I’m here at work and my co-workers have had an ongoing Jenga game for the last couple weeks, and we’re up to 8 levels above the starting stack height. It’s been teetering for the last couple days but still holding firm, with pieces still being removed and placed on top even today.
We’re wondering how close this might be to a record. When you’ve played Jenga, what’s the highest you’ve seen the stack get before disaster strikes?
D
If you even mention the word “Jenga” at a Catholic event at my school, there’s one story that gets told over and over again. We were on a retreat once with about twenty or so people. During the down time, our campus minister and two students decided to play a nice friendly game of Jenga. When the tower was about twenty-five blocks high (I don’t know the starting size), most of the people on retreat were watching. When it hit thirty, the entire room was silent with all eyes on the game of Jenga. It eventually fell at thirty-three blocks high, with one block on the thirty-forth layer. Luckily for you, I can provide a picture. If Jenga is ever looking for new cover art, I think that this could be it.
-Mosquito
Thanks! We’re at 26 right now, so there’s quite a ways to go. They’ll get a kick out of the photographic evidence. 
That picture is so funny! You can tell exactly who sent it tumbling.
My six-year-old daughter bought a knock-off version of Jenga, Timber Tumble, at Target the other day. It was only $1, and it’s the first game I’ve actually enjoyed playing with her (as in, I enjoy the game as opposed to just enjoying the time with her). You never know who’s going to win. I’m sure we’ve never come close to setting any records, though!
I’ve played a few times till the next move was guaranteed to fall (all levels have single middle tile or two outside tiles) but not sure how high it got. Never particularly tried to get to the stage of all single tiles all the way up, and doubt it would be worth all the necessary attempts to achieve it.
Has anyone ever removed a single remaining middle tile and had the top fall onto the bottom without overballancing?
Do you have a photo from when it was still standing?
I only played the game once, but it had a memorable moment.
We had just started a new game, and Geno was removing the first block. We were all joking that he was going to knock it down on his first turn. Ha ha, very funny, says he. Just then, the doorbell rang. Geno was startled. Oops.
Pfft. Amateurs :). The correct play in this situation is to poke an outside brick until it is in the middle, then remove the other brick on that level. I have done this successfully a few times, but never when it was the only possible move.
Is that a legal move? We usually play if you touch a piece that is the piece you have to try to remove.
Though we find it is much to competative a game unless played whilst at least partaially drunk
This looks like a setup to me, but it’s funny anyway. A reporter interviews a guy with a huge Jenga tower.
We play Jenga now and again; I’ve always enjoyed it. I think our record is 28 levels from top to bottom.
Our house rule is not that you have to try to remove whatever piece you touch - you’re allowed to “test” a piece to see how loose/removable it is. However, you can only touch whichever piece you’re removing with the fingers of one hand, and (obviously) you can’t steady the tower with the other hand at any time.
We started a stack that was about eight levels high, built solid.
On our friend’s head.
Can’t say I have a picture of it, but her talent is showcased here.
There is meant to be a head on top of the beer, not the other way round