Policy gaming using scenarios new financial crisis.

) that reflects an
unprecedented situation that might
A serious game is designed for a primary
happen in a plausible, relevant and
purpose other than pure entertainment.
challenging scenario. The computer-
The 'serious' adjective is generally
based modelling and simulation can
prepended to refer to products used
be performed in real time, or multiple
by industries like defence, education,
simulation runs can be recorded in
scientific exploration, health care,
advance.
emergency management, city planning,
engineering, and politics. For example,
In each round the participants are
war games are used in military settings
provided with an update of the situation
to rehearse battle plans. The entire
and required to discuss and indicate how
process often takes only a few days but
they will react. The combined responses
involves considerable preparation and
are synthesised and used to recalibrate
post-play analysis.
the situation and set the scene for the
next round of discussion, reaction and
Policy gaming is a versatile method for
interaction.
eliciting a shared vision in confusing,
exceptional and urgent situations, where
At the end of the game, discussion
precedent is of little value. The game
focused on learnings and new
takes the form of a carefully designed
behavioural insights. Policy gaming can
process that provides opportunities
be scenario-based i.e. exploring reactions
for an improvisational rehearsal of
to a novel situation for which there are
responses to a simulated real-life
no existing or known solutions in the
situation, to generate new insights about
history of human experience.
human behaviours.

A policy game takes the form of a

simulated interaction that combines "A painful and conflict-ridden
interactive dialogue with computer- collective thought experiment
based simulation. It is usually designed
is much more desirable than
around a specific event (a tipping
point or crisis of some kind, e.g. a
a conflict-ridden and stalled
implementation process."
(Geurts et al., 2007, pp.
535–559)4

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