Talk:Jenga

Giant Jenga
Not sure why my entry for Giant Jenga was removed. Clever vandalism? I'm not that smart. This version, while heavy and bulky to store is has proven to be a hit at numerous parties. The idea should be shared!krioboy 05:01, 19 November 2006 (UTC)


 * Giant Jenga is commerically available, here are a couple of places that sell it:
 * * http://www.mastersgames.com/cat/giant/giant-bricks.htm
 * * http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/garden-games1.htm
 * James Fryer 14:25, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Number of moves
In Theory, what is the highest number of moves possible in Jenga????


 * So the tallest tower would be 81 stories tall, with a single piece in the center of each story. That means that each of the lower 80 stories would have had three pieces in it at one point, and was then later reduced to one piece. So two moves per story = 160 moves? That's probably not an exact number, since you might run into some problems at the end when the top story is the only one with more than a single block, but that's got to be about right. --Dantheox 06:04, 10 December 2005 (UTC)


 * A more careful argument gives 152 moves, yielding a 78 story tower. Assume you're building a tower with one block per story (which you should, if you're maximizing total possible moves) and moves are made from the bottom up. Then a tower with n stories consisting of a single block has $$81-n$$ more blocks above these floors. So for $$n<76$$, there are $$81-n \geq 6$$ blocks on the top. Six blocks are required to make any moves (you need two complete stories). So you can get to $$n=76$$, leaving $$81-76=5$$ blocks on top. At this point, there are no more possible moves. By the reasoning in my previous post, $$76*2=152$$ moves were made to get to this point. Hopefully that's more of an answer than you were really looking for... =) --Dantheox 09:44, 10 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Man, if that's accurate, that's a great answer! And I think it's worthy of being in the main article.  Can somebody with more statistical credibility than me please verify the math so we can find a place for it in the article?  Joe 17:03, 11 December 2005 (UTC)


 * It's definitely interesting, but wouldn't this constitute "original research?" Unless there's a "theoretical Jenga" website out there somewhere. --Dantheox 23:35,

11 December 2005 (UTC)

There are only 54 blocks in the traditional Jenga so here is my go.

Starting at the bottom. 2 Moves	      Out of moves because you have to leave 3 6 Moves	      2/3 of 6 is 4 plus the 2 left over = 6 again 6 Moves	      2/3 of 12 is 8 so 2 left over to start the next phase 12 Moves      2/3 of 15 is 10 so 2 left over to start the next phase 15 Moves      2/3 of 24 is 16 so 1 left over to start the next phase 24 Moves      2/3 of 36 36 Moves      2/3 of 54 101	Total Moves

Will anyone agree with me?????????????


 * Right, I don't know why I thought the tower started with 27 stories; It actually starts with 18. So my reasoning from before still applies... with $$n$$ defined as above, so long as $$54-n \geq 6$$, you can still make a move. So at the end, $$n=49$$, and the tower is 51 stories tall, and there would have been 102 total moves. Is there an off-by-one error in your calculations? --Dantheox 08:31, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

When you get to 101 moves, correct you are at deck 51 (stories tall). At this stage at the top you will have 2 blocks on top of 3 and can’t move any of them. This is where you lose the extra move. In other works your not left with 1, 1, 3. you will be left with 1, 3, 2. So my answer is still 101


 * OK, that's reasonable and I agree. Now all we need is a picture... --Dantheox 02:48, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
 * I Oppose a picture with 51 storeys as it will likely not be the result of a Jenga game. It would simply be a stack of 51 Jenga blocks.  Pictures from a real game, following the rules, are more suitable for the article.  Cafe Nervosa |  talk  00:59, 22 December 2005 (UTC).


