When a new board game designer steps into the spotlight, it rarely happens in a straight line. It’s usually a messier journey—equal parts curiosity, half-formed ideas, accidental discoveries, and occasional compromises. That’s exactly the picture painted by the team behind Under the Leaves in their designer diary for BoardGameGeek News.
What they reveal is more than just the tale of one game coming to life. It’s a wider look at a design philosophy that seems to haunt every creative pursuit: when does “less is more” truly give us elegance, and when does “more” actually make something sing?
From Spark to Finished Game
According to the designers, Under the Leaves began with a narrow, minimalist idea: a simple core mechanic that could support an entire game without collapsing under heavy rules. It was meant to be clean, elegant, and approachable.
But somewhere along the way, they realized that a purely minimal approach wasn’t enough. The game needed texture—both visually and mechanically. The challenge became one of balance: how do you keep the experience sharp and uncluttered, while still giving it the richness that keeps players coming back?
They landed on three principles:
- Keep the core minimal: Rules should be quick to learn and easy to teach.
- Layer in richness around it: Through artwork, iconography, and small modular twists that change over time.
- Find the sweet spot: Less makes the game intuitive; more gives it depth that unfolds after each session.
The Allure of Doing Less
Over the past decade, the board game world has seen a wave of minimalist darlings—titles like Love Letter or The Mind. They show that you don’t need a sprawling rulebook to craft an unforgettable group experience.
Under the Leaves clearly draws on this tradition. But the designers worried about a trap: what if the game was so light that players enjoyed it once or twice and then moved on? Minimalism creates elegance, but it can also shorten a game’s lifespan if there’s nothing new left to discover.
That’s where “more” comes in.
But Sometimes, More Is Exactly What’s Needed
Not all “more” is created equal. Add too many moving parts and you risk overwhelming newcomers or bogging down a session. Instead, the team behind Under the Leaves chose to enrich the game in smarter places.
They didn’t pile on extra instructions—they added mood, artwork, and design details that make every play feel a little different. The result isn’t a bigger game, but a deeper one.
In other words, their version of “more” isn’t about more rules. It’s about more resonance.
What That Means for Players
So what kind of experience should players expect? Under the Leaves seems comfortably situated in that “medium-light” category:
- You can learn it quickly—no thick rulebook required.
- It’s beautiful at the table, with artwork playing a central role in the game’s feel.
- And while the first play might feel light, repeated sessions start to reveal small nuances and strategies.
It’s the kind of design that invites players back, quietly unfolding its depth over time.
The Takeaway
The design diary is a reminder that simplicity and complexity aren’t opposites—they’re partners in tension. Under the Leaves is trying to do the hardest thing: be simple enough to start playing right away, but layered enough to enjoy for the long haul.
And maybe that’s the lesson the title hints at. Sometimes “less” really is “more.” But without the right dash of “more” in the right places, a game—just like leaves themselves—risks fading too quickly.
Conversation Starter
- Do you prefer games that strip down to their elegant core, or ones that lean into rich detail and complexity?
- Which games, in your experience, nailed that balance?
Would you like me to also create a player-friendly breakdown of how Under the Leaves actually plays—its components, mechanics, and table interaction—or would you rather keep exploring the broader design philosophy highlighted in the diary?