Parks (2nd Edition) Board Game Art - Reimagining the Hit National Parks Game - Interview with Josh Emrich (Issue #72)
“Some connect with an illustration because it captures a personal experience, others are drawn to a particular animal, and some simply love the way the sky makes them feel…”
In this board game art interview, I’m speaking to Josh Emrich, an American artist whose work on the Parks (2nd Edition) artwork gives the hit U.S. National Parks game a new look.
I first interviewed Josh back in 2018 about his work on Campy Creatures and Caper with Keymaster. Updating a well-loved game like Parks is no easy task, but I think the team has done a stellar job. I’ll leave it to Josh to tell you more about the Parks (2nd Edition) art.
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Hi Josh, welcome back to the site! For anyone new to your work, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I can’t believe it’s been seven years since we last spoke! Back then, I had just completed my first board game, Campy Creatures, and my design studio, Emrich Office, was primarily focused on branding for the craft beer industry.
Since then, I’ve added a few more game titles to my portfolio, but the biggest shift has been in our clientele. While we’ve retained a single craft brewing client — Bottle Logic Brewing — we’ve transitioned to building brand style guides and developing creative work for the entertainment industry.
We’ve been fortunate to collaborate with dream clients like Disney, Nickelodeon, Netflix, and TNT/TBS. Much of this growth stemmed from the storytelling ability and diverse skill set we honed through our work in both craft brewing and board games.
But to answer your question, I’m primarily a graphic designer and illustrator, though I tend to avoid strict labels because I love working across different creative disciplines. Ultimately, I love creating experiences that bring people together in the real world. I especially enjoy creating things that help people connect with themselves and with others, which is probably why board games have been such a natural fit for me.
Parks 2E - Photography by Kovray
You’re the artistic lead for Parks (Second Edition). What were your first thoughts when considering this project?
When the license for the 59 Parks artwork in the original Parks game ended, Keymaster approached me to help reimagine Parks for a new generation of players.
At first, I was hesitant — it was a massive undertaking with big shoes to fill. But as we discussed the game’s future and the creative possibilities, I became excited about the opportunity to explore the natural world in a new way. Much of my work is rooted in pop culture, so shifting my focus to the breathtaking landscapes of the National Parks was a refreshing and inspiring challenge.
Parks (Second Edition) looks stunning. How did your existing relationship with Keymaster Games help with the work?
Thank you! That really means a lot, especially coming from someone who appreciates the aesthetic details of board games.
My relationship with Keymaster Games, the publisher of Parks, goes back nearly nine years—which is a long time in the creative industry. Over that time, we’ve built a lot of trust in each other. We previously collaborated on Campy Creatures and Caper: Europe, along with other behind-the-scenes projects.
Caper Europe - Photo by Ross Connell
I’m a huge fan of the original 59 Parks artists and the artwork licensed for the first edition of Parks. Keymaster’s internal design team also played a crucial role, adapting the 59 Parks artwork and crafting the game’s overall visual language — some of which built on our work for Campy Creatures and Caper, especially in the wood grain textures and typography.
There was no way I could match their combined talents, nor would I try. Thankfully, I had an incredible team that included the original Parks developers — creative director Mattox Shuler, game designer Henry Audubon, and game producer Jen Graham-Macht — along with my co-illustrator Lisk Feng and graphic designer Seth Nickerson.
What areas for improvement did you identify when evaluating the first edition?
As much as we loved the first game, Keymaster and I wanted to offer something distinct while still honoring the beauty of the national parks and enhancing gameplay. We focused on three key opportunities. Optimizing the artwork & readability, creating a unified artistic vision, and evolving the game’s identity. Since we were starting from scratch, we could design the artwork specifically for the game and include all 63 National Parks.
Parks 2E - Photography by Kovray
Is there an advantage to using art created specifically for board games?
The original 59 Parks artwork began as 18” x 24” posters, meaning fine details and contrast were often lost when scaled down to playing cards. For the new edition, I tailored the illustrations to maintain just the right level of detail, contrast, and readability for the card format.