 * Nah, we don't need a picture. We've already got a good one.  But I think a good narative about the maximum number of moves would be very appropriate.  Joe 02:26, 8 January 2006 (UTC)


 * I counted, by hand, 98 moves until there are no more moves left (ended up with two blocks on top, so you were not allowed to take from the last complete layer). I may have counted wrong, so I will recount again a little later, but that's what I got. Of course, the rules don't state what happens when you quickly swipe out a block that his holding the whole tower, and the tower falls down one level but does not collapse. Like pulling a table cloth out from under dishes and no dishes fall off. While I think it is very unlikely that someone could actually pull of such a move, let alone get a game to last 98 moves, it is still theoretically possible, and as such the game of Jenga potentially has unlimited moves. JayKeaton 05:58, 15 April 2007 (UTC)


 * It most certainly is 98 moves. The tower ends up 51 high, the top two layers can not be moved as per the rules, which leaves 49 layers which have had two bricks moved from each, which adds up to a grand total of 98 moves. JayKeaton 15:17, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

UNLIMITED. It is physically possible, if difficult, to remove the last block in a layer, and lower the tower above onto the tower below, even one-handed. It does however involve moving the upper half of the tower about a bit on ones hand, and dropping the removed block on the table, but as long as everything remains intact I think it is allowed. M0ffx 23:58, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

I have actually seen the move M0ffx describes, with one hand following the rules so, yes it is unlimited if you include that rule. 212.64.56.124 (talk) 09:36, 13 January 2008 (UTC)
 * As far as I am aware It is unlimited as he said. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jooe15 (talk • contribs) 10:02, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

Jenga is popular in the beer bars of Thailand
Yeah, right. I wonder how long a Jenga game can last when the players are drunk. Oh wait... maybe they use it as a test for drunkness. Definitely needs citation. 165.123.140.215 01:37, 8 January 2006 (UTC)

I, too, wonder about the validity of this claim. The Connect Four article also claims (undocumented) that the game is popular in the bars of Thailand and Argentina. Sounds dubious to me. Joe 02:23, 8 January 2006 (UTC)


 * I can confirm this - virtually every bar in Thailand had a Jenga set and a Connect Four set, and my favourite gave out a free drink if you beat the barman three times in a row. Can't cite it, alas, so maybe should be removed. Tyrhinis 10:35, 22 August 2006 (UTC)


 * yes I too have witnessed the Jenga sets in Thailands bars.. I'm going to have a look through some guide sites now, maybe it'll have a mention. If we can find something to cite it's too interesting not to include in the article.. Elmo 11:59, 29 June 2007 (UTC)


 * This is quite some nonsense. It's true, in the tourist areas there are many bars with Jenga but move away from the tourist tracks and you won't see any. From my experience mostly backpacker tourists like to play the game. But it has not much to do with Thai people and nothing at all with Thai culture. --125.26.251.49 (talk) 08:10, 9 April 2011 (UTC)

Jenga userbox
There's a Jenga userbox now, for those interested.

-- Buchanan-Hermit™ .. CONTRIBS .. SPEAK! 23:11, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

Chance
There is some degree of chance between skilled players, although slight. If two skilled players had a game they would reach a point where one of them will probably knock over the tower, after all the "good" moves have been taken and there are only "bad" moves left. So there is a set number of turns until there are only "bad" moves left. And seeing as it is only a two player game with one move per player, it stands to reason that your chances of being left with only "bad" moves is directly related to which of the two players sets up the game, or takes the first move and determines which moves will be played who and when 202.191.106.82 19:39, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Not really because the players are manipulating what moves are still available. So in actuality, it isn't really chance but just setting the game up for later which could easily be added into a strategy. Megamanfanx7 15:15, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

Stabilisation permitted, placing of the block?
I have 2 queries regarding what is and is NOT allowed. 1) some people I know state that you are not allowed to stabilise the tower (with one hand) during your go (in order to make it less likely to collapse). Is that stated explicitly anywhere? Is there any reason it would not be- it leads to longer and better games? 2) are you allowed to place the piece your remove haphazarly anywhere on the top of the tower? Or must you place it more-or-less precisely square with the row below, or even only on one of the end slots?

