Sora’s confidence might make light of perilous situations, but that confidence is infectious, spreading down to her Genin. One recalls the time rival Shinobi had set their rice stores ablaze. Sora leapt into the flames without a second thought. The Genin watched in awe as she whipped the fire about her as if it were a rope, and his own fear evaporated, replaced by the fire she wielded. After the rice was rescued, she explained, “I would rather die now trying to feed many, than die starving among them later,” perfectly encapsulating her sense of risk and reward.

“Life burns brightest on the edge.” ~Kasai Sora

The other clans never know what to expect when facing Kasai Sora. Sarutobi Sasuke once said of her, “She is a fire that doesn’t know when to stop burning.”

Bringing Her to Life

Kasai Sora’s visual design had to show several things at once: her boisterousness, her wielding fire, and her whipping wind. Hers is the only Jōnin I designed and pretty much kept the same from the first iteration. Below, you can see the evolution of her design from a simple sketch to the old art style and finally, the current art style:

She’s leaping through the battlefield, flames and wind surrounding her. Her hair and robes are flowing wildly, much like her personality. What I love most about designing the Kasai clan is the glow of fire I get to put around the characters, truly making them pop.

On the Battlefield

After several iterations I landed on an identity for the Kasai clan: a focus on wind and fire abilities, with a press-your-luck mechanic to match the chaotic theme. But while Kasai Sora’s illustration came together perfectly, her Shinobi ability has pretty much never stopped changing. I’m constantly tweaking and testing it, since I’m trying to balance her risk relative to her power; more power means she needs more risk, but if she becomes too powerful I need to nerf her ability and reduce the risk. On top of that, a defeated Jōnin means your opponent is one step closer to their goal. So, do I give Sora an ability that can damage herself? Or should it damage her units?

Ultimately, I decided her personality would try to prevent collateral damage as much as possible, so she’ll take the heat herself. That meant I had to make the juice worth the squeeze for her ability; Kasai Sora has possibly the deadliest ability in the game, able to defeat up to 3 units of her choice in one Strike. However, she risks damaging herself, and putting her opponent within reach of victory. But as she once told her Genin, “I would rather die now trying to feed many, than die starving among them later.”

Player Tips

Kasai Sora works well with clans that mitigate her risk, like the Hattori clan. They can easily gain Weapon Tools, which are alternative methods of attacking your foes which don’t involve as much risk. You’ll want to use her abilities while you still have unspent dice worth keeping, since Kasai abilities tend to reroll those dice. Alternatively, if you weren’t pleased with the first roll, Sora’s ability might provide new strike options for her units. When facing Kasai Sora, take advantage of the fact that she can deal damage to herself, and force her to make a tough decision if she has low health remaining.

Want to shape Sora’s story? The lore of Hidden Village is still being written, and I need your input. Join the Discord to help define each clan’s history, rivalries, and philosophies.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

However, I haven’t felt like I’ve lost a crucial piece of Hidden Village that would make me miss it terribly. Instead, each change felt like I was recognizing where to trim some fat and make the game as exquisite as possible. I’m particularly proud of Ki reservation, which is a custom mechanic I designed to mitigate bad luck. Even if you fail, you can reserve one of the Ki dice for use on a later roll. And as the artist I’m also so pleased with all the art for the 37 character designs. So, when I made the decision to totally change the combat system and drop 18 character designs last week, it was painful.

You Did What!?

That’s right. After three years of honing the current combat system and spending six months illustrating all the character art, I decided to trim them from the game. But hear me out, I have good reason! Through several years of testing and excellent feedback from my playtesters, I was convinced Hidden Village was near the final product. My playtests at this point were just to ensure the game felt fair, the clans felt thematically and mechanically sound, and I didn’t mess up the text on the cards.

However, in these playtests, I kept hearing some concerns that I didn’t want to admit were a big deal. I was in denial about there being anything I could do about what little issues were left in the design. I chalked it up to personal taste and figured the right audience would find the game. But the more I heard the same feedback and the more I saw what players were experiencing in tests, even if they didn’t say it, I started to accept that something had to change.

Those Few “Little” Issues

Hidden Village Can Be Too Complicated

One of the biggest piece of feedback I’d hear was that the game was complicated, both for new players trying to pick up the rules and eventually for veteran players who were experiencing the dreaded analysis paralysis. By all accounts, the game was fun, it was true to theme, and it had depth and strategy, but I could see the struggle to initially grasp the concept was a hurdle to get to the fun and fairly straightforward gameplay. But I thought, what more could I do? I had already trimmed it so much, and I was concerned that any more reduction would be a detriment to the game.

So, I turned to the rules. Maybe I could just make the rules clear and concise, because what I was seeing was that once people started playing, they got the hang of things within a couple turns. I spent a lot of effort crafting a well-designed rulebook, as well as changing how I teach the game. But the issue still persisted. After all the design and development work I’ve done, what I can say is that the current form of Hidden Village absolutely works, and it’s definitely fun, but it lacks the elegance that will help me reach a bigger audience. And to clarify, I already know my audience will be small; devoted to medium-weight gamers that want to play a 1v1 dueling game. But if I can’t get new players onboarded without me sitting down to play with them, I won’t even have that audience.

Hidden Village Can Be Pretty Luck-Based

The next concern that would come up was how swingy the game is. It wasn’t ever mentioned as a detriment, really, but I could feel the issue in my gut when playing. There is a purposeful back and forth in who’s leading, and that’s by design, but it was somewhat exacerbated by the combat system. In its current form, when a shinobi Strikes a target, you have a certain cost for the attack that has to be met by then rolling 3 dice. If you meet that cost, the Strike succeeds. Otherwise it fails and that’s basically the end of that action. Initially this was all done with one d6, and there was a lot of math involved. And a lot of failing. I created a new combat system using custom dice with a simple Ki symbol and X symbol, the former for the cost, the latter to show it failed. I also created the Ki reservation mechanic to mitigate bad luck, allowing you to save the Ki results for later rolls as a guaranteed success. This mechanic is probably one my playtesters’ favorite parts about the game, which made it all the more difficult to axe it.

It had to go, because this current system of using output randomness was causing too much of an issue, specifically in three areas:

1. Swingy results - The luck factor meant anything could happen, for better or worse. Of course, I love the excitement of resting my fate in the hands of the dice (long time D&D player here), but I could also feel the pressure build up in my gut watching new players get discouraged by poor rolls. Which would then lead to the next issue:

2. Unbalanced Strategic Execution - One of the main feelings I’m trying to invoke in the game is the feeling that you’re leading your shinobi to victory through your clever use of tactics, outsmarting and outmaneuvering your opponents. But that’s all for naught if your best laid plans got ruined not by your actual opponent, but by your very own dice. I never felt good watching a new player roll all X’s, knowing they probably couldn’t recover from their best plan failing. Which then led to the final issue:

3. Analysis Paralysis - Nobody likes to fail. And because there is so much information on the field at any given time that could lead to any number of combinations, which could then fail every time you roll, players were just unsure what their best path to victory was. They wanted to do Plan B to mitigate a bad roll in Plan A, but maybe Plan C would be better because that’s basically guaranteed. Of course, these are the kinds of decisions I’m aiming for in the game, but as it stood, I had too much going on for new players, and luck was a big factor.

Hidden Village Is Lacking the “Hidden” Identity

Finally, something I noticed about the game that wasn’t obvious to playtesters was that it lacked the feeling of deduction it once had. Prior to dropping the number of territories from 5 to 3, there was a lot of guessing about who was where, and why they were there. It’s a mechanic that helped Hidden Village stand out from other lane battlers and strategy games, most all of which have all their information present.

After the reduction, there was less space on the field, which led to tighter Combat and Capture phases, but the fog of war mostly disappeared. I still had it with the face-down cards, but all of those cards get flipped face-up at the start of Combat. This was leading to analysis paralysis because whatever plan you had in place suddenly changed, and now you had to account for up to 3 new cards on the other side of the field, all of which could be unique Chūnin. It also removed the deduction element in one fell swoop. It was exciting, yes, but really only for a moment, especially if you weren’t playing the Taiku clan with their focus on flipping. It wasn’t detrimental to the mechanics, but the game had definitely lost a major part of its “Hidden” identity — that feeling of sneaking around as shinobi.

Flipping the Table

I hear you asking, “Ok, great work laying out the biggest problems with the game, Chris, but how did you fix it?” Well, it started with a simple question that expanded to three major changes and bunch of minor ones, all to help reduce analysis paralysis, increase the speed of rules comprehension, and help Hidden Village stand out. That simple question was, “Could I play this with input randomness instead?”

Instead of rolling after I attack, what if I rolled before deciding my strategy? I pushed back on this question for a long time, until I figured out how it could help solve Hidden Village’s biggest problems. Of course, I tested it a few times before deciding it was worth investing in the overhaul, and as it stands this new version is looking very promising. I could give you a rundown of changes, but that’s all cataloged better in the Hidden Village Discord, which I invite you to check out to see the playtest notes I’ve taken since the change (I’d love your help playtesting it further, too). Instead I’ll go through the three biggest changes, the ones that’ll really shift the game’s identity on shelves and in my marketing.

Revamped Combat System

I mentioned both input and output randomness, but let’s clarify what I mean by those terms before moving on. Output randomness is what you might see in Dungeons & Dragons: I decide to attack, so I roll a d20 (the output) to see if it is successful. Input randomness is seen in a game like Yahtzee: I roll 5 dice (the input), and see which fields on my scoresheet best use those results. They’re both luck-based, but the former adds a lot of drama, and the latter gives more agency to the player. Both have their uses, but from what I’ve seen so far, input randomness is going to work well for a strategy-focused game like Hidden Village.

In the new iteration, each player rolls 6 dice before the Planning and Combat Phases. Each die has 3 Melee symbols, 1 Ranged symbol, and 2 Ki symbols. These dice determine which strikes you can accomplish and which abilities you can activate. You can plan in advance, and aside from losing the unit in Combat, there’s no risk of failing. It plays and feels different than the output randomness model, but it works, it’s fun, and it’s a helluva lot easier to explain in the rulebook, which is a huge win. By far, the most complicated part of the rulebook is explaining combat, especially your options when you fail. This completely erases that and it’s simply, “what you rolled is what you can spend.”

