IDA Ideas Wargaming Approaches for Varied Warfighting Functions
Apr 3, 2026
Rosemary K. Tropeano, a researcher who games intelligence and emerging-tech tradeoffs. Rachel L. McVicker, an operational wargaming practitioner for ally and partner planning. Akar Bharadvaj, an assistant director focused on logistics and wargame design. They discuss why wargames matter, designing playable mechanics, tools from dice to sims, operational planning tensions, logistics coordination, and gaming intelligence processes.
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Wargaming Is Exploratory Not Predictive
- Wargaming creates a synthetic environment that gives players alternate agency to make decisions and observe consequences.
- Akar Bharadvaj emphasizes games are exploratory tools that raise questions rather than predict outcomes, and complement modeling and analysis.
Prefer Simple Tools When They Suffice
- Use simple tools like dice and Excel when they meet analytic and gameplay needs instead of overrelying on complex sims.
- Rachel McVicker and Rosemary Tropeano note Excel manages quantitative values and 20-sided dice provide needed randomness for playability.
Iterate Between Fidelity And Playability
- Design is an art of abstraction balancing fidelity and playability to avoid overcomplex rules that impede learning.
- Akar Bharadvaj advises iterating between too-simple and too-complex versions and prioritizing a short list of essential questions with sponsors.