I think these issues arise often during Jenga games (played by cometitive people) and therefore would be valuable insights in this article. Boldymumbles 20:32, 21 July 2007 (UTC)


 * From what I can tell people do put them in rows but there is no specific rule agents putting them on the top on a sloppy manner. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jooe15 (talk • contribs) 10:09, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

Taking out a block from a row with a block on both sides, but not in the middle.
From what i have heard, It a rows is set up in a X0X —- X being a block it is possible to take out a block, and the row above is also the same (different angle). It is possible to take out one of the blocks without breaking any rules. When you take out the piece on the outer edge, you adjust to fit the hole in the row above, by applying pressure to the bottom of the piece you are temporarily holding up the top of the tower, but you are only holding it up with the pressure you apply to the given piece. Then you push the piece toward the opposing edge, through the hole above the piece that was jointly holding the tower with the original piece. When you take out the piece from the other edge you have to take it out from an angle pushing down as to push the piece on the same row as the original piece toward the center. This is all legal, though it takes EXTREME skill. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jooe15 (talk • contribs) 10:09, 22 October 2014 (UTC)

Truth or Dare Jenga colors?
In the article, it is stated that Truth or Dare Jenga uses red and black blocks (in addition to the normal uncolored wooden ones), except in the picture, the colored blocks are red and green. Was/is there also an addition which included black blocks, or is the article incorrect?

History of Jenga
Hasbro's 'history of Jenga' (http://www.hasbro.com/default.cfm?page=ci_history_jenga) makes no mention of the previous incarnations of the same game by Whale Toys (as "Piza") and by Games Workshop (as "TOWERBLOX").

"JENGA celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2002," that page says, presumably relating to the "Hasbro Jenga," and placing its 'birth' in 1987.

I recall Games Workshop producing much the same game in 1982, except with 39 bricks (13 layers) instead of Jenga's 54. Here's a photo of a copy of the rules from GW's 'TOWER BLOX Pre-Production Set:' (I took this photo myself, but don't know whether I can upload it to Wikipedia - I think not as GW will have copyright on the original document). Sadly there's no date on this document, but I'm fairly sure that it would have been 1981, or perhaps 1982.

When published by GW as 'TOWERBLOX,' this game didn't sell particularly well. Although I don't know for sure what happened next, I believe that the rights were sold on to Whale Toys, who produced it for a time as "PIZA," after which it then reappeared as the now well-known "Jenga." --Pendant 20:21, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

Actual Dimensions
Not sure if there are differently dimensioned versions but all the versions I've seen (and the ones pictured in the article) clearly show that the blocks are almost exactly half as high as they are wide. Article states "slightly smaller in height than in width"... Anyone care to change it?211.27.113.17 (talk) 03:37, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

ta-ka-radi????
There's a paragraph about a game called "ta-ka-radi":


 * There have been numerous games similar to Jenga throughout gaming history. Ta-ka-radi is a game that was created in the 1970's by L.L. Bean with a similar premise as Jenga, having to remove blocks and place them on the top of a tower. Ta-ka-radi is slightly different than Jenga in that the tower is built with gaps between each block, unlike Jenga in which each block is touching. Also, the addition of "Jungle Rules" brings a different level of challenge to players. When "Jungle Rules" are in effect, players are able to distract the player who is up by any means necessary, other than physical contact. Common "Jungle Rules" methods to distract a player include yelling, "Here come the cops!" or, "Your chair is on fire!". Because of these rules, many skilled players consider Ta-ka-radi a much more difficult challenge than Jenga. Ta-ka-radi is very common in the Northern Lake George area, specifically Hague, New York, where many skilled players seek a challenge that most everyday games cannot offer them.

But, in this book jenga's creator says:


 * In 1974, just before the 18-year-old was about to graduate from high school, her parents brought home a set of children’s building bricks they had purchased from a wood craftsman in the nearby city of Takoradi. Wood was plentiful and inexpensive there and the bricks, a simple gift meant for Scott’s little brother, changed her life.
 * “I don’t remember when we first started playing with the bricks as a game,” she says. “The bricks were slimmer back then and we stacked them three across, spaced apart from each other.” The rules were fairly basic at first. Everyone simply took turns removing bricks from somewhere in the middle of the tower until a player made it collapse. The Scott family named their game Takoradi Bricks after the city in which it was made. “My family had many more sets made in Takoradi over the years to give to friends,” Scott said. “I even took a set with me to England.”

Isn't suspicious, the name similarity, between Ta-ka-radi and Takoradi?

There are even many sources naming Takoradi town as Takaradi...

Does anyone know any better?

