SEST 560 Basics of Wargaming
This gallery features originally designed wargames by Georgetown students in SEST 560 Basics of Wargaming. Students researched, designed, developed, and playtested wargames on a specific military case study.
Heroes Rising: Three Kingdoms (2019): Designed by Sawyer Judge, Hannah Fodale, Evan Lundh. This wargame The game is set in 210 CE - 220 CE, when the three kingdoms are not fully consolidated and each side is aiming to be the Emperor of China.
Reconquering Rome (2019): Designed by Caitlyn Leong, Nikolai Rice, and Charles Lewis. This wargame examines the Byzantine conquest of Italy during the Gothic Wars (536 AD through 542 AD).
Hellenic Struggle (2019): Designed by Austin Parenteau, Evan Meltzer, Matthew Benschneider. This wargame examines the role of alliance building and maintenance during the Peloponnesian War.
In the Mountain's Shadow (2019): Designed by Kevin Truitte, Caitlyn Vincent, Munehito Nakatani. This wargame explores the dynamics of the low-intensity conflict in the Kashmir between India, Pakistan, and violent insurgent groups.
Russian Roulette (2020): Designed by Marc Pitrois, Steven Sacks, and Brian Monroy. This wargame examines the Ukrainian Crisis and the use of gray zone tactics by Russian forces.
Sino-Vietnamese Clash 1979 (2020): Designed by Luke Encarnation, Brandon Kelly, Elliot McRoberts. This wargame examines the three-week 1979 Sino-Vietnamese border war.
War is a Racket (2021): Designed by Lexee Brill, Samantha Wong, and Asher Elkins. The game explores the Banana Wars and the high-level asymmetric warfare.
Competition -- AI (2021): Designed by Sasha Barkhaus, Andrew Olson, Vikram Venkatram. This game explores technology competition between the US and China, focused on AI technologies.
Thor's Hammer (2021): Designed by Jonathan Abshire, Jamie Hood, Zack Watson. Sponsored by US Army Command & General Staff College (CGSC), this game explores future conflict in Norway with Russia -- focused on logistics operations.
A Splendid Failure (2021): Designed by Jessa Dury-Agri, Mark Dwyer, and Matthew Kirchman. This game explore the political dynamics of the American Reconstruction period.
GoPhish (2022): Designed by Karina Alavander, Kavya Sankhavaram, Moshe Klein, Nico Wood. Players represent various cyber actors, and unlock capabilities to either defend their networks or execute a cyber attack. This game was sponsored by US CYBERCOM.
Fight to the Fight (2022): Designed by Harley Morgan, Jiseung Oh, and Lee Schafer. The game explores the challenges of strategic lift within a contested theater within a hypothetical war in 2027 between the PRC and the U.S. over control of Taiwan. This game was sponsored by USMC Marine Air Group 24.
The Major's Gambit (2022): Designed by Grant Burroughs, McAfee Sheehan, Spencer Ross. This wargame emphasizes rapid tactical decision-making at a Brigade-level engagement, sponsored by US Command General and Staff College.
Midnight Maneuver (2022): Designed by Matt Tetreau, Brodd Ladd, and Carolina Ramos. The game explores the tradeoffs between managing emissions and other facets of maritime operations, including C2, fires, and maneuver.
Salvo Island (2023): Designed by Bradley Hazen, John Kerman, and Keven Hernandez. The game explores the tactical nighttime engagements of Guadalcanal -- with an emphasis on the fog, friction, and confusion of naval surface actions.
Influence in the Indo-Pacific (2023): Designed by Hayley Nitz, James Court, JuAn Lee-Thacker, & Richard Nghiem. The game centers on the current geopolitical contest between China and the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, focusing specifically on the four elements of DIME (diplomatic, informational, military, and economic) power. This game was sponsored by US Air University.
Initial Success or Total Failure (ISTF) (2023): Designed by Savannah Benko, Michael Losacco, and Lauren Maranto. The game is an educational wargame designed to demonstrate the successful tactical execution of U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capabilities. This game was sponsored by the USMC EOD School.
Acquisition Wars (2024): Designed by Robert Shala, Ona Spreenberg, Jon Beto. Sponsor by the US Space Command, the game aims to help junior officers understand the acquisition process from the perspective of commercial firms. Representing a company, each player must manage their funding, human capital, and technology investments to compete and complete contracts for the US Space Force.
CHMR (Ch-im-mer) (2024): Designed by Colleen Cooper and Priya Jain. Sponsored by PAX for Peace, this wargame explores the role of civilians on the modern battlefield and aims to teach players about civilian harm mitigation and response (CHMR) techniques.
MAD HADR (2024): Designed by Walter Kunkle, Shea Megale, and Clayton Gries. Sponsored by the Colombian Navy, the game explores the intersection of regional competition and influence in the context of humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).
Minerva's Citadel (2024): Designed by Kathleen Ryan, Nathan Glushka, and Ido Levy. Sponsored by the UK British Army Urban Warfare Center, the wargame is a scenario-based educational wargame where Blue and Red forces attempt to fight and secure a modern urban battlefield. The game aims to be an accessible, fast-playing educational wargame.
Pacific Persuasion (2024): Designed by Caroline Seelman and Jacob Share. Sponsored by the Atlantic Council, this wargame explores the competition for influence in the Pacific Islands -- specifically the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. The players represent either the Pacific Islands attempting to balance alignment and domestic benefits, while other players represent the US, China, and Australia each with their own motives.