With this system change came a whole bunch of other changes, such as simplifying Strike options to just Melee and Ranged, making both available to all units, and having the Strike cost be uniform across shinobi ranks. All of this has led to two fantastic results: it’s easier to explain the rules to new players and there’s less overwhelming information on the board at any given moment.

Simplified Clans

When Hidden Village was created it had 13 unique shinobi in each clan. This was reduced down to 6 unique Jōnin and Chūnin and 1 universally shared Genin in the most recent iteration. The new version of Hidden Village will now have 1 Jōnin, 2 Chūnin, and 1 universally shared Genin. That’s only 3 unique units per clan, but with the same number of cards, so there will be 2 Chūnin with 3HP, and 3 with 2HP.

This was initially done partly because I knew I was going to have a lot of cards to change and test with the new mechanics. I also knew it would simplify the game for new players. Knowing what one Maple Master does means you don’t have to read what the next Maple Master does. I updated all the abilities to synergize well with the duplicate units, and honestly it seems like each clan will be massively improved because of this.

Of course, this means I lose out on using 18 pieces of character art for the base game. But now I’ve got all those characters and their abilities ready to test for an add-on. I’m hoping to introduce the game to new players with customizable difficulties:

• New players simply play with a single clan vs a single clan to learn the ropes.

• Veteran players can start combining the clans to master the intended experience.

• Master players can add more complexity by replacing the duplicate Chūnin with the unique expansion Chūnin, bringing the unique unit count back to 6 for each clan, and getting Hidden Village to its fullest potential.

Flip as a Combat Action

Now, though, flipping is an action taken during the Combat Phase. This means there’s less information on the field at once, and even when it is revealed it’s often one card at a time. And since face-down units can’t act (besides flipping) and they don’t count towards capturing territories and villages, that’s one less unit you need to attack or worry about (until it’s face-up).

Not only does this reduce the overwhelming amount of information, it also adds the missing “Hidden” element back into the game. Sure, that face-down unit is no threat right now, but what if it flips before the end of the Combat Phase? That’s another body to help capture your Hidden Village — yikes! And why are all the Back Line units face-down? Are the just Genin or is one of their strongest Chūnin back there? Do you even want them face-up? I’ve found a new level of depth when this mechanic was added to the mix.

Back to Playtesting

So, that was most of the bigger changes and there are several minor ones and plenty of balance issues to work out. Killing off the beloved Ki reservation mechanic is a tough pill to swallow, but I’m finding it’s truly been worth it. I can always go back, but the further I press on the less I seem to mind. Plus, I’ve got plenty of designs in the works where I can use a fun combat mechanic like that. And as for the artwork, I’ll definitely make use of it, if not for stretch goals than as an expansion. At the very least, I’ve improved my illustration skills immensely in the process.

As for playtesting, I believe I’ll soon be back to the point I was just prior to these changes, where I’m testing the clan synergies and wording on the cards instead of major mechanical changes. I could really use your help in this process! Please join us on Discord and help me make the game as easy to access as possible so everyone can enjoy outsmarting their friends!

Hattori Ayato leads his clan efficiently, wasting no words and showing no emotion, except for the rare disdain for “honor-bound fools.” To him, battle is a problem to solve, not a stage for glory, and preparation is the only real strength. He’s always calculating, and sees everything as a tool that lends itself to victory. Even the lowest ranking Hattori Genin understand their value to him: “He sees all of us as pieces on the board… yet somehow that makes us stronger.”

Ayato speaks plainly and never raises his voice, but everyone takes his words, even the whispers, as commands. The Umbrella Adept often recalls the time she and Ayato both attended a diplomatic meeting, where she was forced to intercept an assassination attempt on his life. When she returned to the meeting, he simply gave her a look, which she knew meant to carry on as usual. When she later asked him why, he explained, “Silence is a powerful tool.” “We avoided war that day,” she now tells the Hattori Genin.

“You think this was by chance? It was by design.” ~Hattori Ayato

The other clans must always be prepared to face Hattori Ayato. Kasai Sora once said of him, “He’s an ember hiding under the ashes, waiting for the flames to be fanned. Only he brought the fan.”

Bringing Him to Life

That calculating intensity is what I wanted to capture in his visual design. I went through two main iterations of his design, but the key for both was showing him using the tools for which his clan is known. And since tools were the theme, they informed the colors of the clan; brown and gold to represent wood and bronze.

The initial artwork for Hattori Ayato showed him in action, leaping in mid-air. When I first finished this illustration I wasn’t completely satisfied, but I had 23 illustrations left to complete, so I pressed on. It wasn’t until I finished all the illustrations that I decided to take a second pass at this. I liked his design and the colors, but his face was a little too care-free and his pose was awkward. I wanted something that really showcased his intensity, and that’s what I focused on in the next attempt.

The final art for Hattori Ayato embraces the idea of him being an intense, shadowy actor. He’s hiding his face behind his clan’s trademark shinobi tools, but it still feels like he’s watching you while planning your demise. His bulkier frame makes him look more imposing and with the weapons pointed at the player, it looks as if he can strike at any moment, like a trap about to be set off.

On the Battlefield

As the leader of his clan, I needed Hattori Ayato to both encourage his units to use weapons, while also helping them obtain more. The whole point of the game is to outplan your opponent and to adapt as the battle ebbs and flows, and a big part of that is utilizing the tool cards. However, the Hattori need those cards for their clan’s abilities, so you have to balance using the tools outright or saving them for some game-winning techniques. This is why the Hattori clan are one of my favorite to play, because it’s actually quite challenging to use them to their fullest potential.

That’s why his ability to let units use a weapon tool without disengaging was a perfect solution. Now you don’t need to choose, because if you can strike with a weapon and strike with the unit, you’re doubling your attack output and increasing the chances of defeating enemies (and thus gaining more tools). It’s also an ability that naturally relies on his units to execute, which fits his leadership style.

Player Tips

Hattori Ayato works well with clans that earn his units tools, like the Taiku clan, who come out striking early, and the risky Kasai. You may want to deploy him after you’ve earned a few tools, which will allow you to keep that cycle of earning tools going strong. Against him, try using his tools against him. When you defeat units, you can take their tools. This will not only limit the Hattori clan’s abilities, but these tools can help you defeat a powerful Jōnin like Hattori Ayato.

Want to shape Ayato’s story? The lore of Hidden Village is still being written, and I need your input. Join the Discord to help define each clan’s history, rivalries, and philosophies.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

So, let’s dive deep into which clans can best help Hattori reach their potential. This is the first big choice you’re going to make, and it’ll determine your playstyle for the rest of the game. I’ve broken the choices into 3 tiers, based on how I (as the designer) feel they synergize best. But through playing the game yourself, you may discover a pairing that works best for you!

Tier 1: Perfect Synergy

With the Hattori you’re looking to earn tools as soon as possible. The Taiku clan grant that opportunity through their use of the flip-based mechanics at the start of the Combat Phase. Before your opponent can act, units in the Taiku clan can affect enemy units, both whittling down their hold on territories and earning tools for the rest of combat. With the Taiku Village ability in play, all of your Genin and Chūnin get a bonus attack when they flip face-up, so if you flip four units, you could potentially earn four tools. This is exactly how many the Fan Wielder needs to shift an enemy Jōnin out of his territory, and it’s all possible on the first turn of combat!

Another great option is the Kasai clan, whose powerful strikes can wipe out multiple enemies at once, but also risk damaging themselves. However, when paired with the Hattori clan, they gain an arsenal of weapon tools as a safer option. Not to mention, these two clans each feature a way to banish your own units, which is usually impossible. Normally this isn’t ideal, but there are two major benefits to banishing your own units: freeing up space on the field for new units and completely healing the banished unit. For example, if the Explosives Expert manages to defeat his opponent’s entire front line, but also damages his own front line, the Medicine Master can discard tool cards to send him back to your hand. This will heal him up for the next Combat Phase, and you don’t have to worry as much about having a majority of units, since he cleared a whole enemy line.

Tier 2: Strong Choice

The Fūma’s reach and aggression works well with the Hattori, since it naturally generates tools. This offense can be a strong defense as well. For example, when you have enough tools, the Mirror Master can reflect any strike back onto a unit targeting her. Your opponent might assume you wouldn’t trigger her ability on a weaker enemy like a Genin, so they may use one to attack her. That’s where the Fūma’s Spear Sensei comes in. She can counterstrike anyone attacking her allies, interrupting the Genin, defeating him, and earning yet another tool for the Hattori. All the while, the Mirror Master stays engaged, ready to reflect any strike.

Another strong defensive pairing comes with the Sarutobi clan. When the Sarutobi Village is in play, your disengaged units can get a bonus counterstrike when they’re attacked. This means you can generate tools for the Hattori even on your opponent’s turns. If you spend the first couple turns using this ability with your Genin, you can generate tools for later use with units like the Fan Wielder to take control of the battlefield.

Tier 3: Niche Pairing

The final clan you can pair with the Hattori is the Fujibayashi clan. Because the Hattori have many abilities that trigger based on Tool cards, not Ki, this is a niche option. That said, the Hattori clan needs to build up tools as the game progresses, and if the Bamboo Wielder puts two Ki in reserve one turn, you could use those in the next with the Scroll Keeper to potentially draw 3 tool cards in one fell swoop. This pairing works best if you enjoy slower, control-oriented gameplay, using Fujibayashi’s guaranteed strikes to survive early aggression while building the Hattori tool engine for a late-game payoff.