--88.2.24.36 (talk) 12:56, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

"However, it would appear that there is no evidence to support this claim. In fact, according to Leslie Scott, not only was it not an African game, but also there is no evidence of any such game being played anywhere in the world at any period before now. "..there is no mention of such a game in any literature, folklore, or anthology of games." "

I've moved the above paragraph to the discussion page for now, because something still doesn't make sense. The question remains: why do the people who brought it to market first (the Parsons family) claim it's an ancient African game? I've read Scott's book, and it seems to me that much of the time she's trying to assert her claim that she invented it. "There being no mention" of the game prior to the 1970's doesn't necessarily mean she was the first to come up with it. (Perhaps written records are scarce in the African tribal societies in question? Perhaps Scott isn't a good researcher? Perhaps she has a vested interest in asserting her claims?) I think the fact that the Parsons' game predates Jenga by a number of years (and the fact that game play mechanics between the two games are the same), and the Parsons' claim to have been shown the game by an African- lends some credence to their claim that this game is indeed an old African game.

Elsewhere, I've also found it mentioned that the game was originally called "Takoru," meaning "Hollow Tower" in the Akan Twi language. I haven't found verification yet however.

The maker of yet another similar game to Takaradi and Jenga, called Sidan (David Trounce), also claims that the game has its origins in Ghana, independent of Leslie Scott and Jenga.

What is the truth? It's quite a puzzle! Orandennison (talk) 21:17, 13 September 2011 (UTC)Orandennison

Whatever its origins, the game requires fairly precise building pieces (very similar in size and shape), suggesting a technology that makes it likely that it is a traditional African game. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mukogodo (talk • contribs) 06:58, 11 March 2017 (UTC)

Sorry, I meant "NOT a traditional African game"Mukogodo (talk) 19:49, 16 March 2017 (UTC)

Vetical blocks tower picture
I think that the picture of the tower made of vertically positioned Jenga blocks is misleading, only marginally interesting, and enitrely irrelevant to the article. It needs to be removed imho. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.133.129.157 (talk) 22:15, 18 September 2010 (UTC)

A "game of physical and mental skill"?
Was this description taken from the side of the box, an advert or other pro-Jenga propaganda? It reads like marketing guff. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 141.92.129.41 (talk) 11:50, 19 November 2013 (UTC)


 * Don't know, but I rather like the fact that the English and Spanish on the box refers to the game providing hours of fun, whereas in German it instead refers to it as "The great challenge". The promise of fun evidently not a popular marketing ploy in Germany, then... 141.92.129.41 (talk) 11:37, 29 November 2013 (UTC)

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Origin of the name
I've always assumed that the term "jenga" is derived from the Spanish profanity chinga, a not-uncommon exclamation when the tower falls. Any basis? Weeb Dingle (talk) 07:15, 5 December 2018 (UTC)

The designer has often stated that it is literally the Swahili imperative form of "to build." It is a command: build! She's British but grew up in, drat, some eastern African country, I can't remember. I think her parents were diplomats or something. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 100.6.39.149 (talk) 03:38, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

Opening text for this page is problematic
The opening of this item comes directly from a commercial source: https://www.jengagiant.com/. My understanding is that that's an absolute no-no for Wikipedia entries.

Someone with more Wikipedia knowledge than I have should insert the appropriate nasty message and/or simply remove the text. I've got no idea how to fix this and the game is obviously popular.

So I am noting it but leaving it alone. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tarkiwi25 (talk • contribs) 00:10, 15 July 2021 (UTC)
 * I can't find what you're talking about, but they would have copied it from us, not the other way around. I have had this article on my watchlist for many years and the opening has been very stable during that time. Graham 87 06:53, 15 July 2021 (UTC)

Brand name
This article's lede defines Jenga as a brand name game (registered trademark), but the infobox specifically declines italicizing the title without hidden text for editors. For comparison, Monopoly (game) is italicized, while Tic-tac-toe is not. Should the name and article title be italicized, and if not, should this be made clearer in the lede? See similar proposal at Talk:Uno (card game). &#8212;&#160;CJDOS,&#160;Sheridan,&#160;OR&#160;(talk) 01:37, 23 February 2022 (UTC) (edited 18:22, 1 April 2022 (UTC) )


 * It has been a year. It is maybe safe to do so by now. DeeDeeEn (talk) 09:51, 4 April 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Sparks Gaming the System
— Assignment last updated by Anamarie 004 (talk) 19:41, 11 October 2022 (UTC)