Category Archives: Simulations

Games that play out scenarios, uncovering new options and gauging potential outcomes.

Megagames

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Tom Grant

Megagames, as the name implies, are games that involve a large number of players, simulating often very sweeping events at a country or global scale. Megagames have depicted everything from a German invasion of Britain during World War II to … Continue reading →

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Kriegspiel

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Tom Grant

Kriegspiel, also known as “sandbox” or “sand table” wargames, are military simulations that usually involve three teams. Two teams represent the combatants, fighting a battle; the other team consists of the umpires who determine what happens, based on the players’ … Continue reading →

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Dice Of Debt

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Tom Grant

Dice Of Debt is a simple game designed to illustrate the importance of dealing with technical debt. Software developers often decide to cut corners, because there is a temporary benefit from not being as thorough as they might be in … Continue reading →

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Darfur Is Dying

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Tom Grant

Darfur Is Dying depicts the struggle of a single individual to survive in the midst of famine and violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. The game’s designer, Susana Ruiz, wanted to increase public awareness of this suffering, with the … Continue reading →

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MIT Sloan School Of Management

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Tom Grant

Business problem: Education Serious games used: The Beer Game In the 1960s, professors at the MIT Sloan School Of Management devised a way to illustrate the principles of a supply chain. The result, The Beer Game, is a classic example … Continue reading →

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Budget Hero

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Tom Grant

Although the federal budget is the hottest topic in American politics, the details of the budget are not well known in the voting public. How big are specific line items, such as Social Security or foreign aid? What line items … Continue reading →

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X-Plane

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Tom Grant

Business problem: Education Serious games used: X-Plane X-Plane is a good example of a computer simulation created as a training tool. Players can fly simulated versions of over 1,400 types of prop-driven and jet aircraft, as well as helicopters, through … Continue reading →

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Cisco

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Tom Grant

Business problem: Communication Serious games used: Cisco myPlanNet In 2009, Cisco’s marketing division ran a contest, asking for the most innovative ways of creating a big splash around the company’s 25th anniversary. The winner of this contest was CiscomyPlanNet, a Sim … Continue reading →

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