Avalon Martin Weight of the World

Finalist
Credits
  • Tauira / Student
    Avalon Martin
  • Kaiako / Lecturers
    Anke Nienhuis, T'heniel Chetty
Description:

In Weight of the World, the fate of the planet is in your hands. This strategy-based educational board game blends financial literacy with sustainability, teaching students aged 10–14 how to balance satisfaction and ecological responsibility. Players take on the roles of Consumer, Manufacturer, or Government, each tasked with managing resources whilst minimising their environmental footprint.

The centrepiece of the game - a precariously balanced Earth - metaphorically represents the fragility of ecological balance. This physical metaphor reinforces the core message: every action, no matter how small, contributes to the stability or collapse of our world. As players draw and play cards, make investments, and react to unpredictable challenges, they remove or return sticks, physically shifting the balance of the Earth in response to their decisions.

Through thoughtful gameplay and strategic collaboration, students learn that sustainability is not a solo pursuit. While each team has unique objectives and resources, the game rewards cooperation and foresight. Together, players can avert ecological disaster, but only if they temper ambition with care.

Weight of the World is purpose-built for classrooms. The rules are straightforward enough to learn quickly, yet layered enough to support rich discussions and repeated play. Its components, including tactile wooden playing pieces and playing cards, ensure durability and sustainability.

Compact packaging and recyclable materials minimise its environmental footprint, aligning the product with the lessons it teaches.

More than just a board game, Weight of the World is a powerful educational tool. It fosters systems thinking, promotes discussion around sustainability and resource management, and helps students grasp the often-invisible links between consumption, industry, governance, and planetary health. Whether learning to budget, planning a policy, or finessing consumption habits, students are encouraged to reflect on how their choices shape the world.

Fun, meaningful, and memorable, Weight of the World empowers the next generation to build a more sustainable future - one decision at a time.