Metachrysalis
A real-world cooperative game for collective flourishing
Welcome
Metachrysalis brings people together to share who they are as changemakers, build supportive community, and understand how their work fits into the the context of their region.
"Moves" in Metachrysalis are real world projects, and help us build collaborative "playbooks" for the places we live, and share and learn from others around the world working in their own creative ways to bring more health to our ecosystems, communities, economies and more.
Here, you can:
- Explore how the Metacrisis and Metachrysalis are unfolding in your bioregion.
- Map your skills, roles, and resources as a changemaker.
- Connect with people, communities, and projects around shared purpose.
- Make Moves — real-world actions that strengthen your place and your network.
The Vision
A world where every community becomes a regenerative ecosystem — ecologically vibrant, socially just, and resilient.
Metachrysalis turns complexity into collaboration by treating the great work of our time as a game we play together.
How It Works
People gather in person or online for one or more of the following phases:
-
Gathering Players & Setting the Stage
Orient around shared purpose, place, and potential. -
Character & Party Creation
Create “changemaker characters” that represent your gifts, passions, and capacities. Connect with each other and find collaborators. -
Exploring the Gameboard
Use and create localized "cards" to explore how the Metacrisis and Metachrysalis show up in your bioregion, building a map of challenges and opportunities. -
Quests & Moves
Design and enact real-world projects — from bite-sized actions to large scale mutual aid or bioregional transformation. Metachrysalis has a unique framework to help turn ideas into workable projects, and help existing projects innovate.
Past Moves become part of the living Open-Source Playbook for others to learn from and build upon, and become part of each person's "Quest Log", a portfolio that helps people understand who you are as a changemaker, and how they can best collaborate with or support you.
Core Principles
- Bioregionalism — work is rooted in bioregions, defined by our ecology, community and culture rather than borders.
- Play as Practice — Play fosters imagination, experimentation, and trust.
- Symbiotic Roles — leadership is distributed; everyone contributes from their strengths in the ways they choose.
- Transparency & Trust — open data and clear communication sustain collaboration.
- Regeneration > Extraction — every action restores ecological, social, cultural, and economic vitality.
The Infrastructure
Metachrysalis weaves together open tools and living culture:
- Community Mycelium Platform — this open source tool where we share the stories of our regions and their people and projects, and coordinate action.
- Skill Trees & Microcredentials — an organic approach to growing mentorship networks and understanding our individual and collective capacities.
- Permaculture Capital Framework — widening our focus from financial resources to a variety of ecological, social, and cultural wealth.
- Story & Game Assets — physical and digital card decks that help explore, discuss, innovate and create meaningful play.
- Open-Source Playbook — a living library of regenerative practices co-authored by players.
- Community Space (in partnership with the Design School for Regenerating Earth) — a shared Mighty Networks hub for gatherings, learning, and collaboration.
Game Modes
Metachrysalis adapts to what’s needed in the moment:
| Mode | Focus |
|---|---|
| Regeneration | Long-term transformation of systems and culture. |
| Resilience | Strengthening communities between crises, practicing collaboration |
| Relief | Rapid grassroots coordination and mutual aid during emergencies. |
Supported by Thaumazo
Metachrysalis is stewarded by Thaumazo — a Canadian nonprofit dedicated to emergent collaboration and regenerative systems.
Through partnerships and shared infrastructure, Thaumazo helps turn play into measurable impact.
Outcomes
- Cross-organizational cooperation within and across bioregions.
- Measurable ecological, cultural, and social regeneration projects.
- Skill-mapping and mentorship networks for changemakers.
- A shared mythos and language for transformation
Get Involved
Ready to play?
- Explore the People who are shaping regenerative futures.
- Contribute to Projects that move us toward collective flourishing.
- Contact: daniel@thaumazo.org
Metachrysalis — The game of collective metamorphosis.