Jenga
A game of removing blocks from a tower until it collapses.
Jenga is a game of physical skill created by British board game designer and author Leslie Scott and marketed by Hasbro. The name comes from the Swahili word 'kujenga' which means 'to build or construct'. Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks, placing each removed block on top, creating a progressively more unstable structure until the tower falls.
- creator
- Leslie Scott
- year_introduced
- 1983
- field
- Board game / Game of physical skill
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Jenga
- blocks_per_game
- 54
- tower_height_start
- 18 layers
Lore & Background
Jenga was created by Leslie Scott, co-founder of Oxford Games Ltd, based on a game that evolved within her family in the early 1970s using children's wooden building blocks purchased from a sawmill in Takoradi, Ghana. Scott, a British national born in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), was raised speaking English and Swahili before moving to Ghana. She launched the game under the name 'Jenga' at the London Toy Fair in January 1983, selling it through her own company, Leslie Scott Associates. The first sets were manufactured by the Camphill Village Trust in Botton, Yorkshire. The V&A Museum of Childhood later acquired one of the original sets for its collection. Pokonobe then licensed Irwin Toy to sell Jenga in Canada and be master licensee worldwide. Pokonobe Associates takes 80% of royalties while Scott receives 20% or less, a split Scott says she 'came to regret signing away my rights to Jenga on those terms.' Irwin Toy licensed Jenga to Schaper in the United States; when Schaper was acquired by Tyco Toys, Jenga was later launched under the Milton Bradley banner in 1987 after Hasbro acquired the Jenga rights through Milton Bradley.
Reader's Guide
Jenga's significance lies in its simple yet compelling premise: a tower of 54 wooden blocks that players must carefully remove and restack, testing dexterity and nerve. The game's name, derived from the Swahili 'kujenga' (to build), reflects its core action. Created by Leslie Scott from a family game using Ghanaian building blocks, Jenga debuted at the 1983 London Toy Fair. Its commercial success was driven by Robert Grebler and Pokonobe Associates, who secured worldwide rights and licensed it through Irwin Toy and eventually Hasbro. The game's legacy includes numerous official variants—such as Throw 'n Go Jenga, Jenga Xtreme, and licensed editions like Harry Potter Jenga and Super Mario Jenga—as well as giant versions like Jenga XXL. The game also inspired a role-playing game called Dread, which uses a Jenga tower to resolve actions, and a game show, The Final Straw, with a similar format.
Did You Know?
- The name Jenga comes from the Swahili word 'kujenga', meaning 'to build or construct'.
- Leslie Scott launched Jenga at the London Toy Fair in January 1983.
- The tallest Jenga tower on record is a subject of debate, with no single unverified claim officially recognized.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented Jenga?
British designer and author Leslie Scott is the creator of Jenga, a game of physical skill that Hasbro went on to market worldwide.
What does the name Jenga come from?
The title is borrowed from the Swahili word 'kujenga,' which carries the meaning of building or constructing.
How do you play Jenga?
Each player takes a turn pulling one block from the lower portion of a 54-block tower and carefully placing it on top. The structure grows taller and less stable with every turn until it finally collapses, ending the game.
When was Jenga first released?
Jenga was introduced to the public in 1983.
How many blocks are in a Jenga tower?
A standard Jenga set contains exactly 54 wooden blocks stacked to form the starting tower.
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