Live wargames provide an experience that can't be replicated anywhere else and provide enhanced learning for students and professionals alike. Below are a handful of the benefits prior participants have experienced:
➡️ Experiential Learning: Participants develop adaptability in complex scenarios and make real-time strategic decisions.
➡️ Skill Building: Participants learn collaboration, negotiation, and crisis management under live conditions they might not experience for many years of their professional careers.
➡️ Professional Development: Our simulations gather dozens of foreign policy professionals under the same roof and quickly bond them. Future friendships and careers have been jumpstarted through these experiences.
➡️ Interdisciplinary Approach: Wargaming connects political science, history, economics, and security studies.
Below are a non-exhaustive list of testimonials from participants in prior simulations:
Having participated in three simulations with DPW, I can’t wait for the next one. Their team of true professionals is passionate about delivering the best experience possible. Their deep knowledge of foreign affairs, paired with incredible creativity, makes each simulation unique, engaging, and undeniably enjoyable.
- James, NASA Program Specialist:
Jay and his team are second to none. They don’t just design simulations—they craft immersive experiences tailored to each participant. Their attention to detail, humor, and deep expertise make every wargame both enriching and fun.
- Matt, Deputy Town Manager, Town of Occoquan, VA
I’ve worked on humanitarian crisis simulations with over 100 participants, and I can say with confidence that DPW delivers some of the best-designed and most realistic wargames available. Their ability to create high-pressure, decision-making scenarios prepares participants for real-world challenges in diplomacy, foreign assistance, and crisis management.
- Emily, International Affairs Expert
These wargames are a phenomenal experience, offering a hands-on way to hone decision-making skills. The moderators expertly craft unique and challenging scenarios while maintaining an engaging pace for both new and experienced players. I walk away having learned something new every time.
- Gordon, Defense Contractor; Former Naval Officer
The team at DPW have captured lightning in a bottle. Through their engaged leadership, diligent planning, and immersive experience, YPFP has been able to add something truly special to its catalog of events. Working with them has been a pleasure for the YPFP team and its members. I can't recommend it enough.
- Jake McCarty, former President, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy
These simulations are enriching experiences thanks to the hard work and professionalism of the mod team. Staffed by national security and international relations professionals, this mod team has a thorough grasp on the possible directions that their wargames might go. This intuitive understanding allows the players to approach complex geopolitical scenarios - from annexation of former Soviet Republics to a Cross-Strait conflict - in the manner that the player wants. For prospective participants interested in geopolitics and diplomacy, I highly recommend joining one of these exercises.
- James, Foreign Policy Expert at the Chamber of Commerce
As career DOD Intelligence Officer, these war games are the most realistic in their simulation of the full range of tools of national power that I’ve ever been a part of. They accurately replicate institutional phenomena as well as engagement between states. I’ve also observed young professionals learning lessons on balancing competing national interests, managing crises, and negotiating alliances. I highly recommend that early career foreign policy professionals participate in these games.
- Intelligence Community Officer
