How could mass involvement with shaping the future solve complex problems? Created in partnership with John Sweeney and Jose Ramos and based on our previous report, Our Futures is a game that encourages you to imagine new ways to involve people in thinking about the future.

21st century challenges cannot be addressed using 20th century mindsets and traditional models of public engagement – Our Futures, is meant to inspire and provoke new, and sometimes unusual, ways to unlock public imagination about alternative futures. Key questions you'll ask throughout the game include – how might emerging technologies be used in combination with participatory futures approaches and how might they help us find new ways to involve citizens in tackling 21st century challenges?

Our Futures can be played by anyone wanting to dream up new, more engaging, ways to involve large groups of people in thinking about the future. It is particularly relevant for futures professionals, artists, designers and technologists, as well as anyone with responsibility for engaging or consulting the public. Players (individuals or teams) compete to devise scenarios for new types of participatory futures activities that combine emerging technologies and a focus on tackling 21st century challenges, such as biodiversity loss or extreme weather events. The player or team with the most votes for their participatory futures activity wins the game.

For more information on what you need to get started and step by step instructions, download the instructions booklet and watch the short video developed by one of our partners.

Downloading the game is simple and can be done in three steps:

1. Download the and read the instructions booklet
2. Download and print the game board
3. Download, print and cut out the cards

We’re also open-sourcing the design files for this game on GitHub. So if you want to translate or adapt the game further you can.

You are all set, enjoy!