Board game inspired by a rescued squirrel and designed by a real-life Batman will show you what it’s like to live as the tree-dwelling rodents

There have been many unique Kickstarter campaigns for distinctive board games since the crowdfunding website emerged eight years ago, but this may be one of the most unusual creations we’ve seen yet.

It’s a Squirrel’s Life is a traditional roll-and-move game that aims to show players what it’s like to be one of the tree-dwelling rodents, as they hunt for acorns, strawberries and pumpkins and build nests, raise litters of babies and take a trip to the animal hospital.

The final in-game goal hints at the game’s inspiration, an orphaned squirrel named Roxy that first-time designer Randy Hecht took in during the summer of 2015 and looked after until spring 2016, when she was released.

To highlight the emotional attachment he had to Roxy, Hecht includes a poem dedicated to the squirrel in the Kickstarter campaign and will donate a portion of the game’s proceeds to local animal charities in her honour.

Another curious detail is that Hecht is a former aerospace engineer with a history of performing charitable deeds, as he used to dress up as Batman and attend charity events or simply drive around in a working Batmobile to entertain children.

There are both classic and deluxe editions of It’s a Squirrel’s Life available, with the costlier deluxe box including plastic components and 3D nuts and fruit instead of tokens for $62 (£48).

For $5 (£4), you can also receive a photo of Randy holding Roxy the squirrel.

The campaign is still a way off its $15,000 (£11,643) target with three weeks left to run, having raised $3,127 (£2,427) from 19 backers at the time of writing – making the average pledge a staggering $165 (£128), almost twice the highest backer tier at $85. If the campaign hits its goal, release is expected in July.