Our Journey with FSC
When we were tasked with bringing this project to life, our team instantly knew we wanted to steer clear of digital screens and create something purely analog. In a world that leans so heavily into virtual training, we believed that true engagement with a topic this vital required people to sit across from one another, look each other in the eye, and physically interact with the elements of a forest.
Our goal wasn't just to educate; it was to build an immersive, richly illustrated world where learning felt like genuine play. We went to great lengths to ensure that every single segment of this project was treated with deep care and intentionality, starting with the philosophy of "walking the talk."
Because we were designing for the global pioneers of forest stewardship, the production itself had to embody the very standards we were teaching. We spent months obsessing over the details, partnering with a print shop in Paris to source exclusively eco-friendly papers and cartons, and collaborating with artisans to craft custom wooden forest figures dyed with natural, plant-based paints. Even our approach to capturing the journey was deliberate. We bypassed staged corporate photos in favor of a lifestyle photographer who could catch the raw, unposed energy of human connection.
The ultimate validation of this creative journey came on playtest day, when we put the game into the hands of 60+ FSC employees. Watching some of the organization’s most knowledgeable, longest-serving veterans, the people with the most critical eyes for these standards, nod their heads in approval, debate the scenarios, and immediately ask how they could get a copy to take home was the most rewarding sign that our concept had landed.
Seeing our design thinking translate into genuine, high-energy connections across ten simultaneous games proved that when you design with purpose, people instinctively lean in.