We also considered various lighting conditions—whether a well-lit kitchen table or a lantern-lit campsite—and improved readability by incorporating larger, crisper fonts, more distinctive icons, and brighter, high-contrast colors.
Parks 2E - Photography by Kovray
The first edition of Parks featured artwork with a wide variety of styles. Did anything in particular inspire your new approach?
For Parks (Second Edition), it was just Lisk Feng and I handling the illustrations, allowing us to create a more cohesive visual experience. I drew inspiration from three artists known for their ability to capture landscapes with striking simplicity and depth:
Eyvind Earle (an artist famous for his work on Disney’s Sleeping Beauty)—his serigraph prints capture light and shadow cascading over hills, iconic trees, and a sophisticated sense of space and color.
Gordon Mortensen—a reduction woodcut print artist whose work conveys undulating wildflowers, shifting weather, and layered depth that immerses viewers in the landscape.
Ray Morimura—a Japanese woodcut artist known for his unique perspectives and rhythmic compositions, such as lily pads dotting a pond or birds in flight.
How did reimagining the art present an opportunity to evolve Parks’ identity for the second edition?
Every game’s theme offers a distinct point of view that shapes the player’s experience and adds meaning to the mechanics — this, in turn, defines the game’s “brand.” The original Parks evoked a cozy, nostalgic feel inspired by WPA-era National Park posters, dark wood grains, and muted colors.
For the second edition, we wanted to emphasize a more modern sense of adventure, wonder, and awe in nature. To achieve this, we drew inspiration from the bold, energetic aesthetic of the 1980s and ’90s outdoor brands, which are seeing a resurgence today. This design direction is reflected in elements like the hiker, resource, and wildlife tokens, the new player mats featuring canteens and backpacks, the gear cards with modern outdoor equipment, and the topographic textures and fonts throughout the game.
Ultimately, this approach created a more cohesive and distinctive design, giving Parks a fresh aesthetic that not only enhances this edition but also sets the stage for future games in the Parks lineup.
Parks 2E - Photography by Kovray
The new edition of Parks features 63 iconic locations. What is your process when handling such a substantial list?
Like the nerds we are, my wife and creative partner, Katie, and I researched every park and compiled our findings into a massive spreadsheet. We cataloged iconic features, flora, fauna, unique seasons, and notable weather events, as well as notable activities. From there, we grouped the parks into six major categories: Deserts, Mountain West, Alaskan/Northern, Coastal, Geological Wonders, and Forests.
This approach allowed me to tackle the illustrations in manageable batches, grouping parks with similar ecosystems or features. As I worked through each batch, it became easier to ensure distinctiveness by varying the time of day, season, landscape focus, or highlighting different wildlife and human activities. The larger guiding questions I asked myself were:
What is the most iconic feature of this park, and is it the most striking example of its kind in the National Parks?
If not, what’s the next best thing, or can I depict it in a unique way?
How can I capture a sense of awe and wonder — something visitors might experience under the right conditions?
Many of the U.S. National Parks share similar geographic features. Was there consideration taken to ensure they all felt unique?
Sometimes, I feel compelled to feature an obvious landmark — like Delicate Arch in Arches or Old Faithful with bison in Yellowstone — because they’re the best-known representations of those parks, and people expect to see them. Other times, a park may be famous for a particular feature, but a more dramatic example of that feature exists elsewhere.
A good example is Wind Cave: it has the longest cave system in the U.S., and American bison roam its hills. However, Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Caverns are visually more striking, and the largest and oldest bison herd is found in Yellowstone. Instead, I chose to depict Wind Cave’s rolling hills at sunset with an American elk, an animal I hadn’t yet featured in another park illustration.
How important was accuracy when depicting the National Parks?
Unlike many board game themes, Parks is set in real places — we can’t invent mountain ranges or alter the shape of a waterfall; everything must be grounded in reality. Ideally, we’d visit every park for firsthand reference, but that would be a costly and time-consuming endeavor (though we’d love to do it!).
