Strategy board game exploring urban sprawl, where players control endangered animals while placing obstacles that fragment habitats.
Forest Feud is a strategy board game that explores how urban sprawl fragments wildlife habitats. Players control endangered animals while strategically placing human-made obstacles, mirroring how development disrupts natural ecosystems.
Created with:
Eileen Lee (Graphic Design, Copyright)
Kate Kwon (CAD, Graphic Design, Copyright),
Ran Chen (CAD, Illustration, Packaging Assembly)
Sophia Wang (Fabrication, Packaging Assembly, Project Management)
Yumin Kim (Board Design, Fabrication, Quality Control, Project Management, Photography).
Urban Sprawl is an uncontrolled, unplanned expansion of cities into surrounding rural/natural areas.
Urban sprawl has significantly impacted wildlife movement and survival. Our team set out to design an educational game that communicates this issue through play, making environmental disruption tangible and interactive. Rather than lecturing players, we embedded the message directly into the mechanics.
Gameplay
Players choose one of four endangered animals —Red Panda, Owl, Snake, or Flying Squirrel—each with unique movement rules reflecting different ecological behaviors.
The objective is to reach the animal's designated habitat corner while opponents place urban obstacles such as cars, trains, houses, and lumber blocks to restrict movement.
As the board fills with development, mobility becomes increasingly limited, reinforcing how urban growth affects all species, even beyond their immediate territory.
Initial Market Research
Target Audience
Designed for ages 6+, the game balances accessibility with tactical depth, encouraging players to think strategically about movement, blocking, and long-term consequences.
This game was envisioned to be positioned for the mass market, sold in large retail chains such as Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble in their general game aisles, and online retailers like Amazon for broad family appeal.
This game will fall into the Family Board Game / Strategy Game / Environmental-Themed Game / Holiday Gift category.
Moodboard
Initial Brainstorm/Sketches
Initial Play Test
Board Design
We began with a rapid chipboard prototype to test scale, pacing, and rule clarity. Early playtesting revealed the need to refine mechanics and simplify instructions to improve flow and engagement.
The final board, inspired by a tree silhouette, was constructed using a 3D-printed base and trunk with a laser-cut transparent acrylic board. Additional trunk holes were introduced after initial playtesting to increase strategic complexity.
Peg Design
Game pieces underwent multiple iterations to ensure durability, appropriate scale for ages 6+, and clear visual coding.
Box Cover Illustration/Design
Each animal includes a color-coded movement card and embroidered pouch for organized storage and cohesive presentation.
User Testing 1
User Testing 2
User Testing 3
