Setup
- Place all of the blocks on the table.
- Choose a player to build the tower. They will use the loading tray to help build the tower. Place three blocks next to each other to create each layer of the tower. Each layer should be rotated 90 degrees so it faces the opposite direction as the previous layer.
- Once you finish building the tower, remove the loading tray.
- The player that built the tower starts the game. Play moves left/clockwise during the game.
How to Play Jenga
On your turn you will try to remove a block from the tower. You can remove any block from the tower as long as it is from a layer below the top completed (has all three blocks) layer. When removing a block you can only use one of your hands.
To determine which block you want to remove, you can tap/slightly push on the blocks to see which are loose. Should you move any block when you are testing which blocks to remove though, you must return the blocks to their previous position. You can only use one hand to touch and move blocks in the tower.
After you remove a block from the tower, you will place it on the top of the tower. If there aren’t three blocks on the top layer, place the block next to the blocks in the top layer. If the top layer already has three blocks, create a new layer by having the block face the opposite direction as the previous layer.
Your turn ends after you place the block on the top of the tower. You are responsible for the tower staying up for 10 seconds after you place your block at the top of the tower, or when the next player touches any block on the tower.
End of Game
The game ends as soon as part of the tower falls down. The last player to successfully remove a block and place it at the top of the tower (the player before the player that knocked down the tower), wins the game.
If you want to play another game, the player that knocked down the tower sets up the tower for the next game. They will start the next game.
Solo Game
Jenga has a solo game. You play the game like a normal game of Jenga. The goal is to build as tall of tower as you can. You take all of the turns in the game. You should keep track of how many layers the tower is at all times. Your score is equal to the number of layers the tower has when it falls down.
Components
- 54 Wood Blocks
- Loading Tray/Instructions
Year: 1983 | Publisher: Hasbro, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers | Designer: Leslie Scott
Genres: Dexterity, Family, Party
Ages: 6+ | Number of Players: 1+ | Length of Game: 10-20 minutes
Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Light | Luck: Moderate
For more board and card game rules/how to plays, check out our complete alphabetical list of card and board game rules posts.