Jenga is a toy produced by Parker Brothers and requires skill and strategy. First, stack the wooden blocks to form a tower. After that, alternately move the wooden blocks until the tower collapses. Try not to shake your hands!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Setting the Game
Step 1. Set up the block tower first
First, remove all the Jenga blocks and place them on a flat surface. After that, stack the wooden blocks in an arrangement of three blocks per row until you have built a tower of 18 blocks. On each “floor”, three parallel beams must be rotated by 90 degrees from the horizontal line of the previous floor.
A Jenga set includes 54 blocks. However, if you lose some blocks, you can still play the game. Just build the Jenga tower as usual
Step 2. Align and erect the tower that has been built
Before playing, make sure the tower structure is solid. Floor beams must be interlocked so that the tower can stand upright without being supported by other objects. Use your hands or other solid object with a flat surface to level the sides of the tower. Push in the block that sticks out.
Step 3. Gather players around the tower
Make sure there are at least two players. Ask everyone to sit in a circle around the tower of blocks. If you are only playing with one opponent, each player must sit on opposite sides, facing each other in front of the tower.
There is no limit to the maximum number of players for Jenga. However, it would be more fun if the number of players was less. That way, you can get more turns to play
Step 4. Try writing something on the block
This is an optional variation of the Jenga game. Before building a tower, write something on each block, such as a question, challenge, or other command. After that, shuffle the blocks and build Jenga's tower as usual. When a person pulls a block from a tower, he must do what is written on the block.
- Question: When a person takes a question block from the tower, he must answer the question. You can include seductive questions (e.g. “Who do you want to kiss in this room?”), deep questions (e.g. “When did you feel weak or helpless?”), or joke questions (e.g. “What moment did you the most embarrassing part of your life?”
- Challenge: When a person picks up a challenge block from a tower, he must do what is written on the block. You can give challenges like “Swap your shirt with someone sitting next to you”, “Drink a tablespoon of chili sauce”, or “Make a scary facial expression.”
Part 2 of 3: Playing Jenga
Step 1. Determine the first person to pull the block
The person who builds the tower, who has the closest birthday date, or who most wants to play first can be the first player to pull the block.
Step 2. Pull the blocks from the tower
Carefully pull one block off any floor (except the top floor). Look for beams that are loosest, easiest to pull on, or won't destabilize the tower so much. You can push or pull it, depending on the angle and location of the blocks in the tower.
Keep in mind that you can only touch the tower with one hand. With this rule, the player cannot hold the tower structure while trying to pull the block
Step 3. Place each picked block on top of the tower
Players who have taken blocks need to put the blocks back on top of the dance to re-build the floor with an arrangement of three blocks per row. Try stacking blocks neatly to keep the tower strong. As the game progresses, the tower gets higher and higher until the structure wobbles, becomes unstable, and eventually collapses.
Step 4. Play the game until the tower collapses
The loser is the player who makes the tower collapse. To play the game again, rebuild the tower.
Part 3 of 3: Implementing Strategy
Step 1. Be patient
Don't play Jenga in a hurry. When it's your turn, pick up the blocks carefully and without rushing. If you pick up blocks in a hurry, there's a good chance that you'll crash the tower.
Step 2. Take the easiest blocks
Gently flick the tower sections to find the “safest” block to pull. Look for loose blocks or blocks that are sticking out of the tower. Be careful when pulling it and always pay attention to the overall stability of the tower. Make sure you also pay attention to the balance.
- Each floor of the tower consists of three beams arranged in parallel: two beams on the outer side and one beam in the middle. If you take the block in the middle, you usually won't damage the balance or stability of the tower.
- Take blocks from the upper or middle floors. It would be difficult to retrieve the beams on the lower floors without destabilizing the tower structure. The beams on the upper floors are usually very loose so they are quite apart from the surrounding beams.
Step 3. Push or pull the block
If you want to pick up a block that's in the middle, try flicking the block carefully from one side. If you want to pick up a block that's on the edge, try pinching the ends of the block with your thumb and forefinger, then rocking the block back and forth until it loosens from its position. Use a combination of flicking and rocking techniques to pick up blocks that are difficult to pull.
Step 4. Place the drawn blocks in the right position to keep the tower balance
Pay attention to the tilting direction of the tower after you pick it up. After that, carefully place the blocks on top of the tower so that the added weight doesn't bring the tower down.
Alternatively, if you feel you can do it, place the block on the side of the tower that's less inclined to make it harder for the next player to pull the block off that side
Step 5. Play until you win
If you consider the competitive aspect of the game, don't let the tower collapse on your turn. Try planning moves to destabilize the tower so that it collapses on another player's turn. Take the important blocks from the base of the tower, and as a whole choose the “best” blocks as much as possible.
Try to be a good player. Respect other players and don't try to disturb other players while they are playing. If you make the atmosphere of the game unpleasant, other people may be reluctant to play with you again
Tips
- Try to grab the blocks that are on the middle floors to reduce the chances of the tower collapsing.
- Usually, the middle or outer blocks are loose enough for you to pick up the blocks. If you try to pick up a block that isn't loose, there's a good chance you could cause the tower to collapse.
- The name of the game, Jenga, is taken from a Swahili word meaning “to build”.
