I played a two player game of Squirrel or Die with a friend on a breezy afternoon when the trees outside my window were shaking down little bursts of leaves. It felt like the perfect setting for a game about collecting acorns, cherries or strawberries and trying very hard not to meet a fox or some other woodland danger. Thistle hopped onto the bench beside me while we set things up. Whenever there is a forest theme, he seems convinced it is meant for him.

The game itself is tiny and charming, almost small enough to lose in your coat pocket. Inside the box you find a deck of square cards, each showing either a helpful cache of acorns or one of the hidden dangers that lurk in the forest. Here are some of the food cards.

There are no pawns or tokens to fiddle with, just cards placed face down in a grid that becomes your little woodland world. I always enjoy how the art makes the forest feel cozy at first glance, even though you know something a bit perilous is hiding under those cards. Here are the death cards. One of the cards is a double death card.

Gameplay is wonderfully simple to learn but surprisingly tense once you begin. You take turns flipping cards, trying to remember where the food is so you can gather enough to survive winter. At the same time, you are trying to avoid the cards that reveal trouble. Some of these cards have special rules. Below are a few of the fun “special” cards. The Love card gives you an extra life, so this means you get 4 lives rather than 3. The ??? card is the confused card and this allows the person that selects it to give the other player a death! The Again card gives the person selecting it another turn.

Every flip feels like reaching into a pile of leaves without knowing what your fingers will brush against. With only two players, there is a lot of quiet concentration as both of you try to remember which corner of the forest hides what. My friend is very good at pretending they forgot something, only to suddenly reveal a strawberry at exactly the right moment, which always makes me laugh.

There was a moment in our game when I was certain I knew where the danger card was, only to discover I had mixed it up with a pine cone. The tiny jolt of surprise made the whole table feel more alive. Squirrel or Die does a lovely job of turning memory into a story. When you find the food, it feels like preparing for a gentle winter. When you reveal danger, it feels like a sudden rustle in the underbrush. The grid slowly empties as you flip your way through the season, and every choice builds a small tale of risk and reward.

Playing with only one friend makes the game feels cozy and quick, like sharing a secret challenge. We remove a few key cards to end up with a 4 by 4 grid of cards. We finished our play through with a mix of memory and laughter, and I tucked the little deck back into its box feeling satisfied. It is a delightful filler game for quiet afternoons, especially if you enjoy light strategy wrapped in a bit of woodland whimsy.

Until next time, may your cards fall kindly and may your table feel as warm as a forest in late autumn. If purchasing this game, consider using the affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4nZlX03