Wargames and Simulations

I have developed two games to foster teambuilding and critical-thinking about international affairs. Though originally designed to be played in undergraduate classrooms for a total of three to five hours each, they may be easily adapted for professionals in the private and public sectors alike. If you are interested in using one of these activities in your office or school, please go to the Contact page and send a message. I will work with you to adapt the rules and format as necessary.

1. United Nations Security Council Simulation

   1. Each player (or team) represents one member state of the UN Security Council

   2. Round 1: each state representative learns about their country’s political, economic, and social conditions. The Security Council votes on a basic resolution to learn the procedure of voting and conditions of passage.

   3. Round 2: a specific crisis involving at least one of the Permanent Members is presented to the Security Council. The crisis has not yet risen to the level of armed conflict but has the potential to escalate unless international cooperation is successful. States work individually or with other like-minded states to draft a resolution that has the maximum beneficial effect without pressuring one of the Permanent Members to use their veto power. Each resolution is read aloud and a short debate is held where questions can be asked and modifications to the resolution may be made. Each resolution receives a vote.

   4. Debrief: all participants discuss why their resolutions passed or failed and what may have changed those outcomes.

2. Taiwan Strait: 2028 (Beta - has been tested in classroom)

   1. Players are divided in to two teams: Red (People’s Republic of China) and Blue (United States) and represent the Central Military Commission and National Security Council, respectively. If possible, teams are kept in separate rooms or meet at different times to ensure they are not communicating unless certain actions in the game require it. The third team, White Team, is the gamemaster and adjudicator who is running the wargame.

   2. Teams play an open-ended strategic/operational wargame over multiple rounds to achieve certain goals. Other sub-goals and partial victory conditions exist that may (or may not) be known to the opposing team.

      1. Red: assume total political control over the island of Taiwan.

      2. Blue: prevent direct conflict between the PRC and U.S. and protect Taiwan’s political independence.

   3. Round 1: Red and Blue play simultaneously without contact.

      (Alt: Red submits their moves first, after which Blue responds.)

   4. Rounds 2 & 3 (or more, if allowed): White team adjudicates success of moves between each round and teams continue to play simultaneously.

      (Alt: Team with the advantage plays first and other team responds. Advantage determined by the White Team after the conclusion of each round.)

   5. Debrief: all participants return to one room and discuss what was (un)successful and what may have changed those outcomes