It fits 1 to 8 players, includes two expansions and three unique solo modes, and comes with a travel case that lets you bring the base game for four on the go. The PVC cards are waterproof, making this one of the rare games you can actually play while camping—just beware, those cards are slipperier than a fish on a slip-n-slide. I ended up 3D printing a card holder to keep them under control. Deluxe also means you’re treated to 186 screen-printed meeples, with tiny animal friends that are seriously adorable. And if you're a solo gamer? This one truly sees you. Even the standard version has the full game experience, which is paws-itively impressive.

Short Rounds, Big Decisions

Trailblazers doesn’t overstay its welcome. With just 4 rounds and 6 cards drafted each time, you're given 24 cards to build something epic—or at least, efficiently point-scoring. That time crunch leads to delicious tension. Every card matters. Do you chase short-term in-game goals or focus on the big endgame points? Add in the adventurer or animal expansions and the complexity ticks up in a good way. I was terrible at this game the first few times, but learning how to balance everything was part of the fun. It’s got the kind of satisfying thinkiness that puzzle-lovers will eat up.

Flexible Puzzle, Clever Mechanics

Unlike most path-building games, Trailblazers ditches tiles in favor of cards—cards you can overlap! That opens up a whole world of trail-tweaking possibilities. It's especially rewarding when you manage to save a seemingly doomed trail by layering in a perfect fix. The animals expansion adds another wrinkle: place an animal, and that card gets locked in place. It’s a tough choice—go for those animal points, or keep your layout flexible? On top of that, rotating in different in-game and endgame goals keeps each session fresh. The adventurer expansion is a whole vibe, letting your meeples trek along trails snapping pictures, which gives the game an entirely new feel. And for solo players, the achievement sheet is a charming touch that turns solo runs into their own mini campaigns.

The cat's meow:

"Trailblazers is like chasing a laser pointer through the forest—fast, tricky, and just when you think you’ve caught it, it darts off again. Keeps my whiskers sharp!" - Solo the Spokescat

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Disclosure: Pudgy Cat Games was provided a copy of this game in exchange for a review, however, this review reflects the honest thoughts of the author.