Welcome to Picking at Nits, a series of reviews where I get upset and nitpick tiny details of otherwise perfectly playable games. Today's game: Sneaky Snacky Squirrel! So, I love board games and want to share that passion with my kids. When my older son, Tobias, was 2 and a half, I went digging, scouring the net for something fun and exciting. I ended up buying Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, a game where a squirrel with OCD collects colorful, radioactive acorns and places them aroun

I recently played Nuns on the Run, a hidden movement game from 2010. It was simple and loads of fun, with interesting push-your-luck mechanisms. What caught my eye more than anything was the player tension throughout the game. It kept player tension on an absolute high at all times, like a physical game of hide and seek, which was an astounding feat in a board game...

Continuing development on the Mech Battle project, I explored new mechanics and design iterations. Adjustments to movement, health, and action systems aim to enhance gameplay depth and player engagement. While challenges persist, each iteration brings valuable insights and progress...

29th February was the first day this felt like an actual game. We playtested the new iteration with multiple changes that we had made prior. It held up decently, and we managed to get 2 good games in...

We refine Mech Battle's core mechanics. Focus areas include developing a cohesive theme, nations vying for dwindling resources via mechanized combat, and enhancing action economy inspired by games like Spirit Island and Scythe. Key operations such as squad activation and streamlined drafting were introduced to promote strategic depth and team synergy...

We refine Mech Battle's core mechanics. Focus areas include developing a cohesive theme, nations vying for dwindling resources via mechanized combat, and enhancing action economy inspired by games like Spirit Island and Scythe. Key operations such as squad activation and streamlined drafting were introduced to promote strategic depth and team synergy...

We playtested the prototype on New Year's Day, 2021. It was crap. The upside was, we know exactly what is wrong with the design and how to fix it. The prototype played out much worse than I had imagined in my mind, and I have learned a valuable lesson: You learn nothing of your design if you don't test it...

This is the first Design Diary entry for Mech Battle. This Design Diary is a log of my thoughts, efforts, and decisions that went into board game designing. Mech Battle is my first ever design...