Instead, we relied on reference photos — many of which are taken from the same vantage points. Often, that’s simply the only place photographers can stand without risking a fall, damaging native plants, or encountering an unfriendly bear.
The US National Parks hold a special place in the hearts of many, but do you have any personal favorites?
One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about this game is hearing which National Park illustrations resonate with people. Some connect with an illustration because it captures a personal experience, others are drawn to a particular animal, and some simply love the way the sky makes them feel.
For me, Rocky Mountain National Park holds a special place in my heart because of my Uncle Dave. He was one of my biggest supporters in becoming a professional artist—attending my art shows and buying my paintings even when they didn’t exactly go with his decor. When I moved from Indiana to Colorado after college to pursue better career opportunities, he encouraged me every step of the way.
Josh & Dave - Rocky Mountains National Park - 2005
Josh’s Uncle Dave in the Rocky Mountain National Park 2005
Eventually, when Katie and I decided to get married in Colorado, Uncle Dave came out for the wedding, fell in love with the state, and bought a house in Estes Park—right on the doorstep of RMNP. Having family nearby was incredible, and we often met up for hikes. Uncle Dave was deeply involved in RMNP, volunteering as a “Road Hog” and Hikemaster guide for the YMCA.
When my sister and her husband visited, he’d take us on epic hikes — whether summiting Longs Peak (the tallest in RMNP at 14,256 ft.) or traversing Flattop Mountain along the Continental Divide, descending by glissading down Andrews Glacier. One of my favorite experiences was snowshoeing through the park in the winter when the crowds were gone, and we could walk across frozen lakes to take in spectacular views.
Sadly, Uncle Dave passed away unexpectedly a few years ago, and working on Parks became a way to honor him. I know he would have loved it. That’s why, on the RMNP card, you’ll find a special tribute — Uncle Dave leading the way as we snowshoe across Lake Helene, beneath Flattop Mountain, Ptarmigan Point, and Notchtop.
Thank you for sharing this story with us Josh.
Josh and Dave, Snowshoeing through the Rocky Mountain National Park Artwork - Parks Second Edition
Final Card Art for the Rocky Mountain National Park card - Parks Second Edition
Last time we spoke, you were reading the Wildwood book series to your kids. What are you reading, listening to, or looking at to fuel your work at the moment?
Yes! I’m really looking forward to Laika’s stop-motion adaptation of Wildwood—hopefully later this year! Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the virtual world—smartphones, social media, pornography, dating apps, video games, online betting, and AI—is shaping our mental health and ability to connect meaningfully in the real world.
As a father of teenagers now, this is especially top of mind. Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness has profoundly reshaped how I think about my own relationship with technology. It’s a must-read for any parent looking to set healthy boundaries for their kids.
At the same time, my work relies on a deep understanding of people. Art is my primary language, but to create meaningfully, I need to see and know others on a deeper level. That’s why I’ve been reading How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks.
He argues that “the act of seeing another person is profoundly creative”—a sentiment that resonates with me. How do we look someone in the eye and recognize something larger in them, and in turn, in ourselves? That’s the kind of connection I strive for in both my life and my work.
To better appreciate how cohesive the new art feels, I turned the cards into this GIF - Ross Connell
Finally, where can we see more of your work?
Keymaster and I have more games slated for release in 2026. I’m working on some fun projects for Disney Parks, but I can’t share details at this point. We continually create new label art for Bottle Logic Brewing, and each release is part of a larger story, almost like a serialized graphic novel. The best way to follow these projects is on my Instagram @emrichoffice.
Thanks to Josh Emrich for providing the images for this article and Kovray for the wonderful photography.
If you are curious to play Parks (2nd Edition) it is now available to buy, or play online at Board Game Arena.
Interstellar Adventures Board Game Art - Narrative Design and the Optimism of 1960s Science Fiction - Interview with Adrián Iglesias (Issue #71)
“If we think about the science fiction of the 1960s, we can say that its main characteristic, in terms of design and thinking about the mechanics of space travel, is optimistic naivety….”
