This article introduces the Thematic Collection ‘Participatory Engagement and Game Playing For Achieving Sustainable Net-Zero Transition’. This collection of articles showcases an international body of research and participatory approaches supporting diverse communities through digital and board games, role play, and co-production. It interrogates techno-centric net-zero strategies that risk widening equity gaps and explores inclusive ways to empower communities in climate action. The purpose of the collection is to advance understanding of how net zero can be achieved alongside sustainable development, recognising that climate action must be embedded within broader goals of equity, well-being, and ecological integrity. While there is no inherent contradiction between net zero and sustainability, this collection acknowledges that significant trade-offs and challenges remain. Poorly coordinated or inadequately designed net-zero policies risk deepening social inequalities; by contrast, integrated and fair approaches can transform net zero into a catalyst for broader sustainability gains. The articles demonstrate how locally rooted, creative engagement fosters trust, builds ownership, and produces contextually relevant, enduring solutions informed by communities of users who need to sustain changes in use of energy and natural resources across time. They show that initiatives developed by non-experts—or those that actively engage non-experts—can play a vital role in achieving net zero in an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable way forward that considers social and environmental aspects hand in hand. Originating from the 2nd Sustainability Multidisciplinary Meetup, supported by the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network, this collection of Early Career Researcher (ECR) essays offers practical pathways for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners committed to addressing climate change through collaboration, creativity, and climate justice.