Metachrysalis
A real-world cooperative game for collective flourishing
And when we're in game worlds, I believe that many of us become the best version of ourselves:
The most likely to help at a moment's notice
The most likely to stick with a problem as long at it takes
To get up after failure and try again.And in real life, when we face failure,
when we confront obstacles, we often don't feel that way.
We feel overcome, we feel overwhelmed,
we feel anxious, maybe depressed, frustrated or cynical.
We never have those feelings when we're playing games,
they just don't exist in games.
…How can we take those feelings from games and apply them to real-world work?"
- Jane McGonigal, Gaming can make a better world
Welcome
Metachrysalis is an invitation to come together with people in your area, build community, and make your neighbourhood and region more healthy, thriving and fair.
It's like a game, but you don’t play as a fictional hero. You play as your changemaker self. And "moves" in the game are real world actions.
It helps people find a meaningful way in to the work of regeneration, resilience, and relief — grounded in place, informed by systems thinking, and powered by collaboration.
At a time when top-down systems are too slow and brittle to meet the moment, Metachrysalis is designed to empower “trim tabs” — small, well-placed actions that help turn the larger ship.
What We’re Doing
We are:
- Building community around shared purpose.
- Mapping the challenges and possibilities in our bioregions.
- Turning ideas into real-world Moves.
- Sharing what works as an open-source playbook.
This is not about fighting the old model alone.
It’s about designing and practicing the new one — together.
Start Here
New to Metachrysalis?
→ Start Here
Find your way in. Choose your place. Create your character. Make your first Move.
About
Curious about the deeper thinking behind the work?
→ About Metachrysalis
Origins, influences, principles, and the story behind the framework.
Play
Ready to explore how it works in practice?
→ How to Play
Character sheets, parties, Moves, cohorts, and the open-source playbook.
The Framework
Want to understand the lenses we use?
→ Framework Library
Permaculture Capitals, Metacrisis & Metachrysalis Facets, Roles, and more.
People, Communities, and Moves
Explore what’s already unfolding:
- People — changemakers in the network
- Communities — organizations and circles participating
- Bioregions — places where the game is being played
- Projects / Moves — real-world actions and experiments
Stewardship
Metachrysalis is stewarded by Thaumazo — a Canadian nonprofit dedicated to ethical technology, resilient communities, and long-term planetary flourishing.
Metachrysalis — the game of collective metamorphosis.