Ultimately, the best Hattori partner depends on your playstyle. Do you want to build up Tools fast (Taiku), make space for powerful units on the battlefield (Kasai), set up an offensive defense (Fūma), build tools on your opponent’s turns (Sarutobi), or take your time earning tools for payoff later (Fujibayashi)? Try them all and discover which resonates with you. And when you do, I’d love to hear which Hattori combo works best for you. Join the Discord to share your experiences, or grab the Print & Play and test them yourself.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

Posting this a day later than usual because I attended the Indie Board Game Showcase in New York City on Saturday, and needed a little time to let the event sink in. The event took place from 12pm to 6pm at the Tiny Cupboard, a comedy club and board game bar in Brooklyn. The event was sold out with 60 attendees, and I counted at least 10 tables with games. I got a lot of valuable playtime in and great photos, quotes and feedback on Hidden Village. I also attended at no cost, which is obviously great, but there are always costs, which I’ll get into right away.

Real Talk

First and foremost, the event was short. 6 hours isn’t a lot of time compared to events that last a full weekend. Hidden Village can take upwards of 90 minutes to play (especially considering I have to teach the game to everyone), so it doesn’t leave a lot of time for testing. And although the event was sold out, not all 60 attendees were lining up at the door at noon. It took about an hour before anyone sat to play my game, so all in all I had 5 hours of testing time.

Second, The Tiny Cupboard truly earns its name. The venue was split into two separate spaces: the comedy club and the board game bar. The bar had decent table space but the comedy club was awfully tight. Fortunately I was moved from the club side to the bar side before opening, but that left one table in the corner, which was a little hard to access. That’s partly why I waited an hour to have anyone sit down, since they stopped to play the front-most games first.

Both of these constraints led to lower numbers than I expected on email subscribers, playtests, and followers. My goals were:

• 6-10 playtests run

• 10-12 new email subscribers

• 4-6 new members on the Hidden Village Discord server

What I actually achieved was:

• 3 playtests run

• 5 new email subscribers

• 2 Instagram followers

Basically half the target. That aspect of the event was definitely disappointing, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom.

Positive Takeaways

One of my qualitative goals for the event was to confirm if the game was evoking the feeling of outsmarting your opponents. After each playtests, the feedback I got really solidified that I was hitting that target. Here’s a direct quote from a playtester:

“I enjoyed surprising my opponent with my abilities and planning how to neutralize their plans.”

I was also needed to test clan synergy, and even in just 3 tests, I was able to glean several things. The Fujibayashi clan and Taiku clan feel like they’re intended to feel. The Sarutobi and Fūma clans seem good, too, even if I need to double-check their Village abilities. The Hattori clan needed some tweaks, and the Kasai Village needed to be reworked. I updated several cards in the Print and Play and on Screentop, and have since tested the Kasai clan to ensure it’s headed in the right direction (it feels much better, I can say).

I was also able to gather a lot of great feedback, quotes, and photos from the event. I’m looking forward to having these in my arsenal for marketing materials as I work towards crowdfunding later this year. The feedback in particular was all positive and reinvigorated me to keep pushing forward (as I’m currently juggling manufacturing quotes, marketing prep, and online playtests).

The Verdict

I probably won’t return to another Indie Board Game Showcase if I only have Hidden Village to show off. But as I continue designing games, especially lighter games that accommodate more players (including one I’m working on now with my son), I’d definitely consider bringing that. Because in such a short time with so little space, I’d want to get as much feedback at once as possible. Also, it certainly helps that its free. And no matter what the event, coming back home after having played my game with several strangers is always revitalizing.

If you’re interested in playtesting Hidden Village, you don’t even need to be in person to play! Join the Hidden Village Discord to connect and I’d be happy to set up a time to play online. Or grab the Print and Play and give feedback however you want (online form, emailing me, Discord, etc.).

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

The Indie Board Game Showcase is taking place in New York (at The Tiny Cupboard in Brooklyn) this Saturday, March 14th from 12-6pm. This will be the first public demo I’ve held since Protospiel Rochester last September. The most notable changes since then: Tools have been simplified for a streamlined experience, and all the character and territory illustrations are complete. I’m excited to see how players react, and I’m also looking forward to testing clan synergy, refining my teach, and converting playtesters into subscribers.

I know the game works; it isn’t broken and it’s fun to play. But I’m always nervous about finding the right audience at an event. Will people connect with the theme? Will the clan mechanics click? I’m hoping my concerns are unfounded and Saturday is a success.

What I’m Bringing

At Protospiel I had a plain white posterboard with sharpie outlines and only half the character illustrations were complete. For this showcase, I’ll have custom playmats featuring the finished Jōnin art, fully illustrated Shinobi cards, and all six completed territories. This will be the first time anyone really sees the game in its (near) final visual form.

Along with the prototype components, I’ll have email sign-up sheets, playtesting feedback forms, my business cards, and a table sign.

The 5-Minute Teach

My goal is to get my teach of the rules down to just 5 minutes. I only have 6 hours to run demos, so I need to make sure I’m not spending 45 minutes per game teaching the rules. I suspect I’ll start by taking longer than I’d like, and slowly whittle it down to 5 minutes as the day goes on. What I found helped the most at Protospiel was having reference cards nearby, so I could briefly touch a topic in the teach and then say, “You can check the reference card later if you have questions when you’re playing.” This usually curbed follow-up questions about the mechanics until players were ready to use them in game.

I also plan to teach the game backward. This was suggested by a playtester a couple of weeks ago and at first it sounds counter-intuitive, but I think it’s actually a great idea. Up to now I’ve been establishing the objective of the game, then going into all the steps that lead up to that, which is a natural method. What I intend to try this Saturday is establishing the objective, then explaining exactly how to accomplish it, and work backwards from there.

Here’s how it works: Instead of starting with ‘First, you draw cards,’ I’ll start with ‘You win by capturing their Hidden Village or defeating both Jōnin. How do you capture? Control the territory, then flip the village card. How do you control a territory? End the Combat Phase with a majority of units there. How do you do that? Play stronger Shinobi and roll Ki dice...’ and so on, working backward until we reach the Planning Phase. This way, every rule I introduce answers a question the player already has. I’m excited to see if it works.

What’s Being Tested

The core mechanics really held up at Protospiel, so at this point I’m less interested in testing those. Instead, what I’d like to focus on is the clan synergy across matchups. I want to confirm each clan has a clear identity in play. Does Sarutobi feel like a defensive counter-strike threat? Does Hattori feel like Tool control? And do the pairings create interesting dynamics, or do some combinations fall flat? Along with that I’ll be making sure the wording on the cards is clear and nothing feels off-balance. And of course, I want to make sure the rules are capable of clearing up any confusion.

What Success Looks Like

I know that no matter what happens this Saturday, I’m going to learn a lot, which is a win in and of itself. But if we’re talking about specific goals, I’d really like to meet these thresholds:

• 6-10 playtests run.

• 10-12 new email subscribers.

• 4-6 new members on the Hidden Village Discord server

To reach those goals, I’ve tried to set myself up for success. I’ve already talked about shortening the teach to fit in more playtests, but I also plan to cut any lengthy tests off at 60 minutes. It may be hard if we’re having fun, but I’ve found that I can start to see synergy by then, and again, I’m not testing whether the game works to the finish. Since I only have 6 hours, I think 6-10 tests is a solid target for the day.

I have the sign-up sheet for emails and the feedback form will have an email field as well, to make collecting those as frictionless as possible. I’ll also have a QR code on the business cards and the table sign, which let you sign up for the email on the Pick It Up Games website. Getting Discord users might prove a little more challenging, but between the feedback form and organic conversation, I’m hoping to get some new folks in the server. I’m currently at 27 email subscribers and 5 Discord members. Adding 10-12 emails would be a 40% growth in one day, and 4-6 Discord member doubles the server. Both results would be significant momentum heading into the next event (Kingston Independent Comic Expo in April).

Along with those quantitative goals, I have couple qualitative ones as well. I’ll be taking photos of the game in play and the playtesters as well (with permission). This will help me in future marketing efforts along with the playtester quotes I’ll be collecting via the feedback forms. And of course, seeing the cards in action and getting clear feedback on them will help improve the game immensely.

Come Play Hidden Village (and more!)

If you're in NYC on March 14th, come play! Tickets here (use code VILLAGE for 10% off). Can't make it? Follow [@pickitupgames] on Instagram for live updates, and join the email list to get the full recap next week.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

Fūma Sagami disarms with confidence and magnetism, drawing foes close before they realize the danger. Sagami leads her clan by example, mastering every weapon her students have specialized in. Her age is a testament to her prowess in battle, and her beauty is another weapon in her arsenal.

Sagami is fully aware of her allure and uses it strategically. She treats combat like a dance, toying with her opponents and unnerving them with her intimacy, and only strikes once she’s ready to end the fight. Many Fūma warriors see themselves as much her audience as her soldiers, entertained and unnerved in equal measure. Some still recall the night she slipped poison to an enemy general with a kiss, then walked out of his fortress before his body hit the floor.

“It’s not the weapon you should fear. It’s the woman holding it.” ~Fūma Sagami

The other clans admire her versatility as much as they fear it. Hattori Ayato once said of her, “She knows more weapons than I know tricks, and that’s saying something.”

Bringing Her to Life

With Sagami’s visual design, I needed to capture three things: her experience (she’s older than other Jōnin), her weaponized beauty, and her mastery of multiple weapons. I also knew red and grey would be the Fūma colors. Red for the blood they spill, grey for the deadly steel they wield.

There are aspects of the initial artwork for Fūma Sagami that I like: the scar on her face, her pose, and the fact that she’s wielding multiple weapons. But as much as I liked the pose, it wasn’t giving off the vibe of a woman willing to seduce to kill. You could sense she was a threat but it didn’t showcase her ability to draw you in for the kill. So, when I switched directions with the all the character art, I took that opportunity to redesign her completely. I kept the scar and the weapons (although I swapped out which ones), and attempted a more seductive pose.

The final art for Fūma Sagami is exactly what I was imagining for her. The fishnet, a common element of ninja art in pop culture, was the perfect way to imply her sex appeal, and ultimately provided another recurring element among all the Fūma clan along with the weapons and the red & grey color palette. Speaking of the palette, I think the color red does a lot of lifting to show both how seductive and dangerous she is. I wanted to differentiate her from the other Jōnin (Fujibayashi Sakura’s serenity and Kasai Sora’s manic energy) so I gave Sagami a solemn, focused expression that suggests calculation over emotion.

