Play for the Planet: the Power of Games

Hi everyone,

This time two years ago, I was in Colombia at the 16th major global gathering on the UN Convention for Biological Diversity.

The thing I remember most was a giant, 6m tall, stack of Jenga (pictured below).



Each Jenga block contained a different ecosystem - ranging from coral reefs to jungles and all of them were inhabited by tiny animals. 



"Biodiversity is a lot like Jenga" said the artist who designed the structure, Benjamin Von Wong.

It's not something I'd ever thought of before but it is such a great metaphor. All of the blocks depend on each other and if you take one a way the tower starts to wobble; if you take enough away the whole tower collapses. It perfectly captures the interconnectedness and fragility of global ecosystems. 

Two years later, I often think about that Jenga tower and the powerfully simple message it was projecting.



For me this is one of the greatest examples of the power of games to engage people with complex issues. Studies have found that game-based learning works because it puts players in the role of a decision maker, actively experiencing consequences and making choices.

That's exactly why we design the games we do. Kavango captures real-life conservation success stories in southern Africa. Scavengers puts a playful spin on the vital role of natures clean-up crew for ecosystem health. Our upcoming game, Beaver: Born to Rewild, showcases the amazing impact beavers are having restoring Britain's wetland ecosystems. 

We were delighted to play-test Beaver: Born to Rewild at the York Environment Festival this week as part of the University of York's Play for the Planet Network. We're honoured to be part of a network that brings together researchers and game designers exploring games as a catalyst for environmental change (group shot below!)



I like to think that the community we're building around our games is constructing a strong Jenga block of its own. Our Jenga block is filled with all of us sitting around tables playing games, laughing and smiling with each other, and building a community around our love for the natural world. 

We're on a mission to inspire optimism, create community and offer joyful moments around the topic of nature. Ultimately we hope that this will encourage people who play our games to care for nature, wherever they are in the world. No act is too small, everything we do creates ripples.

As the world-famous primatologist Dame Jane Goodall said: "You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you need to decide what kind of a difference you want to make."



The Jenga tower reminds us that everything on our shared planet is connected and that we can all play a role in strengthening the tower. 

Take care,
Zara 

Zara is a conservation expert and co-founder of Mazaza Games. She has worked across southern Africa and globally on wildlife and ocean protection.