Abstract. With the onset of climate change, adaptive action will have to occur at all scales, including locally. This implies a growing responsibility for the public and, therefore, a need to spread awareness and inspire climate action. Communication via adaptation games shows potential in achieving social learning and addressing the so-called knowledge-action gap. However, few research efforts so far give voice to participants engaging with collaborative games in organisational and community settings. This paper advances this field by presenting a systematic research reflection on a collaborative tabletop board game, Minions of Disruptions™. It addresses two research questions: first exploring how to design a collaborative adaptation game for the general public, and then determining how the intentions outlined by the game designers are perceived by the game participants. Ten core design intentions determined through a focus group interview with game designers and facilitators were contrasted against responses from the post-game survey administered to all game participants from 2019–2022. The results of this study indicate that the design intentions behind Minions of Disruptions were largely received by the intended audiences, demonstrating success as a communication tool for collaborative climate action. Moreover, important insights about designing adaptation games for the public are raised, which can aid in drafting guidelines for successful engagement.