Hidden Red Panda

Building Conservation Awareness Through Play

Hidden Red Panda is a fully playable educational board game that transforms conservation research into a competitive, strategic experience. Players navigate the temperate forests of the Eastern Himalayas, avoid environmental and wildlife threats, find their mate, and return home before their opponents.

I independently researched, designed, illustrated, fabricated, and produced every element of the game, from its mechanics and rules to its packaging and physical components.

My Role: Game Designer, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Researcher
Project Length: 16 weeks
Responsibilities: Research, Game Concept, Rule Development, Game Mechanics, Visual Identity, Illustration, Component Design, Packaging, Prototyping, Fabrication
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, 3D Printer, Laser Cutter

Hidden Red Panda board game, cards, and custom player token

The Challenge

Create an engaging game that teaches players about red pandas and the threats they face without making the experience feel like a lesson. The educational content needed to influence gameplay while remaining competitive, approachable, and fun.

Design Process

Research Into Gameplay

Research into red panda habitats, behavior, predators, and human-caused threats shaped the game's narrative and mechanics. Deforestation, traps, wildlife encounters, and movement through the forest became obstacles players must navigate on their journey home.

Designing the Game System

I designed the complete game system, including the board, cards, custom playing pieces, packaging, instructions, and a pregame information packet. Color, iconography, illustration, and physical materials work together to immerse players in the red panda's environment while keeping gameplay easy to follow.

Prototyping and Production

The final prototype combined printed and fabricated components, including laser-cut pieces and custom 3D-printed player tokens. Each element was developed as part of a cohesive physical experience that could be set up, understood, and played as a complete board game.

The Finished Game

The complete prototype brings the research, mechanics, illustration, packaging, instructions, cards, board, and fabricated player pieces together as one playable physical system.

Complete Hidden Red Panda game board, packaging, cards, and instructions — Complete game and packaging

Hidden Red Panda instruction manual, cards, packaging, and custom pieces — Instructions, cards, and fabricated components

Close view of the Hidden Red Panda board with environmental obstacles and player tokens — Game board, environmental obstacles, and custom 3D-printed player tokens

Final Outcome

The completed game combines strategic play with conservation education, encouraging players to learn about red pandas through the decisions and obstacles they encounter. The result is an immersive physical experience that builds awareness and empathy through play.