It Takes a Village!

Can you build a village together, even when things don't go according to plan?

It Takes a Village is a collaborative card game where players work together to build their own eco-village. From managing resources to deciding what their community needs, the group must agree on common goals and find ways to achieve them.

The game was developed by young people during the Democracy XP: Rule the Game, Not the People the final activity of IYNF's  2026 Democracy Re:Boot – Engage, Defend, Innovate! project cycle.

Building a village might sound simple, but things don't always go as planned! Unexpected events, changing circumstances and different priorities challenge players to adapt, communicate and make decisions together. How do you keep working towards a shared goal when new problems arise? And what happens when the group doesn't agree on the best way forward?

Through the example of an eco-village, It Takes a Village encourages players to reflect on how different situations can influence democratic decision-making and the way communities are organised and governed.

The game can be enjoyed as a cooperative challenge or used as a starting point for conversations and workshops about democratic governance, collective responsibility and cooperation. It's particularly suited to youth exchanges, training courses and other small-group activities where participants can explore what it means to make decisions together.

You can either choose to download the game here on the website or to contact us at iynf@iynf.org to get a printed copy sent to you. We send the game for free; you just have to cover the shipping costs.

The educational activity and the production of the outcome were kindly funded by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe and the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.