The Value of Wargames and Tabletop Exercises as Naturalistic Tools

Abstract

Wargames and tabletop exercises (TTXs) have existed for centuries in military planning contexts but have seen relatively limited use as methods of inquiry within the human factors community of practice. We argue that that the use of these tools is not commensurate with their value, as they are effective and efficient means to conduct naturalistic inquiry. We demonstrate the value of wargames and TTXs by presenting two case studies of their use in different domains, highlighting how their outputs were used to achieve research objectives and to glean insights about human cognition in the context of work. We also discuss the similarity of wargames and TTXs to other methods of inquiry, and suggest future areas for research.