On the Battlefield

Fūma Sagami’s power was decided from the very first iteration of Hidden Village. I knew I was going to have a clan of weapons masters, and the Jōnin of that clan naturally would be a master of every weapon. But even if I knew what she’d do, putting it into words wasn’t as easy.

Initially her card had a wall of text describing all the weapons she could choose from and what they’d do, which was often taking the text directly from the cards who specialized in that weapon. It was way too much text, and because of space limitations, it only afforded her a handful of weapons, not all of them, which completely missed the mark. Then a playtester had a great suggestion that ended up being the solution. Instead of describing specific abilities, I should simply say she can replicate the ability of any ally Fūma unit. This not only opened up her array of abilities, it also made the text I was putting on her card much more manageable. Now, when you play Fūma Sagami, your opponents truly don’t know what to expect, earning her the trepidation of her enemies I always intended for her.

Player Tips

Fūma Sagami thrives later in the game, when more Fūma units have come into play. This is because of her ability to replicate Fūma abilities either in play or the discard pile. Against her, track which Fūma units have been played. If the Kusarigama Wielder is in the discard pile, assume Sagami can pull your Jōnin out of your Hidden Village. If the Giant Swordsman is in play, she can wipe your back line. She’s only limited by what her clan has shown you.

Want to shape Sagami’s story? The lore of Hidden Village is still being written, and I need your input. Join the Discord to help define each clan’s history, rivalries, and philosophies.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

So, let’s dive deep into which clans Fūma partner with best. This is the first big choice you’re going to make, and it’ll determine your playstyle for the rest of the game. I’ve broken the choices into 3 tiers, based on how I (as the designer) feel they synergize best. But through playing the game yourself, you may discover a pairing that works best for you!

Tier 1: Perfect Synergy

A great pairing to start with is the Fujibayashi clan. Their specialty in reserving Ki is valuable for an offensive clan like Fūma. Many Fūma units specialize in ranged strikes or expensive abilities that demand multiple successful Ki dice. With Fujibayashi’s reserved Ki, these high-stakes plays become reliable. Now, when the Master Archer attempts to Strike a unit in the back line to activate her ability, she doesn’t need to put herself in danger on the front line to make the attempt easier. With the Ki reserved by the Lotus Master, she can attempt the same strike with the same odds, but from a safer position in the back.

Another strong pairing is the Sarutobi clan, whose defensive counter-attack mechanics balance the Fūma’s aggression. When the Sarutobi Village is revealed, all Chūnin can counter-strike after acting. This turns the Fūma offense into a trap: the Katana Master chips an enemy Jōnin down to 2 HP, disengages, and finishes them with a counter-strike before they can retaliate. You hit hard, then punish anyone who tries to hit back.

Tier 2: Strong Choice

The Fūma’s aggressive playstyle naturally generates tools (defeated enemies drop them), which feeds perfectly into the Hattori’s tool-dependent abilities. So, when Fūma Sagami duplicates the power of the Master Archer, she can strike two opponents, potentially earning two tools. These tools can then be discarded by the Fan Wielder to shift a target out of their own Hidden Village, opening up for capture and your victory.

If you want all out aggression, the Taiku clan is a perfect fit. The Taiku Village ability allows all Chūnin to strike as a bonus action when they flip face-up. This means the already dangerous Fūma shinobi can attack their foes before they have a chance to respond, making them deadly. So, when the Giant Swordsman flips face-up, he can use his ability to wipe out a back line of enemies with low health, before they even had a chance to act. This combo rewards aggressive play. You’ll want to reveal your Taiku Village early to maximize the bonus strikes, accepting the risk of exposure in exchange for overwhelming offensive pressure.

Tier 3: Niche Pairing

The final clan you can pair with is the Kasai. The Kasai and Fūma both excel at high-damage strikes, creating a glass-cannon playstyle. However, Kasai’s risk-reward mechanics (friendly fire on failed rolls) don’t exactly synergize with Fūma’s high-cost abilities. You’re doubling down on risk without mitigation. This pairing works if you enjoy explosive, all-or-nothing gameplay, but it’s unforgiving.

Ultimately, the best Fūma partner depends on your playstyle. Do you want guaranteed reach (Fujibayashi), balanced aggression (Sarutobi), tool-fueled combos (Hattori), explosive pressure (Taiku), or high-risk devastation (Kasai)? Try them all and discover which resonates with you. And when you do, I’d love to hear which Fūma combo works best for you. Join the Discord to share your experiences, or grab the Print & Play and test them yourself.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

Fujibayashi Sakura is the grace of her clan. She always remains composed, even in chaos. Her students recall how she once halted a training exercise, eyes still closed, simply by raising her hand. ‘The tree does not rush,’ she said. ‘Neither should you.’ Sakura is very empathetic and is rarely angered, but if provoked, can be terrifying. She believes victory should be guided, not seized. Like water carving stone, patience and subtlety triumph over time.

She closes her eyes when speaking, as if listening inwardly. She trusts in the energy of nature around her, and instills this in the rest of her clan as well. She often calls her students plant metaphors like “sapling,” “petal,” and “root.” They find their leader’s presence to be both calming and bolstering, knowing she’ll carry them “like the river carries the leaf; never rushed, never faltering.”

"Roots grow in darkness, unseen. When the storm comes, only the rooted remain standing." ~Fujibayashi Sakura

The other clans know not to underestimate Fujibayashi Sakura. Fūma Sagami once said of her, “The most dangerous opponent is one who doesn’t need to kill you.”

Bringing Her to Life

That quiet power needed to translate into her visual design. Fujibayashi Sakura was one of my very first character designs for Hidden Village. She actually went through a few designs, but one thing that remained consistent was the imagery of cherry blossoms (Sakura, in Japanese). These were also pivotal in deciding the clan colors: green for plants and pink for cherry blossoms.

The initial artwork for Fujibayashi Sakura was a close up bust, which had cherry blossoms featured in her hair. I also tried to surround her with cherry blossoms using the sumi-e style. I’m proud of how this piece came out, but it didn’t fit with the ultimate art direction of the game, which called for more dynamic poses and leaned more toward the pop of action anime. However, what survived from this piece was the serenity of her face and of course, the cherry blossoms.

The final art for Fujibayashi Sakura shows her almost dancing, whipping cherry blossom petals around her. I believe it captures both her grace and power. In the final version, her eyes are open. This is a shift from the initial concept where they were closed. While the closed-eyes design emphasized her inner focus and confidence, opening them allowed for a more dynamic, engaging expression that better fit the action-oriented art style of the game. She still carries that same serene confidence, just with a sharper, more present awareness of the battlefield.

On the Battlefield

Creating the Jōnin in Hidden Village was a fun challenge, because it was really important to me to make sure the players felt like they are playing with the strongest characters in the battle when using them. And with a character like Sakura, who is both gentle, yet powerful, I needed to figure out how to make her stand out among her more aggressive peers.

I had a few thematic elements to tie in to her ability:

1. The Fujibayashi clan focuses on Ki themed abilities.

2. Sakura is all about bolstering her allies and less about destroying her enemies.

3. Her belief is that over time, nature will prevail.

With all that in mind, her ability was created: she allows her allies to reserve Ki, even if they succeeded on a Strike. In practice, this means when Sakura is on the field and an ally successfully strikes, you can bank that success for later instead of losing it, turning a good turn for one ally into a devastating turn for the next. It is a perfect fit for Sakura, because reserving on a successful strike is normally not allowed by the rules (making her power feel like a strong Jōnin ability), it focuses on her allies’ success, and it grants the player a resource now that will help them succeed later, tying into her core belief of victory over time.

Player Tips

Fujibayashi Sakura thrives in games where Ki accumulation pays off. Pair her with high-roll-requirement units (like Fūma ranged strikers or risky Kasai attackers) to turn their gambles into guarantees. Against her, prioritize early aggression, because if you let her build Ki reserves for three rounds, you’ve likely already lost. Fujibayashi Sakura may seem gentle, but like water shaping stone, her influence is relentless. Underestimate her at your peril.

Want to shape Sakura’s story? The lore of Hidden Village is still being written, and I need your input. Join the Discord to help define each clan’s history, rivalries, and philosophies.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

So, let’s dive deep into which clans Fujibayashi partner with best. This is the first big choice you’re going to make, and it’ll determine your playstyle for the rest of the game. I’ve broken the choices into 3 tiers, based on how I (as the designer) feel they synergize best. But through playing the game yourself, you may discover a pairing that works best for you!

Tier 1: Perfect Synergy

The first clan that comes to mind as a perfect pair is the Kasai clan. The Fujibayashi’s ability to reserve Ki is the perfect balance to the Kasai’s push-your-luck mechanic. Normally, Kasai units such as the Flame Master, the Explosives Expert, and Kasai Sora herself have the potential to harm ally units. This friendly fire is caused by poor rolls when executing strikes, so if the Explosive Expert fails a roll, he blows up his entire front line. But when paired with the Fujibayashi’s Bamboo Wielder, who reserves successful Ki dice when she strikes, you can completely eliminate the risk posed by the Kasai units. It’s always good when any shinobi’s strike succeeds, but Kasai units strike even harder, so a sure strike makes a big difference.

Another great pairing is the Fūma clan. Fūma units specialize in ranged strikes, which are rare among shinobi in the game. Ranged strikes can reach practically anywhere on the battlefield, but they’re not easy to pull off; the further your target, the more Ki you need to roll. That’s where the Fujibayashi come in. Just like with the Kasai clan, reserved Ki in this case will practically guarantee success, making Fūma units a threat anywhere on the field. This way, when the Fujibayashi’s Lotus Master reserves Ki after being struck by an opponent, that Ki can be put towards the Kusarigama Wielder’s next strike. This will basically guarantee he’ll be able to pull the enemy Jōnin out of their Hidden Village, freeing it up to be captured at the end of the round, winning the game!

