Hacking Neighbourhoods

Hacking Neighbourhoods is a board game developed as part of a 10-day immersive residency programme in the Cloughjordan eco-village. It was created in response to the artists experience of living and working with local residents during this time.

The residency was situated within the broader Making Neighbourhoods project led by Workhouse Union in partnership with Cloughjordan CoHousing and Self Organised Architecture (SOA). In addition to the residency, a national seminar took place at Project Arts Centre, Dublin on June 8th and the Making Neighbourhoods project culminated in a publication launched in 2026.

The primary aim of the residency programme was to imagine and develop creative ideas of resilient and inclusive neighbourhood-making through community engagement and co-design. By investigating co-design through play, we explored the nuances of a just transition while challenging societal divisions that obstruct the path towards more equitable and sustainable futures.

Play is a fun and often overlooked methodology that can break down barriers of communication by subverting societal norms and enriching the process of imagining. The goal of the Hacking Neighbourhoods, the first prototype of a social deduction game, is to create flourishing and sustainable neighbourhood networks to thwart the plans of hidden lobbyists and capitalists! Players are divided into two teams: Hackers, who have a majority, and Capitalists, who claim to want the best for their local community but would rather maintain the status quo, capture wealth and privatise their neighbourhoods. In the game they are hidden to everyone but each other.

If the hackers have their wits about them and can learn to trust each other, they will have enough votes to sway elections and bring about regenerative neighbourhoods. They do this by hacking neighbourhoods to introduce regenerative policies, making communities that are vibrant, resilient, and eco friendly, benefiting both people and the planet. On the other side, Capitalists, with the help of a hidden lobbyist, are all about strategies and decisions that exploit resources for short-term profit, harming the community’s environment, social bonds, and future prospects. They play a game of deceit to advance their interests and control the council.

The overarching ambition of the ‘Hacking Neighbourhoods’ game is to unite diverse communities through play, emphasising the significance of collective climate action with a commitment to inclusivity and equity. It aims to open up a space for debate around the critical question: ‘What elements are necessary to create adaptable, resilient neighbourhoods of the future?’