Laughing Sticks on Designing Burnout: Lessons from Playtests to Kickstarter

Suren and Jannis from Laughing Sticks share their journey designing Burnout, a party strategy game about work life and mental health. From first playtests to Kickstarter plans, they reveal the lessons, challenges, and inspirations behind creating a game that’s fun, strategic, and relatable.

Q: Please give the readers a short introduction about yourself and your company. What is your “origin” story, and how did you come about creating games?

Suren: Hi! We’re Suren and Jannis from Laughing Sticks, the creators of Burnout. I first met Jannis years ago when I was her supervisor during an internship, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. I wasn’t much of a tabletop gamer back then, even though I was curious. Most of my gaming was solo on PlayStation or computer because no one around me played tabletop games. About three years ago, I woke up with a random idea for a local political game called East Coast Plan. Knowing Jannis was into games, I reached out to her since I wasn’t confident enough to create it alone.

Jannis: When we started working on the concept, we quickly realised politics wasn’t really what we wanted to explore. Plus, the novelty of the name might fade by the time the game launched. But by then, we had already learned the basics of game design and knew this was something we truly wanted to do. We researched different ideas and noticed that one topic kept coming up in conversations, work. People often talk about how it affects their mental health, how tough bosses can be, and how toxic workplaces become. That was when the idea for Burnout came to life.

Q: Are you currently employed full-time? If so, how do you manage your time with this project?

Suren: We both left our jobs less than a year ago to dedicate ourselves fully to developing Burnout. At first, we were unsure if there would be enough work to fill an entire day, but as we got closer to a finished project, it became clear that without our full focus, we would not be able to do it justice.

Jannis: Before going full time, we mostly worked on weekends. Once we made the leap, we quickly realised there was more than enough to do, from social media and operations to shipping, logistics, distribution and crowdfunding. On top of that, there is an endless calendar of testing, play sessions, meetings and events, which keeps us constantly engaged.

Q: Did your career inspire the creation of this game in any way? If so, how?

Jannis: At a thematic level, absolutely. We’ve both experienced burnout multiple times in many different forms.

At a content level, some of the cards are inspired directly from our experiences, but many came from speaking with friends, family and also from researching online.

Q: Why did your team decide to create this type of game?

Suren: The topic of mental health in the workplace is very personal to us. Much of what happens in the workplace affects our well-being in ways we do not always notice. Sometimes it is the small things that add up, like receiving a passive-aggressive email, getting scolded by your boss, or receiving an “urgent” request at 6 pm. Just last week, I had a friend message me saying she recognised herself in one of the cards about micro-management and has been reflecting on how to change her ways. She had played the game about three months ago, so it has clearly stayed with her.

Jannis: We hope that Burnout becomes more than just a game. At its core, it is a reminder that the struggles of modern work life are a shared experience, and how we treat ourselves and others can make a real difference. We hope it sparks conversations, laughter and self-reflection long after the game ends.

Q: Please give a brief introduction about the game. (Its premise, featured mechanics, etc)

Jannis: Burnout is a party and light strategy game for three to six players. The premise is straightforward: you are all employees competing for a single promotion spot, and whoever ends the game with the highest Reputation wins. At the same time, you must manage your Mental Health carefully. If it ever drops to zero, you burn out and immediately lose seven Reputation points, which can completely change the outcome of the game. We have worked to make the game fun, full of laughter, yet with enough strategy and decision-making to keep players engaged. Every match goes down to the wire and often ends in a nail-biting finish.

Suren: The game is played over six weeks. Each week, employees draw a Project card face up and then strategically select their hand of Action Cards, which include attack, defence and modifier cards. Just like in an office setting, players decide whether to play nice or get a little dirty. The mechanics include Take-That, where you sabotage co-workers by cancelling leave or dumping more work on them; Hand Management, where you plan your weekly strategy; Push-Your-Luck, where you weigh high-risk and high-reward choices; and Company Announcements, events that change the gameplay each week.

Q: What was the design process like for your game? Did it differ from the traditional game design process? If yes, why?

Suren: We were completely new to game design, so we did not really know what the traditional game design process was. We just tried to figure out where to start, map out the different steps, and then got cracking. We spent a lot of time testing high-level concepts, even running a survey with friends. We created many prototypes at home, using art paper to draw a board and printing text-based cards. Everything was tested ourselves multiple times before sharing it with the public for feedback.

Jannis: We did not start any artwork until we were confident that our tests were smooth and people were enjoying the game. We scoured the web for artists we liked, contacted them, and shortlisted five who replied. Each was given a brief and paid to create a concept before we selected our artist and illustrator, Jennifer. Once the artwork was ready, we tested everything relentlessly with as many people as possible. Over the past year, we have completed more than 200 playtests, not including our internal sessions.

Q: What challenges did you face when making Burnout, and what insights did you discover along the way?