Tier 2: Strong Choice

When the Fujibayashi reserve Ki, you can rest easy knowing you have that guaranteed success readily available. This safety net is similar to the Sarutobi clan’s defensive, counter-attack mechanic, which is why these two clans pair well together. With Ki reserved by Fujibayashi and Sarutobi units poised to counter-strike, you can plan your next moves and feel in control of the battle. Worried about your Hidden Village getting captured? Put the Earth Bender there to prevent involuntary movement. As soon as he acts, he’s disengaged and can now counter-attack when struck. And because you had Fujibayashi Sakura on the field, his strike earlier was able to reserve Ki, which means when he counter-strikes, you can be confident he’ll succeed.

The Fujibayashi clan focuses on reserving Ki, and while every clan can utilize Ki, the Taiku rely less on Ki than other clans since many of their abilities trigger on flips rather than rolls. But they still benefit from Fujibayashi support, especially through Taiku Miroku. His ability flips units face-down based on Ki spent, and with Fujibayashi reserving extra Ki, he can set up multiple combo triggers for the next turn.

Tier 3: Niche Pairing

The final clan you can pair with the Fujibayashi is the Hattori clan. The Hattori have many abilities that trigger based on Tool cards, not Ki. That is why this is a niche option, since the Ki earned by Fujibayashi isn’t setting up combos or guaranteeing killer moves. However, the Hattori clan needs to build up tools as the game progresses, and to do so, you need to outlast your opponent for a few rounds. This pairing works best if you enjoy slower, control-oriented gameplay, using Fujibayashi’s guaranteed strikes to survive early aggression while building the Hattori tool engine for a late-game payoff.

Ultimately, the best Fujibayashi partner depends on your playstyle. Do you want explosive aggression (Kasai), long-range control (Fūma), defensive patience (Sarutobi), or experimental combos (Taiku/Hattori)? Try them all and discover which resonates with you. And when you do, I’d love to hear which Fujibayashi combo works best for you. Join the Discord to share your experiences, or grab the Print & Play and test them yourself.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

The Taiku can chain together devastating combos through explosive speed and perfect timing, making even their lowest-ranking Genin a major threat. Through relentless martial training, they’ve honed their bodies to strike before opponents realize the danger. This lightning-fast precision inspired their clan colors: bright yellow ⚡ and electric blue 🔷, both associated with electricity.

“To the Taiku clan, the body is the purest weapon. Forged through relentless martial discipline, their techniques are fast, efficient, and devastating. With a focus on timing and impact, their warriors explode onto the battlefield with blinding speed, revealed only when it’s already too late. Calm in stillness, unstoppable in motion, the Taiku believe that one perfect strike is worth a thousand flawed ones.”

Clockwise, from the top left:

• The Open Fist – Overwhelms his surrounding enemies with a whirlwind of blows.

• Taiku Miroku (Jōnin) – Strikes hard, then prepares his followers to strike again.

• Sumo Sensei – Pushes his enemies back with force as he enters the battlefield.

• Tattoo Monk – Directs his neighboring allies to defend or strike again.

• Speed Demon – Shifts the flow of battle by initiating the first strike, guaranteed.

• Bloodmaster – Transfuses the damage she’s received onto her foes with macabre grace.

A Swift Surprise

The Taiku clan takes advantage of Hidden Village’s flipping mechanic, when shinobi are revealed on the battlefield. Their unique abilities trigger as they flip, disrupting their enemies’ flow before the battle ensues. Many of their abilities work in tandem, allowing you to set up your surprise attack round after round, as long as your enemy lets you pull it off. For example, Taiku Miroku strikes, then uses an extra Ki to flip the Sumo Sensei face-down. Later, the Tattoo Monk strikes and uses his ability to flip the Sumo Sensei face-up, triggering an ability to shift an enemy out of the territory. This not only clears the path for capture but can also disrupt your opponent’s entire defensive setup, all from a single well-timed flip.

The Taiku are incredibly satisfying to play because of their internal synergy; flipping into play to wreak havoc, then flipping again to avoid enemy attacks. It’s a strategy for higher level play, and when successful, makes for a satisfying round. You can pair them with the Sarutobi clan for maximum combo potential, chaining abilities to overwhelm opponents with speed. Or combine them with the Hattori clan for a toolbox strategy; use the Taiku’s speed to grab tools early, then leverage Hattori’s versatility with those tools later. The Taiku embody high-risk, high-reward gameplay. When you pull off their combos, you feel unstoppable. When you miss the timing, you’re exposed. That’s what makes them thrilling.

Now that all six clans have been revealed, which one’s your favorite? The Taiku hold a special place in my design process. Their internal synergy was so satisfying that it inspired me to revisit every other clan to create that same sense of cohesion. When you draw multiple Taiku cards in a hand, the possibilities explode. And when you pair them with the Taiku village, their ability to attack at the start of each Combat Phase creates relentless, devastating pressure.

You can get access to all six clans with the full Print & Play, exclusively available for email subscribers.

Want More Hidden Village?

• Subscribe to this blog for weekly updates like these clan spotlights.

• Follow [@pickitupgames] on Instagram for art drops.

• Subscribe to the email list for monthly updates with exclusive content.

• Join the Discord to talk strategy and playtesting.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

The Video Game Dream

I’ve been playing video games as long as I can remember. I have early memories of the Super Nintendo, loading up A Link to the Past and Illusion of Gaia. By high school, I had done a few school projects on my future career and I had always chosen Video Game Developer. I constantly have ideas floating around in my head and what better way to get them out than to follow in the footsteps of heroes like Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma and create games! When I started college, I took up Computer Programming as my major, and I was off. Or so I thought. But what quickly struck me was how much I don’t enjoy programming, in fact I wasn’t particularly good at it.

Even so, I wanted to keep my options open. I knew being a developer on a video game might be out of my scope, so I picked up a Japanese major, thinking localization could be my backup path. A year living in Tokyo deepened that interest, but as time went on, video game development, in any capacity, seemed less and less likely. But creating games doesn’t mean only creating video games, and this realization allowed me to keep my dream alive.

Finding My Tools

It took some time to come to terms with video game development being out of reach, but the truth is I’ve been playing all sorts of games my whole life: Hide and Seek, Tennis, Volleyball, Chess, and Monopoly, just to name a handful. But the game I’ve been playing longer than any others is Dungeons & Dragons. As a fan of the fantasy worlds of Zelda and Lord of the Rings, I was immediately drawn to my friend’s copy of the first edition of D&D at 11 years old. I couldn’t wait to cast spells like Gandalf and fire arrows like Link, and while I did, it was actually the other half of the game that appealed to me most: being a dungeon master.

Being a dungeon master gave me the creative outlet I craved for in video games, but in a more practical way. I didn’t enjoy programming, but I did love to draw dungeons, create puzzles, and write stories. I could roleplay and set up set-piece moments that resembled big-budget action movies, and I could do it all without needing a lick of code. Just my imagination and my friends around the table. And I soon realized this same feeling was possible in other tabletop games.

In college I had played a few board games outside of the standard Monopoly, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit. I owned Munchkin and Fluxx, and my friend had a copy of Gloom, but I really didn’t know how expansive the board game world was until I was invited to play a game of Fiasco. It was a great experience, but the real gift was being shown the Tabletop series (by Geek & Sundry) on YouTube, and their playthrough of Fiasco (which was our tutorial). From there, I watched every game they played and a whole world opened up to me. I got hooked on the hobby with gateway games like Ticket to Ride and Catan, and my collection started growing. I started to see the possibilities that all tabletop games could present to a creative like me. I started to wonder if maybe this was the way I could achieve my dream.

The Sports Game Experiments

I started with sports. Designing a game around sports has its benefits; most people are aware of the rules of the game, so that’s a layer of design you don’t even have to worry about. I attempted to make a tennis-themed game, but it turned out to be pretty swingy and kind of dull, but I kept that feedback in mind as I designed a football-themed game called Pick Six. I made sure players felt like they had agency but kept the experience from feeling like a simulation. Some friends of mine started to help me playtest, and we all really enjoyed playing. This was my first taste of validation, but what started as a benefit became a drawback. I noticed how much I was being held back creatively by the fact that football has existing rules. Not to mention, sports isn’t an easily marketable theme.

The Basilisk Spark

The validation of Pick Six and the challenge of designing a game that gave me creative freedom had me thinking about more design ideas. As a matter of fact, Hidden Village was my next idea. It spawned from the idea of turning the concept of Basilisk into a game; two rival shinobi clans seeking to destroy the other. I couldn’t stop brainstorming ideas for this new game. Shinobi weren’t just thematically appealing (though as a Japanese degree holder and Naruto superfan, they absolutely were). The theme unlocked mechanics I was excited to explore: face-down cards as stealth, dice as unpredictable techniques, hidden villages as deduction puzzles. The mechanics and theme fed each other in ways the sports games never did.

Pick Six taught me an important lesson: I was trying to force board game rules onto an existing sport, and those established rules kept holding the design back. With Hidden Village, I had total creative control. No one could tell me ‘that’s not how ninjas work’ the way they could with football. Plus, let’s be honest, shinobi battles are way more marketable than sports simulators.

Designing With Constraints

That said, I did still have constraints. I knew it wouldn’t be practical to create a sprawling game design for one of my earliest games, so I tried to limit the cards to just 52 poker cards (although it did expand plenty from there). I also had a small number of playtesters available, so it was practical to limit the game to two players (which was also the limit in the sports games). The added benefit of two player games is that fewer players makes it easier to balance. The theme also lent itself well to two players: Basilisk is about clan-vs-clan warfare.

I first playtested Hidden Village in late 2021, and it was instantly a game we wanted to keep bringing to the table. It was rough around the edges, but the bones were there, and for the last several years I’ve been refining and expanding the mechanics, theme, and components. The best part of the last few years hasn’t been designing the game, it’s been watching people play my creation. The creative control I gained by breaking from sports themes, combined with the constraints of my limited resources and my passion for Japan, culminated in an experience that not only I enjoy, but others do as well!

