Title: Wargaming and Strategy

Location: US

Company: King's College London

About this course:

Wargaming is enjoying a modern resurgence. Once central to military planning during the interwar years, it has re-emerged as a vital method for understanding the strategic challenges of the 21st century — including cyber threats, climate crises, and geopolitical rivalry.

In this self-paced course from King’s College London, students will investigate how wargaming can be used as a powerful tool for strategic analysis. Led by David Banks, Academic Director of the King’s Wargaming Network, the course combines theory with practical insight, examining:

The strategic logic of victory and how it influences decision-making

The historical development of wargaming and its professional applications

The concept of contingent choice in uncertain environments

The core types and methods of wargame design

How wargaming is deployed across government, academia, and the private sector

By the end of the course, you’ll understand when and how wargaming can inform complex strategic questions, and how to apply it within your organisation or research.

This is a short course that can be completed in 5 hours — designed to be flexible and fit into your schedule.

Understand the foundational concepts of strategy and how they inform definitions of victory in conflict and competition

Explore how strategic choices are shaped by contingent decisions and the behaviour of other actors under uncertainty

Examine the historical development of wargaming and its evolution as a strategic and professional practice

Identify the methodological building blocks of wargaming, including scenario design, player interaction, and adjudication

Differentiate between major types of wargames and their strategic applications

Evaluate how wargaming is used to test assumptions, forecast outcomes, and support decision-making in complex scenarios

Assess the educational and organisational value of wargaming for preparing individuals and institutions to navigate real-world strategic challenges

Learn how wargaming can illuminate strategic thinking and help shape decision-making in today's uncertain geopolitical landscape.

Duration: 3 weeks

Skills:

- Cyber Threat Intelligence

- Decision Making

- Planning

- Research

- Strategic Analysis

- Strategic Thinking

Curriculum:

- Understand the foundational concepts of strategy and how they inform definitions of victory in conflict and competition

- Explore how strategic choices are shaped by contingent decisions and the behaviour of other actors under uncertainty

- Examine the historical development of wargaming and its evolution as a strategic and professional practice

- Identify the methodological building blocks of wargaming, including scenario design, player interaction, and adjudication

- Differentiate between major types of wargames and their strategic applications

- Evaluate how wargaming is used to test assumptions, forecast outcomes, and support decision-making in complex scenarios

- Assess the educational and organisational value of wargaming for preparing individuals and institutions to navigate real-world strategic challenges