In this board game art interview, I’m speaking to Adrián Iglesias, an Argentinian artist whose work on the Interstellar Adventures artwork combines a comic illustration style with escape room style game mechanics.
Being an escape room-style game, there’s a lot of secret stuff I can’t share, but I hope what I can share sparks your imagination. Enjoy!
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Thanks for joining us, Adrián! Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello Ross, thank you for welcoming me and giving me a place in this space. A little about me, I was born in Argentina, in the south of the country, where I graduated in fine arts at the National University of La Plata.
My love for drawing and comics has been a constant in my life since childhood. Even before I learned to write, I was creating simple comic strips based on the animated shows I enjoyed, like Mazinger Z, He-Man, and Space Ghost. These were my initial forays into graphic storytelling.
After completing my education, I took on a few conventional jobs until I decided to pursue my true passion. I left everything behind and, along with some friends, started a comic publishing company. Thankfully, that leap of faith paid off: I landed my first steady role as a comic artist for a series about hackers and spent four years teaching comics at a private multimedia art school. For over fifteen years now, I have been working as a freelance illustrator and comic artist.
You’ve illustrated Interstellar Adventures, a new escape room-style sci-fi board game on Kickstarter. Can you tell us a little about it?
When Harriet contacted me, she mentioned three words that instantly piqued my interest: retro science fiction. As a fan of science fiction, especially the nostalgic variety I enjoyed as a child, I felt a spark of excitement. I realized there was an entire universe of board games related to this theme that I had yet to discover.
With a whole sci-fi world to create, where did you start?
We started working on the design of the characters and the illustrated cards. But little by little the project unfolded before my eyes as something new. It has a richness in the gameplay that I hadn't seen before. Screens to launch missiles, cards that change by overlaying other cards, secret messages, and puzzles that form new paths for the characters. Every detail is thought out. It is a lot of fun to illustrate, and I can't wait to make it a reality and play it.
How did you look to illustrate a world that feels specific to another era?
If we think about the science fiction of the 1960s, we can say that its main characteristic, in terms of design and thinking about the mechanics of space travel, is optimistic naivety. These were stories that took place in space before mankind had ever set foot in space, so there were thousands of fundamental details that were unknown and that later complicated the idea of space exploration. Yes, it was known that it was necessary to wear a space suit. Just contrast the designs of Terrore nello Spazio with Alien.
Keeping this concept in focus, I created the suits and items featured in the game. To complete the project's visual identity, I drew inspiration from 1960s comics. This is reflected in a restricted color scheme, the incorporation of halftones, and a texture reminiscent of offset printing and paper.
This combination of naive design and limiting the vast arsenal of digital tools, I think, is what gives a retro look to the project.
As a comic artist, what do you think is the key to illustrating memorable characters?
That's the key question, isn't it? In my view, one of the most crucial elements in comics and graphic storytelling is the performance. The drawing style, or how the artist depicts reality, offers an almost limitless variety and is heavily influenced by personal preference. I tend to favor synthesis and exaggeration in my drawings. Additionally, character design plays a significant role; creating characters that are instantly recognizable and have distinctive shapes greatly enhances the initial visual impact. However, all of this loses its effect if the characters fail to convey the emotions that the story aims to express when they interact within the two-dimensional world we've crafted for them.
Real-world escape rooms are very kinetic spaces. How did you look to breathe life into the inanimate objects and environments of Interstellar Adventures?
Everything is in function of telling a story and conveying the tone and message of a scene. Of course, this manipulation of shapes and colors must go unnoticed by the reader, and therein lies the skill of the artist. For example, the palette turns to warm tones (reds) if the scene has action and danger. Conversely, it leans towards cool colors (blues) if we need to convey calm, pause, and tranquillity. Something similar happens with lighting. It is manipulated to guide the viewer's eye over the drawing.