Dreams Can Come True

I’m finally within reach of my childhood dream. Hidden Village is close to getting ready for crowdfunding. It might only be a prototype, but the game itself is playable and a lot of fun. It started as a small idea but it became something bigger; proof that I could create the kind of experience I’d dreamed about as a kid. Just with cardboard instead of code, and maybe even better for it. Because when I sit across from someone playing Hidden Village, I get to experience their human emotions in real time. Emotions I helped evoke through my game design. What a thrill!

If you want to help me make this dream come true, you can playtest Hidden Village by getting the free Print & Play demo or via Screentop.gg. If you do play the game, please head to the Hidden Village Discord to share your feedback or schedule a playtest. Or if you’d prefer, you can use the Playtesting Feedback Form.

Starting on Equal Footing

Despite the clan variety, Hidden Village maintains three core symmetrical elements that ensure fairness:

1. The Win Conditions - Either capture your opponent’s Hidden Village or defeat both of their Jōnin in battle.

2. The Core Mechanics - Both players follow the same rules to play, move, and strike opponents.

3. The Turn Structure - Each player follows the same process of alternating turns in the Planning, Combat, and Capture phases.

At its core, these symmetrical aspects of Hidden Village are much like chess, which is almost perfectly symmetrical. Both players start on equal footing, and have the same opportunities ahead of them. But unlike chess, where both sides wield identical pieces, Hidden Village gives each player a different toolkit, and that’s where the real strategy begins.

Where the Asymmetry Lives

This is where things get interesting. Each player selects two clans at the beginning of the game, and those choices shape everything: how pressure is applied (like speed, reach, patience), where power concentrates (like front line, Ki economy, tools), and how those two identities combine into something entirely new.

Let me show you what I mean with a specific combination. Let’s take the Fujibayashi clan. Their power lies in controlling Ki reserves and guaranteeing future strikes. This already makes them unique to the other 5 clans, but when you combine them with the Kasai clan, you have a whole new identity. The Kasai rely on high risk to reach great rewards. So when they have the stable flow of Ki provided by the Fujibayashi, you now have a force that can deal a lot of damage, with almost no risk.

What Balance Means in Hidden Village

So what does this mean? First, let’s clarify that balancing does not mean equality in stats. Players won’t have equal speed, or equal damage, or equal efficiency. What is balanced is the experience. Every clan has a moment to shine, every strategy has a counter, and no combination dominates across all matchups. A patient clan should feel powerful when the game slows down. An aggressive clan should feel terrifying early. Balance is making sure both experiences are real, viable, and answerable.

The real challenge is tuning the fifteen possible clan combinations. That’s fifteen unique relationships, each needing to feel fair without feeling identical. This is where playtesting matters more than spreadsheets. It’s through seeing cards interact that I spot what feels right and what’s simply broken.

For example, the Sarutobi clan was recently overhauled, not because they were statistically weak, but because their abilities weren’t synergizing in satisfying ways. The challenge wasn’t just making them viable; it was ensuring that playing a defensive clan felt rewarding for the defender without making the experience frustrating for the attacker. That’s the kind of balance you can’t see in a spreadsheet. And that kind of balance never stops evolving.

Balance is a Moving Target

Balance is ongoing, and as Hidden Village continues to go through playtesting, we’re going to discover new strategies. Even beyond playtesting, when the few playtesters become the hundreds (and with any luck, thousands) of backers, even more strategies and unexpected combinations will emerge. My job as the game designer isn’t to “solve” the game, it’s to support it. I have to ensure that the game meets or exceeds the expectations of the players, whether they try new strategies that fail or discover combinations that totally dominate.

Of course, finding that balance takes constant iteration. Take Kasai Sora, the Kasai clan's Jōnin. She's the only Jōnin in the game with ranged attacks, meaning she can strike the hardest from the furthest distance. It’s a massive advantage. Conceptually, this is balanced by high risk: her abilities can damage herself. But during playtesting, she proved too dominant despite that risk. After nerfs, she now feels powerful without being oppressive, but I'm still watching her closely. That's the nature of balancing asymmetry. Sometimes the theoretical risk doesn't match the actual play experience.

And you can help me create a well-balanced game right now. You can playtest Hidden Village by getting the free Print & Play demo or via Screentop.gg. If you do play the game, please head to the Hidden Village Discord to share your feedback or schedule a playtest. Or if you’d prefer, you can use the Playtesting Feedback Form.

The Sarutobi present a counter-attack defense and mechanics that are as tricky as their monkey-like appearance suggests. The shinobi of the Sarutobi clan use the snow and earth of their home in the mountains, and they resemble the Japanese macaques who also reside there. Drawing inspiration from the resilient Japanese macaques that thrive in these harsh conditions, the Sarutobi embody adaptability and clever defense. The clan’s colors are the pink of the macaque’s face 🐵 and grey of the frozen mountains 🏔️.

“Hidden in the high peaks and veiled in mountain mists, the Sarutobi clan embodies calm precision and spiritual patience. With the strength of stone and the grace of snow, they specialize in elusive movement and untouchable defense. They may not attack first, but they always strike last.”

Clockwise, from the top left:

• Snow Maiden – Shrouds her enemies’ attacks with a blizzard to lower their accuracy.

• Sarutobi Sasuke (Jōnin) – Manipulates the flow of battle, turning defensive positions into devastating counterattacks.

• Summit Guardian – Rouses his allies back into the fight from his mountain perch.

• Boulder Basher – Shields her allies from attacks until she decides the time is right.

• Frost Warrior – Freezes her opponents, preventing them from acting.

• Earth Bender – Holds ground, not allowing his allies to be moved around the battlefield against their will.

Monkey Business

The Sarutobi clan’s abilities are designed to encourage counter-attacks. The Sarutobi excel at defensive positioning. Their units threaten devastating counter-strikes that punish aggressive opponents. With abilities like the Summit Guardian’s and Sarutobi Sasuke’s, they can shift from defense to offense mid-battle, catching enemies off-guard.

The Sarutobi clan was one of the most popular choices when playtesting, due to their monkey-like appearance and tricky gameplay. Their defensive abilities make them forgiving for new players while offering strategic depth for veterans. You can pair them with the Fujibayashi clan, who specialize in reserving Ki Dice, to ensure you have security in offense and defense. An exciting choice is to combine them with the explosive Kasai clan; fire and ice working together to offer a luck-based attack on a solid-ground defense.

Of course, each Sarutobi shinobi brings something unique to the battlefield. Which one speaks to you? It’s hard not to love Sarutobi Sasuke himself, with his design based on the legendary trickster Monkey King, Sun Wukong. In play, I favor the Boulder Basher, for her airtight defense, letting you dictate the pace of the battle. Let me know your favorite in the comments or over on Instagram! And get ready for the final clan reveal of the Taiku in a few weeks!

Want More Hidden Village?

• Subscribe to this blog for weekly updates like these clan spotlights.

• Follow [@pickitupgames] on Instagram for art drops.

• Subscribe to the email list for monthly updates with exclusive content.

• Join the Discord to talk strategy and playtesting.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

Q1: Finishing the Prototype

The core game mechanics are sound, so now I’ve got to flesh out everything that gets built around that skeleton. All the character and tool art is complete, so next up are the territory and Hidden Village illustrations. I’m really excited about their progress so far, and here’s a look at the Forest and Mountain artwork, featured in the Print & Play versions of the game:

Brush strokes are a recurring aspect of design in Hidden Village, so I went for an impressionist feel for the territories. And of course, it pops with color like the rest of the game’s art.

I also want to feature the art more in the rules, which is my next big project. I currently have all the rules written up and available to read here, but I’ve got to format it so that they flow clearly and lead to as little confusion as possible. This is one of the first things people look at, so it’s important it gets them excited to play.

And speaking of playing, I need to playtest as much as possible to make sure the cards and abilities are all balanced and there aren’t any game-breaking scenarios or ridiculous edge cases. That’s where you come in! Head over to the Hidden Village Discord if you’re interested in playtesting. The game is available in Print & Play format and online via Screentop.gg. Any help at all is appreciated.

Q2: Public-Facing Content

Once the prototype is in a good place, the focus is going to be on getting the game in front of as many faces as possible. I’m currently on Instagram promoting the game, capturing my design process, and building a community. That’s been very rewarding, but I’d love to get out there in person, too. I’ve got one convention booked so far, Kingston Independent Comic Expo on April 18. I’m excited to get the game in front of more faces and practice running a demo, especially for a crowd that isn’t strictly board gamers. I’ve got some more conventions planned, including board game-specific ones, so stay tuned.

I’ll also be working on How To Play and Overview videos, which will be great for social media and the crowdfunding campaign in October. This should give me plenty of time to fine-tune the videos before the campaign with all your feedback.

Q3: Pre-Launch Push

Leading up to the crowdfunding campaign, I’ll really start ramping up the push for product awareness. There are so many fun reviewers that I follow along with, but I’ll only have so many prototypes to share, so I’m still narrowing down my reviewer list. If you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments!

This is the time I’m going to narrow down which crowdfunding platform I’m going with. Based on recent updates to Kickstarter (specifically a built-in pledge manager being added), it has become my current top choice. Then I’ve got to put all my design skills to use to build out a mouth-wateringly good campaign page.

Q4: Hidden Village Launches!

And of course in October, the plan is to launch the crowdfunding campaign! The goal isn’t millions of copies (though I wouldn’t complain), but enough to bring Hidden Village to life for everyone who’s been following along.

One thing is certain: I’ve already learned so much in this process, from honing my art skills to building a community from scratch. I reflected on many things in last week’s end-of-year post, but one thing I’ve learned is that the process of designing and promoting a game is a game in and of itself.

The rest of 2026 is going to teach me even more: about running a campaign, working with manufacturers, and turning years of passion into a real product you can hold in your hands. I’m especially looking forward to going on this adventure with all of you, not on my own! Thank you for being part of this journey.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

Crafting A Plan

I set out to create a plan from where my prototype currently stood to published and everything in between. Very ambitious, so of course I made a plan to make a plan! I decided to focus on finishing a prototype first, before moving on to the next phase. In April, I had mapped out an outline that brought me through June 2026, where I’d have a “finished” prototype. There were 3 big areas I planned to focus: Art, playtesting, and promotion.

