Analytical simulations
Used to answer a hard question before you act on it.
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Test whether a plan holds up. We run your contingency plan through a realistic crisis and see where it breaks.
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Make big decisions with evidence. Before you commit major funding, see how the choice could play out.
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Find problems nobody expected. An independent team plays the opposition and tries to beat your plan.
How wargames and simulations work
Every exercise we run serves one of two purposes: to inform decisions, or to build the people who make them.
Educational exercises
Used to prepare people to decide well under pressure.
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Practise in a safe setting. Leaders build judgement and composure where mistakes cost nothing.
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Decide without the full picture. Real crises rarely come with complete information.
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Respond to real people, not a script. The scenario adapts to participants’ choices, building confidence.
Choosing the simulation for you
There are a range of methods that can be used. This is how the main formats differ.
Who takes part
Executives, crisis team members and specialists
Students, junior staff or newcomers to a subject.
Decision-makers and subject-matter experts, often in several teams.
What you receive
Findings on decisions, roles and communication, with recommendations.
Participants who understand the subject and have practised its decisions.
A written analysis with evidence, assumptions and recommendations.
Best when
You need to test a crisis plan or prepare a leadership team.
You want to teach beginners and can reuse the game.
You face a costly decision or plan and need evidence before committing.
Tabletop crisis exercise
Boxed TRAINING wargame
Analytical wargame
What it is
A facilitated discussion that works through an unfolding crisis step by step.
A ready-made game with fixed rules and components, played with a facilitator to teach a subject.
A structured game built to answer a specific question, with results recorded for analysis.
How events are decided
Developments are planned in advance and adapted by facilitators.
The rules and components decide outcomes, so it plays consistently.
Rules or expert adjudication decide outcomes
Typical length
Half a day to one day
One to a few hours per session
One to several days, plus design time
Most engagements combine formats. We recommend the right mix when we scope the work. Not sure which you need?
How an exercise runs
A clear process from first conversation to lasting change, with your team involved at every stage.
01
Scope
We agree the questions the exercise must answer, who takes part and what success looks like.
02
Design
We build the scenario, injects and adjudication rules, and test them with your subject-matter experts.
03
Run
Facilitators run the exercise and record decisions, timing and points of friction as they happen.
04
Report
You receive an after-action report with findings, ranked recommendations and a plan to retest.