We know that we see the areas of highest contrast first, and that is where we put the most important things. The dimensions of the eyes, mouth, and even hands of the characters change based on the emotional requirements of each scene. When it comes to set design, it becomes a character in its own right.
For Interstellar, I envisioned the crew alongside their designated spaces within the ship simultaneously. This means that each crew member's personality is reflected in the set, and the set influences their character as well. A great example of this is Eugine, the robot engineer. His design is quite basic, evoking the look of early 20th-century submarine suits, which aligns with the aesthetic of the engineering section.
The sci-fi genre has a rich history in creative arts. Did anything inspire your work on Interstellar Adventures?
Undoubtedly, my gateway to science fiction was Star Trek, the original series and as such it left an inescapable mark on my imagination. Although I'm also a big fan of cyberpunk, works like Blade Runner, Akira, Neuromancer, Ghost in the Shell, I discarded that whole branch of the genre as the underlying tone doesn't match the spirit of Interstellar Adventures.
To the Star Trek imaginary was added the low-budget science fiction films I used to watch on Sunday afternoons at my grandparents' house: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film), Terrore nello spazio (1965), Forbidden Planet (1956), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), among many others.
Were there any challenges in illustrating an escape room-style board game?
Absolutely, it’s an exhilarating journey! I’ve never embarked on anything quite like this before. Initially, Harriet and I focused on character design, an area I’m quite familiar with and have tackled many times. Once we nailed that down, we shifted our attention to the cards. Although I had never illustrated anything of this nature, I found it easy to visualize each card as a panel in a comic book, which made the process feel even more thrilling.
Then came the box design, which was truly a highlight. Harriet proposed a brilliant concept: to style the packaging like an old television set. This required me to carefully consider the box layout and how each side would contribute to a cohesive concept.
What captivates me the most are the puzzles within the game—paths that shift in the player's hands, crystals that materialize, monsters lurking in enigmatic caverns, and numbers concealed in unexpected places. The gameplay of Interstellar Adventures is extensive and diverse, and I’m eager to dive in and witness how all the intricate elements we’ve crafted will come together to create this captivating adventure.
What are you reading, listening to, or looking at to fuel your work?
I find it fascinating to learn about the art, books, comics, music, films, and literature people gravitate towards, as it offers a glimpse into what fuels their creative spark. It's truly another window into the artist's world.
Currently, I'm rewatching Star Trek, with episodes from ‘The Next Generation,’ ‘Deep Space 9’, ‘Voyager,’ or ‘Enterprise’ perpetually playing on my second screen while I work in my studio. My go-to entertainment choices outside of work are detective stories, whether in the form of series like Columbo, Sherlock, Murder She Wrote, or Miss Marple or novels featuring Cormoran Strike. A particular favorite is the iteration of Dr Who starring Matt Smith alongside Karen Gillan.
For a comic book artist, reading comics is something that, apart from being very enjoyable, is almost obligatory. You always learn from studying the great artists of the medium. Now, I'm following two collections: Angel Wings and Conan, The Cimmerian. I always manage to have Argentinean comics at hand to keep up to date with new releases like Almer, Jobs, Nathaniel Fox; and anything drawn by Eduardo Risso, Mandrafina, and Alcatena. To finish this review, I could mention the literary sagas I've read lately: Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past; The Witcher, Patrick Rothfuss's incomplete trilogy; and the one I'm currently reading, Brandon Sanderson's Born of the Mist.
Finally, where can we see more of your work?
Thanks for the question! Searching for 'santaplix' on any search engine will lead you to my social media profiles, where I share drawings, glimpses into my creative process, and geeky content. However, for a comprehensive and organized collection of my work, please visit my website at www.santaplix.site. This is where I showcase my creations: comics, stories, illustrations, and ongoing projects. While most of my content is in Spanish, there's a dedicated section featuring English translations of my comics.
Find out more about Interstellar Adventures, the escape room board game from Minty Noodles, by visiting its Kickstarter page.
All images provided by Adrián Iglesias and Minty Noodles.