What Is Wargaming?
Ask ten executives to define wargaming and you’ll hear ten different versions. Some think of military maneuvers. Others imagine tabletop games or software simulations. In business, the answer is sharper: wargaming is a structured simulation where leadership teams role-play competitors to stress-test strategy, anticipate moves, and refine responses before those moves unfold in the market.
Instead of reviewing quarterly forecasts in slides, leaders step into the shoes of rivals. One team plays the low-cost disruptor eager to undercut on pricing. Another plays the ambitious startup chasing funding with bold innovation. A third embodies the global incumbent with deep resources and entrenched competitive position. Suddenly, the room feels less like a strategy meeting and more like a live rehearsal for the marketplace.
This is why wargaming has become central to competitive strategy and modern strategy planning. It blends the discipline of a SWOT framework with the energy of a business simulation competition, helping organizations prepare for disruption and growth.
Why Wargaming Matters in Business Strategy
Traditional strategic planning produces forecasts, dashboards, and frameworks. Valuable, but incomplete. The flaw? They lack pressure.
Competitors adjust quickly. Customers change expectations. Regulators shift requirements. In this type of dynamic market landscape, treating strategy like a spreadsheet risks overconfidence.
Wargaming closes that gap by:
- Anticipating competitors. Role-play reveals how direct competitors and indirect competitors might counter your moves.
- Stress-testing plans. Assumptions about pricing strategies, marketing tactics, or channel investments are tested in real time.
- Accelerating alignment. Teams debate less and decide faster, because they’ve experienced how strategy feels under stress.
Instead of asking “what might happen,” executives simulate “what will we do when it happens.”
How a Business War Game Typically Works
A business wargame is not improvisation; it’s a structured workshop. The process usually follows five easy steps:
- Competitor profiles are created using intelligence dossiers, a competitive analysis template, or a competitive product analysis report.
- Role-play. Participants are split into small cross-functional teams. Each group becomes a competitor, developing a strategy as if they sat in that rival’s boardroom.
- Scenarios play out under time pressure: a disruptive entrant, a new product launch, or a sudden regulatory change. Teams present moves and countermoves while facilitators capture outcomes.
- Surprises and vulnerabilities are identified. Teams compare how assumptions held up and categorize outputs into threats and market opportunities.
- Action planning. Leaders evaluate competitor actions using probability and impact, then prioritize responses, refine the strategic plan agenda, and assign next steps.
A Sample Two-Day Wargaming Agenda
Wargaming workshops often run across two days to maximize both role-play and reflection. Here’s a tested format:
Day 1 – Setting the Stage & First Simulation
- 09:00 – 09:30 | Welcome & Objectives
- 09:30 – 10:30 | Market & Competitor Briefing
- 10:30 – 12:30 | Team Role Preparation
- 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch
- 13:30 – 15:30 | Round 1 Simulation
- 15:30 – 16:30 | Debrief & Insights
- 16:30 – 17:00 | Reflection & Close
Day 2 – Second Simulation & Action Planning
- 09:00 – 09:30 | Recap & Framing
- 09:30 – 11:30 | Round 2 Simulation
- 11:30 – 12:30 | Competitor Playbook Development
- 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch
- 13:30 – 15:00 | Action Planning
- 15:00 – 16:00 | Alignment Discussion
- 16:00 – 17:00 | Final Debrief & Commitments
This structure ensures teams move from intelligence, to simulation, to decisions.
The Role of the Moderator in Market War Games
The moderator is the keystone of a successful war game. Unlike a facilitator who simply manages the clock, the moderator ensures the exercise translates into actionable outcomes.
Their role includes:
- Setting expectations. They define the rules of engagement, ground the workshop in evidence, and keep participants committed to the exercise.
- Keeping it realistic. The moderator prevents scenarios from drifting into fantasy. Competitor actions must reflect actual constraints, market signals, and intelligence.
- Balancing debate. Wargames often surface strong personalities. A skilled moderator ensures quieter voices contribute and avoids dominance by one perspective.
- Driving to action. Insights alone are not enough. The moderator organizes findings into threats, opportunities, and next steps, ensuring outputs feed into the strategic planning agenda.
Without a strong moderator, a wargame risks becoming entertainment. With one, it becomes a disciplined rehearsal that sharpens decision-making.
When to Use Wargaming for Business
Not every planning cycle requires a war game. Use it for inflection points:
- Market entry
- Product launches
- Pricing changes
- Regulatory shifts
- Strategic pivots
These are the moments where traditional tools like a SWOT analysis template give you the data, and wargaming brings that data to life.
Benefits of Competitive Wargaming
- Sharper competitive strategy
- Improved brand positioning
- Aligned execution across product, sales, and marketing
- Higher profitability and better performance
- Confidence under pressure
Is Business Wargaming Worth the Effort?
Yes. Traditional tools like SWOT or Porter’s Five Forces provide analysis. Wargaming adds rehearsal. It transforms steps in strategic planning from static analysis into dynamic action.
Instead of waiting for the market to expose flaws, you surface them in advance. That confidence is worth the time.
Play to Win the Market
Wargaming is not a gimmick. It is a rehearsal for competition.
- Use wargaming at key moments like launches, entries, or pivots.
- Build competitor roles from real intelligence.
- Capture threats, opportunities, and clear next steps.
- Integrate outcomes into your strategic plan and business strategy
Done well, wargaming equips leadership with confidence, clarity, and a playbook for the future.
External Experts Don’t Just Facilitate, they Accelerate
Sedulo Group designs and facilitates competitive wargames for leadership teams preparing for their most important strategic decisions. Our experts bring together intelligence, facilitation, and structured playbooks so workshops move beyond theory and deliver action.
We work with global organizations to:
- Develop realistic competitor profiles grounded in intelligence
- Design scenarios tied to market signals and industry trends
- Moderate sessions to ensure balanced debate and actionable outcomes
- Capture insights and translate them into refined strategy and execution
Ready to stress-test your next strategic move? Contact Sedulo Group to plan a wargame that prepares your team to win.