Jenga is a classic. One I can remember playing in my childhood with my family growing up. It’s an extremely accessible game with a huge amount of tension throughout.
The history.
It’s hard to believe this all time classic game has yet to be reviewed at Zatu in 2025. Jenga was officially launched in the UK at the London Toy Fair in 1983. The game’s creator, Leslie Scott, had taken time to develop the game in the 1970’s basing it on a family game played in Ghana. Popularity soared in 1986, particularly in Canada, where Hasbro took on the rights and ownership to see it to it’s iconic and very popular status today.
What is Jenga?
I hope you have found this a rhetorical question and already know. Just incase you don’t know, Jenga is a tower made of wooden blocks. These blocks are laid in 3’s and stacked at alternate 90 degree angles. Lay 3, lay 3 more on top at 90 degrees, another 3 on top…. Hopefully you have the idea.
Players take it in turns to draw one block out. This block is then relayed on top of the tower in the same 3 x 3 format. Don’t knock the tower down on your turn and you do not lose. Simple. One key note is you have to have 2 complete rows on top before you draw from these rows.
That is all. Suggested players are for 2-4 people but you can have more. I would suggest suitable for anyone except perhaps the very young children. You know your families here.
Steady, Steady, Crash!
As noted above, the tension is enormous in Jenga. On your turn, when the tower is progressively losing its structural integrity, the risk of losing ramps up and up. No one wants to lose, but it is inevitable for one player. The blocks have to and will come tumbling down.
It is the player interactions that truly make this game. Seeing the reactions of the players whose turn it is as well as the players observing. It is gripping, edge of the seat action as the player in play is desperately trying to steadily remove the block, whilst their opposition is hoping they have a wobble and the tower crumbles before play returns to them.
House Rules!
There are plenty of subtle rule additions or variations you can introduce to the game. Such as players can only use one hand to draw a block. This is significantly harder.
Or players, if they touch a block, have to draw that block regardless. Some players like testing blocks looking for an easy loose block and a cheap turn, this rule does away with such strategies.
Then there could be other rules you may want to come up with for your party nights. I’ve no idea what such ideas could be…?
Final Thoughts
Jenga is a proper classic game that deserves a spot on any gamers shelf. It’s always a fun and exhilarating game and creates a lot of entertainment each and every time those blocks tumble.
