JenGaia - The Planetary Limits Game
July 28, 2025
Concept
The traditional game of Jenga becomes a powerful and playful metaphor for how human actions are leading Gaia's ecosystems to collapse - at the same time, it shows that we can still act collectively to restore planetary balance.
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How it Works
JenGaia is a creative adaptation of the Jenga game, where each wooden block is painted a color representing one of Earth’s essential ecosystems, inspired by the 9 Planetary Boundaries.
Players roll a colored dice — the color rolled indicates which block from the tower must be removed.
Each removed block represents a critical loss in that ecosystem, bringing us closer to the tipping points.
The black color on the dice represents feedback loops (negative reinforcement cycles); when rolled, players must start removing two colored blocks at once instead of one.
On top of the tower sits a base holding a model of planet Earth, also made from wooden pieces. When the last critical block is removed, the tower collapses and the planet falls apart into pieces, symbolizing total collapse.
However, there is an alternative: at any moment, players can choose to change their strategy and play cooperatively, putting the block back to restore ecosystems, rebuild planetary balance, and save our home Gaia. In this cooperative version, everyone wins.
Rules of the Game
JenGaia – The Planetary Boundaries Game
Each JenGaia block represents an essential system that supports life on Earth. The colors show the six major challenges we must balance to keep the planet alive and healthy:
Color legend
Green: Deforestation and destruction of natural habitats
Blue: Rising temperatures, acidification and pollution of oceans and water bodies; changes and reductions in rainfall cycles
Yellow: Soil depletion, erosion and poisoning
Orange: Global temperature rise due to increased greenhouse gas emissions
Red: Drastic loss of biodiversity
Purple: Increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events
How to play
Stack each section of colored pieces until the tower is complete. On top, assemble the Earth planet.
Each player, in turn, must roll the die and remove a piece from the tower corresponding to the color shown on the die.
When removing a piece, read aloud the negative impact that its color represents. You can illustrate this loss with real-world examples, share news, or scientific data.
The black color on the die represents a negative feedback loop. When rolled, all players, in their turn, will remove two colored pieces instead of one.
The game ends in two ways:
a) When the planetary balance reaches its limit and the tower collapses—showing that we have reached the point of no return.
b) When the players identify that the tower is already in a critical state and decide to restore planetary ecosystems to restore Gaia's balance.
Then each player, in turn, chooses a piece of the color they consider most important, proposes solutions to prevent that impact from recurring and/or to repair the damage already caused.
Everyone wins when the tower is finally rebuilt and Gaia is saved.
Objective: To play, reflect, and imagine together new ways to restore Gaia's balance.
Solution Context
We live in an era marked by multiple interconnected environmental crises — climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and soil and ocean degradation. Most people understand these threats in an abstract and distant way. JenGaia translates the science of Planetary Boundaries into a tangible, emotional, and collaborative experience, capable of inspiring reflection and action.
The game works as an educational, activist, and engagement tool, raising awareness of the urgency to protect the planet and demonstrating that cooperation is our best chance to avoid collapse.
Taking Action
Physical version adapted from Jenga with colored blocks, a dice and Earth model.
Instruction manual with a brief introduction to the 9 Planetary Boundaries.
A short video of friends playing the game and discussing about what it represents (educational content). Before the collapse of the tower (Planet) they decide to put the blocks back into the missing spots to recover Gaia balance and garantee a health future for all.
Potential Partners
Board game manufacturers such as Hasbro and Estrela
Greenpeace, WWF (environmental education)
NGOs and foundations related to the environment and education