As both designer and artist with full creative control, I dove straight into the visuals: 42 characters, 17 tools, 12 territories, and 6 Hidden Villages, plus all the graphic design.

Along with the art, I needed to focus on playtesting and expand it beyond, well, just me! I reached out to my friends and started scheduling dates we could play, using Screentop.gg (where you can find a playable version of Hidden Village right now!). I also looked into conventions like Unpub and Protospiel, and communities like Break My Game. I wanted to get this in front of as many people as possible, and keep iterating until I was sure I had a working “final” prototype.

Finally, I set up a plan for promoting the game. I knew my art was going to be the right quality to promote the game on social media, and I was confident in my writing skills for posting on Substack and via an email subscription. I also had the graphic and web design chops to build a website for Pick It Up Games. All these things were coming together to get the ball rolling on building a real, organic community around Hidden Village.

The State of the Game

Now that 2025 is wrapped up, where do we stand? Right now, all the shinobi are illustrated, Hidden Village is fully playable on Screentop.gg, there’s a Print and Play demo available, and the core game itself has been fun to play during every playtest. Of course, no good plan goes unchanged. Almost everything I planned to do was adjusted, cut, or swapped around to fit my daily needs or sudden findings. That can be stressful, but I like to approach it like a game; I readjust my strategy and see where the next card I draw will take me.

For the art, I had given myself both too much work to do and not enough time. Fortunately, through playtesting, I cut some content and now had a reasonable 37 characters to draw, which are all complete! (Check out my Instagram to see the final art and illustration process for those characters) I also reduced down to 11 tools and 6 territories to illustrate, of which I’ve got 7 tools and 4 territories left. I outlined my approach to Hidden Village’s visual identity in a previous post, and the journey was amazing.

I drastically improved my art skills, especially using my Wacom tablet, and each time I finished a clan, I was motivated to start the next one. Now I’m learning new skills as I illustrate landscapes for the territories and villages, and as long as I’m learning something, none of the work for Hidden Village is going to waste,

As for playtesting, I ran a handful of extremely valuable tests with close friends via Screentop.gg for a couple months (Thank you guys!). In those weeks, I whittled away a lot of fat. (I outlined this process in a previous post about the art of subtraction in design).

I had a solid core game, and I was happy to bring it to Protospiel Rochester in September. This was the first time strangers played the game, and it was a fantastic experience! It felt good to see other people enjoying the game and trying out strategies and clans that I wouldn’t otherwise try. Everyone was also really digging the artwork, which is always wonderful for an artist to hear. Aside from one major change to remove traps, most all of the changes to the game were subtle. The biggest surprise was how challenging it was explaining the rules. As the weekend went on I started to see what people were understanding inherently and what needed to be explained, and I was able to teach the game more efficiently each playthrough. I made great contacts, got some new subscribers for the email, and I made a ton of updates to the rulebook after the event. Since September, my focus was on launching a print and play version of the game (which launched this month!), and now I’m actively looking for playtesters, so please let me know if you want to be a part of our Hidden Village.

Promoting has been going well, so far. I launched my Instagram in November, and have been posting here on Substack each week since October. Originally, I had planned on using every possible social media platform, curating content designed to work best on each one. However, I was reined in by sounder minds (my wife), and now I’m focusing on consistent content and participation on Instagram, BGG, Discord and Substack. This has been a lot of work as it is, so I can’t imagine what it’d be like if I had stuck to my original plan (yikes!).

Sticking to the Plan?

Speaking of which, I spent weeks putting my plan together for Hidden Village. I read a ton of Jamey Stegmaier’s blog posts and listened to a lot of the Board Game Design Lab podcast. I pivoted when I needed to and added more to the list to fill in blind spots. But upon reflection, what I’ve come to realize is that I don’t need to stick to the list so rigidly. As a matter of fact, I only check on it every now and then, just to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything hugely important. I use it as a safety net, because the more work I put into this whole operation of being a game designer, the more it becomes second nature to know what to do next.

I couldn’t have made it to this point without having started the list. I was overwhelmed thinking about all the moving parts and aspects to running my own business while designing a game and creating the art and graphics. The plan kept me calm, it motivated me, and it allowed me to focus on what was most important. From there, the joy of adapting to the unknown and solving problems reminded me of the process for designing a game itself. You have to have a plan, put the words down on paper, but once that’s done, you need to fail fast. Trying to follow the plan and failing was the best way for me to figure out what I actually needed to plan.

And what I actually need right now is more playtesters, so if you’re interested, let me know in the comments!

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

That wedding morning made me realize the power of hidden information, which later influenced my design choices. Deduction is one of my favorite game mechanics, which is why it found its way into Hidden Village, where it fits perfectly given the ninja theme. I wanted players to feel as though they were shinobi in the night, striking down their foes from the shadows. In this post, I’ll break down how I reached that feeling through a few mechanics that take advantage of hidden choices.

Hiding Your Hand

A hidden hand is probably the most prolific mechanic in games, especially ones involving deduction and bluffing. Imagine a game of Texas hold ‘em, and you’re holding a Jack of Diamonds and a 2 of Clubs. The cards face-up on table are adding nothing to your hand, but you’re reading the room. Everyone else is folding or checking. But it’s your turn now and despite your cards, you raise the stakes: now people think you’re sitting on a couple Queens to make a four of a kind. They may never see what you’ve got and their gonna sweat their next decision. That tension of hoping for the best and preparing for the worst is exactly what stems from not showing anyone what’s in your hand.

Now imagine you’re looking at your hand of shinobi in Hidden Village. You see you can play the Master Archer to target your opponent’s Jōnin at the Forest, but you can’t be sure what your opponent has planned. Maybe their Tornado Master is coming out to blow you into the Hot Springs. So now you’ve got to consider playing the Earth Bender to prevent involuntary movement. But is that going to make it easier or harder to defeat their Jōnin? These are just a few thoughts that might cross your mind as you analyze your hands, trying to deduce which play is the most likely to get you to victory.

Playing Hidden Cards

In Hidden Village, when you play shinobi cards, you play them face-down, as if they were sneaking into the territory in the dark of night. However, even though you’ve played face-down, there’s a lot of information for your opponent to deduce from the placement alone:

1. Are you defending this territory or attacking it? They won’t know until you flip the card.

2. Are you playing here to make them think it’s important you control this territory or because you want to lead them away from your Hidden Village? Since they don’t know, they might play a weaker Genin card in the territory you’re trying to capture for yourself.

3. Did you play to the Back Line because that shinobi has a ranged attack, or do you expect your Front Line unit to be defeated and want to have two melee strikes available? This might make your opponent question which card they play in the same territory.

All of this tension can stem from playing one card, and you can play up to three before the Combat Phase.

Finding the Hidden Village

If you play your cards right and pay attention to how your opponent is playing theirs, you can start to piece together why they’re making certain decisions. There are three possible locations for their Hidden Village, one of which is your own, so you can rule that out. But if you notice they’re loading one territory up with defensive cards, perhaps that’s their secret Hidden Village location. Of course, for an experienced player, that could simply be a bluff to throw you off their trail.

After all, the game rewards you more for capturing your opponent’s village than for defending your own — it’s the victory condition! Imagine watching your opponent fall for your bluff and pour all their resources into your heavily defended territory: they’re convinced they’ve got you found out. They finally capture the territory, they’re looking completely satisfied, only they discover it’s not the location of your village: they’re in shock. And all that time that they’ve been focusing on a standard territory, you’ve been setting yourself up to capture the other two territories in one turn, guaranteeing you reveal their hidden village: their confidence shatters. That’s the kind of deception it takes to lead a clan of shinobi.

That’s why, after dozens upon dozens of playtests, I still find myself surprised by the cards that flip face-up across from me. Suddenly the plan I had considered enacting this round has to pivot, in consideration of the tactics my opponent is now bringing to the table. That feeling of ninjas moving in the shadows is perfectly encapsulated in this moment of surprise.

Want more Hidden Village?

• Subscribe to this blog for weekly updates like these dev diaries.

• Follow [@pickitupgames] on Instagram for art drops.

• Subscribe to the email list for the exclusive Print & Play with all 6 clans.

• Join the Discord to talk strategy and playtesting.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

The first Print & Play demo of Hidden Village is available to download for free! I’ve been developing and playtesting Hidden Village locally for years, so this is a really exciting chance to bring the game to the rest of the world. Now you too can enjoy this action-packed shinobi lane battler, at no cost. And you can be a part of this journey through your playtesting feedback.

Download Now

What’s in the Demo?

The Hidden Village Print & Play demo includes everything you need to go head-to-head in a tactical battle with your friends. These files include 4 clans:

• Fujibayashi: Reserve Ki and practically guarantee success for your allies.

• Fūma: Reach enemies across the board, ensuring nowhere is safe to hide.

• Kasai: Press your luck with risky yet explosive combos.

• Sarutobi: Stifle your rivals with a solid defense and tricky positioning.

Here’s everything that’s in each file:

• 40 Shinobi Cards (1 Jōnin + 5 Chūnin for each clan (24 cards), and 16 total Genin)

• 15 Tool Cards

• 3 Seal of Secrecy Cards

• 4 Reference Cards (2 double-sided cards for each player)

• 4 Territory Cards

• 4 Hidden Village Cards

• 1 Demo Mat to set up Territories

• 1 Sheet of Tokens (30 Damage Tokens and 1 First Strike Token)

• 1 Template for Custom Dice Stickers for 8 d6 (48 Stickers)

Don’t want to make custom dice? No problem. The demo includes a conversion chart so you can use any d6 you already own (1-2 = X, 3-6 = Ki).

You’ll also find the rulebook, which can be printed alongside the Print & Play or referenced on your device.

How Do I Play?