Suren: Oh gosh, where do we even start? It felt like we faced challenges at nearly every stage. One of the biggest was playtest disasters. Seeing others break the game within three to five minutes of play, despite multiple internal tests, was humbling. You quickly learn to have a thick skin and embrace feedback instead of getting defensive. Another challenge was understanding the difference in art skill requirements. We have an amazing designer who did a fantastic job on the cards, but designing the box took much longer to get right, and we had to be more prescriptive than we ever did with the cards. After talking to other board game designers, we realised many designers work with different artists for cards and packaging.

Getting familiar with board games in general was another hurdle. Early on, we decided to dedicate time each week to playing a variety of games to broaden our perspective. After each game, we analysed the design, UI, rules, card quality, and even social media strategy. Finally, not being part of any board game community posed a challenge. We were so focused on building the game that we didn’t explore the local board game scene until our artwork was nearly ready. Once we stepped out of our bubble, we discovered a thriving community and met many new friends along the way.

Q: Was there a point in development where you considered cancelling or pausing the project? What pushed you to keep going?

Jannis: There was never a point where we considered cancelling the project, but there were definitely slow periods when we were both working full time. There were also times when we became so immersed in the game that we had to step away for a few days to avoid burning out from Burnout itself.

Suren: What really kept us going was the reaction from playtests. Even when the gameplay had issues, players still had a lot of fun because they related to the theme, especially the Mental Health aspect. Seeing that connection motivated us to keep pushing forward.

Q: What is the intended target audience for your game? What kind of feedback would you expect to receive?

Jannis: Burnout is a party and light strategy game. We aimed to find the sweet spot where it is easy enough for new gamers to pick up but still has enough depth and strategic variety to keep experienced gamers engaged. We are also targeting global markets since the theme is relatable enough for Western audiences as well.

Suren: Interestingly, we have also had corporates and government bodies reach out about using the game for mental health and burnout-related workshops and activities, including playing the game. Our first session is already scheduled for early October. We are exploring how to operationalise this on a larger scale. Previously, we had planned a B2B version of the game, designed to be completed in 20 to 25 minutes and include activities and post-game reflections, but that has been on hold as we focus on our Kickstarter launch.

Q: Your game is to be funded by Kickstarter. What is your plan if you are unable to secure backing?

Jannis: The days of putting a game on Kickstarter and hoping people discover it are gone. Most of the time, success comes only if you have a strong launch on day one.

Suren: One of my favourite sayings is “hope is not a strategy.” We are deliberately taking our time to build an audience before the launch and activate it so that we can hit our goal on day one. Our focus is on making it happen.

Q: Where is your game currently planned to be manufactured? Do you foresee any challenges in finding a manufacturer?

Jannis: We have selected Whatz Games from China to manufacture Burnout. It was not difficult to make a choice because all the recommendations we received pointed to looking only at manufacturers in China. There are four to five leading companies that produce the bulk of board games, and we spoke with all of them before ultimately selecting Whatz Games.

Q: What’s one piece of advice would you give other indie board game designers?

Jannis: Regular social media content is key to building a strong support base. Many board game designers shy away from it because they are either unfamiliar with it or lack confidence. I recommend starting as early as possible in the game development process. Even if the initial content is not perfect, you learn from experience. Our early posts were far from great, but by observing what others do and learning along the way, our content has improved dramatically.

Suren: Playtest relentlessly with as many different people as possible. Players will do things you never expected. Observe carefully, record discreetly, and iterate constantly.

Q13: Have you ever had a prototype or mechanic that completely failed in testing? How did you handle that?

Suren: Our most difficult playtests usually happen during blind playtests, where players interpret the rules differently from how we intended the game to be played. In one of our first blind playtests, the players completed the game in three minutes, even though it is meant to last 45 to 60 minutes. That was a humbling experience.

Jannis: After each playtest, we conduct a debrief where we co-create better rules with our testers on the spot. This allows us to incorporate or consider changes in real time while observing how they play the game.

Q14: What’s a piece of feedback from a playtester that was hard to hear but ultimately made the game better?

Suren: From the first two playtests, the general feeling was that the game fell flat and something was missing. We revisited our notes and research and realised that while we had created a game about a toxic workplace, we had completely overlooked the Mental Health aspect. It was around that time that we were inspired by the name Burnout. Looking back, I don’t think the game would have been engaging or attractive without incorporating the Mental Health element.

Q15: Was there a skill or resource you realised you didn’t have when you started, and how did you address that gap?

Suren: Yes, neither of us are artists, so we engaged a freelancer to fill that obvious skill gap. All the other gaps, such as game design, logistics, operations, and marketing, were easier to learn and address. We were also able to leverage experience from our past careers to manage those areas effectively.

Q16: Where can we find out more about your game?

You can find Burnout on burnoutgame.com or our socials at @end_burnout. 

If you ever want to organise a play session, just ping us! We’re always down for it!

Suren and Jannis will be showcasing Burnout at Tablecon Quest 2025 at booth number : ID-13. Drop by their booth and try out their games if you are interested.