Educational Design
Matrix Game Primer: A Simple Tool for Complex Questions
An introduction to matrix games as flexible tools for exploring strategic questions when you don't have a formal ruleset.
- •Matrix games
- •Scenario design
- •Strategic thinking
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Matrix games are the most underrated tool in wargaming. They're simple: players describe actions, argue why they'd work, and a facilitator judges the outcome.
This makes them perfect for exploring questions that don't have existing games: 'How would a crisis in the Taiwan Strait unfold?' or 'What would a cyberattack on infrastructure look like?'
This primer shows you how to design and run a matrix game for any scenario you're curious about.