If you refer to the rulebook you’ll get a full run-through, but here are some hot tips:

1. Mix and match the clans to see which combination works best for you. With 4 clans at your disposal, you have three possible matchups:

   1. Fujibayashi + Fūma VS Kasai + Sarutobi

   2. Fujibayashi + Kasai VS Fūma + Sarutobi

   3. Fujibayashi + Sarutobi VS Fūma + Kasai

2. Change which Hidden Village you use. Each of the 4 clans includes a Hidden Village card with a unique ability. When you combine two clans, you choose which village to play with. Experiment to find your favorite! You might find you favor the Fujibayashi village more than Kasai when you combine these two clans.

3. Try allowing your Hidden Village to get revealed early. It may feel counter-intuitive, but you’ll gain your second Jōnin and access to your Hidden Village’s abilities early in the game, both of which are very powerful. But keep in mind, your opponent now knows where to attack, so you’ll need to defend it carefully. Try it out and see if it’s a strategy that works for you.

How Do I Give Feedback?

I want all your feedback, so I’ve created a Print & Playtest Feedback Form. It’s fairly simple, with only a handful of questions, so if you play Hidden Village, please fill out the form. You can also email me directly (chris@pickitupgames) if forms aren’t your thing. Feel free to also jump onto the Hidden Village Discord server, where a community of Hidden Villagers will welcome your feedback! Whatever way you’re comfortable with, please send me your feedback, because it’s the most valuable information I could get. You’re an extremely important part of this design process!

What About the Other Two Clans?

My main goal for Hidden Village is about having as many people play and enjoy the game as possible. To that end, I’m happy to release a free Print & Play that gives you the full experience of the core game, since the game only requires four clans to play. The 4 clans included in this demo are great for players just getting started.

The Hattori and Taiku clans have a lot to offer, but are a bit more challenging to master, so I’ve excluded them from the demo. However, they’re included in the full Print and Play, which is exclusively available to all email subscribers.

Get All 6 Clans Today!

Download Now

In case you missed it, here’s a link to download the Print & Play demo of Hidden Village.

Download Now

If you find this demo fun, be sure to join the Hidden Village Discord server and be a part of a core community. And of course, please spread the word! The best way to help Hidden Village succeed in next year’s crowdfunding campaign is to share it with your gaming friends.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

If you love taking big risks for big payoffs, then the Kasai clan was made for you. They’re explosive and passionate about taking any chance, no matter the odds. The shinobi of the Kasai clan wield wind and fire to set their opponent’s ablaze, which is why their aesthetic showcases the red and orange of their flames🔥🔥.

To face the Kasai is to face the edge of control itself.

“The Kasai clan are warriors of chaos and brilliance, living for the thrill of risk and the beauty of destruction. Masters of flame and wind, they move like wildfire: unpredictable, unrelenting, and unapologetically bold. For them, battle is not just survival; it’s exhilaration.

Every spark is a gamble, and every explosion is a masterpiece. The victory matters less than how it’s achieved. It should always be spectacular.”

Clockwise, from the top left:

• Explosives Expert – Gambles on bombing the opposition’s entire front line or having it backfire on his allies.

• Kasai Sora (Jōnin) – Whips flames across the battlefield against unsuspecting foes, at the risk of burning herself.

• Tornado Master – Risks flying off the battlefield to reposition her enemies.

• Wind Wielder – Fans the flames of his allies, increasing both risk and reward.

• Smokebender – Obscures the field for his foes while boosting his allies’ attacks.

• Flame Master – Attempts to avoid her own flames as she sends a conflagration across the battlefield.

Playing With Fire

The Kasai clan’s abilities are designed to press your luck. Strikes in Hidden Village play out with Ki Dice, with the chance to either succeed or fail. For most clans, success is a good result and failure simply means missing out on the attack. However, for the Kasai clan, success is often explosively great and failure usually results in friendly fire. Even when given Advantage (the ability to roll an extra Ki Die on a strike) with the Smokebender or Wind Wielder’s abilities, you simply increase your chances of inflicting damage to either side of the field.

The Kasai are popular choices for players who love rolling the dice to let fate determine the victor. Fortunately, there are some tactics you can use to mitigate the risk and still have big-time success. You can utilize weapon tool cards for some standard attacks if you need to pump the brakes on the riskier ones. You can also pair them with the Fujibayashi clan, who specialize in reserving Ki Dice for guaranteed successful rolls, just as you need them. Another popular choice in playtesting has been combining them with the cool and defensive Sarutobi clan; a fun choice thematically (fire and ice) and mechanically (offense and defense).

Which Kasai shinobi speaks to you? I have a special place for the Flame Master, since she was the first character illustration I finished. I’m also a fan of the Explosive Expert’s risky attack, where even if you fail, a story is told. Drop a comment with your favorite, or tell me which clan you want to see next between the mountainous Sarutobi or the lightning-fast Taiku.

Want More Hidden Village?

• Subscribe to this blog for weekly updates like these clan spotlights.

• Follow [@pickitupgames] on Instagram for art drops.

• Subscribe to the email list for monthly updates with exclusive content.

• Join the Discord to talk strategy and playtesting.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.

What is a Lane Battler?

If you picture yourself sitting across from another player, with your cards facing you and your opponents’ facing them, that’s the basic setup of most dueling games. A lane battler adds some columns to the mix, so that there are a few locations each card lives, instead of just “my side’ and “your side.” Imagine a grid of columns and rows. Each column would be a lane (in Hidden Village, these are called Territories), and cards would be played in each lane in the rows above or below (in Hidden Village, these rows are called Lines). In each lane, small battles occur, with the results of those battles affecting the playing field as a whole. Think of it like theaters of war, where battles are occurring simultaneously in different regions. In some cases (like in Hidden Village), the cards in each lane can interact with cards in other lanes. Victory in individual lanes usually has a positive contribution towards a global win condition, but remember; winning the battle doesn’t mean you’ve won the war.

One such example of a lane battler is Radlands. In Radlands, each lane is the location of a camp for your tribes of post-apocalyptic punks. The goal is to destroy your opponents camps which are protected by lines of these punks. In Hidden Village, the lanes serve as the secret location of your Hidden Village, and they’re represented as Territories, geographic regions inspired by typical locations you'd find in Japan: Forest, Mountain, Cemetery, Beach, River, and Hot Springs. Each match, your goal is try to find and then capture your opponent’s Hidden Village by battling in these Territories.

Three is the Magic Number

As I mentioned in a previous post, The Art of Subtraction: Designing Hidden Village, the first iteration of Hidden Village had five lanes of Territories. At the time, I equated a large quantity of options with strategic depth, but there were three aspects I failed to consider that were hindering the gameplay:

1. There was too much information to track. Between Territory abilities and several columns of shinobi abilities, you couldn’t read and remember what every card could do.

2. It took too long to find your opponent’s Hidden Village. You could spend dozens of minutes, or in some cases hours, whittling down possible territories before finding the right one.

3. Shinobi abilities were being spread too thin. Placing a shinobi on one end of a five lane field meant they likely wouldn’t ever affect the other side of the board, ironically taking away the intended goal of added strategic depth.

I came up with the five lane mechanic before having played other lane battlers, so I was somewhat ignorant to these detriments. However, in an effort to improve my game (and a never-ending quest to play more board games), I tried a few other games with similar mechanics. The two that stood out: For Glory and Radlands.

My biggest concern was that Hidden Village would lose the deduction aspect of finding the Hidden Village, but upon playtesting that became a non-issue. Deceiving your opponent about your village’s location was just as satisfying and the hunt was still a meaningful aspect of the game. Playtesting with three Territories made all the challenges listed above clear to me, and it changed the game in other positive ways:

1. Territory abilities became a bigger focus. Fewer Territories means you’re always competing for their abilities, and choosing which Territory to focus on becomes a strategic decision. Is it worth having advantage in your attacks if it means leaving your Hidden Village vulnerable?

2. The story of the game got more exciting. One of the most exciting moments of the game is finding a Hidden Village. It completely shifts the momentum of the game for both players; one player getting one step closer to winning and the other gains the abilities of their village to offset its discovery. Reducing the time to find the Hidden Village keeps players invested in the game.

3. Positioning became more important to strategy. With less space on the board, you can only play so many cards onto the field. Do you play the shinobi that has an ability you could use to win, even if it’s risky? Or do you play another that lets you build up the Ki you need to pull of that win? And can you protect them long enough with the shinobi already on the field?

Putting it All Together for Strategic Depth

In Hidden Village, the board is laid out like a grid. The three columns are lanes (known as Territories) and the two rows are lines: the Front Line and the Back Line. Many shinobi can only strike if they’re in the Front Line of their Territory, but in each deck you’ll find shinobi that can strike adjacent Territories or from the Back Line. This grid system creates positional choices. Take the Maple Master, who can strike from the Back Line, which is a safer but more difficult attack than a point blank strike. But not all clans rely on positioning the same way. The Hattori clan’s Fan Wielder can move enemies around the board, upsetting your opponent’s strategy.

Some clans change how positioning matters entirely, like the Fūma. The Fūma clan’s long-range weapons let them strike the Back Line or even adjacent Territories, which means hiding in the back isn’t safe anymore. This forces opponents to consider: do I position defensively (knowing Fūma can reach me anyway), or aggressively (to pressure them before they set up)?

And of course, each Territory has an ability that makes it worth capturing. By default, each Territory is neutral and their effects are granted to both players. However, when a player captures a Territory, they get exclusive access to the ability. So, choosing which Territory to prioritize creates strategic depth. You might want the Cemetery’s ability to draw from your discard pile, but you need to defend your Hidden Village. Or maybe you risk losing your village for the chance to capture your opponent’s. Every lane battle becomes a tactical decision, not just a random clash.

Want to Experience These Mechanics Firsthand?

I’m looking for playtesters, so if you’re interested, let me know in the comments! If you’re interested in playing on your own (still reach out to me), you can find an online demo of the game on Screentop.gg, and the rules here. The Print & Play demo drops this month, so be sure to subscribe to this blog and the email list so you don’t miss that announcement. And if you just want to see the art, you can find me on Instagram.

Command your clan, outsmart rivals, tell your story.
The Hidden Village awaits.