Developed in collaboration with Deep Local for West Virginia Tourism, Mountain Moves is an educational board game created for West Virginia schools to help students explore careers, destinations and opportunities across the state. Illustration, icons, cards and packaging were all designed by Philadelphia-based Kidnichols.
The brief was playful but purposeful: take career exploration and turn it into a game. Deep Local provided the concept overview, specified deliverables and set an initial mood board. West Virginia Tourism’s existing brand guided the colour palette. From there, Kelly Nichols of Kidnichols was given the creative latitude to build out the visual world in full.
“I wanted the board to feel like there was always something new to discover, whether it was ducks in the water, a creature hiding in a log, or a tiny bee smelling a flower,” Nichols says. “Those details might not affect gameplay, but they make the whole world feel more alive and fun.”
Working from Philadelphia, Nichols approached the project by studying the specific locations West Virginia students would encounter in the game. Space on the board was limited, so the focus fell on the most recognisable elements of each landmark. As the project developed, the West Virginia Tourism team helped sharpen the local detail: a shirt on a clothesline became a quilt, Blackwater Falls gained a familiar picnic scene, and the iconic Almost Heaven swing found its place on the board.
Each element of the game had its own design challenge. The cards needed to be visually distinct by type while maintaining coherence across the full set. An early idea for custom game pieces based on each career path was eventually set aside in favour of coloured translucent pieces, though Nichols describes enjoying the process of working out how each career could translate into a character. The rule book and box design carry the adventure theme through from the board itself.
The finished game was produced and distributed specifically to West Virginia schools in 2025. “I had a hard time in school, so I would have LOVED having something like Mountain Moves around. Anything that can make learning about careers feel more approachable and entertaining is really special to me,” Nichols says.
Kidnichols is a Philadelphia-based illustrator and designer creating playful worlds full of personality, with a focus on projects that feel thoughtful, welcoming and a little whimsical.
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Mountain Moves, 2025. Educational board game. Illustration and design: Kidnichols (Kelly Nichols). Game concept and primary copy: Deep Local. Client: West Virginia Tourism. Produced for distribution to West Virginia schools.
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