For years, simulation games have been our key competence. Whether it’s international climate negotiations, EU lawmaking or a Round Table on building a mosque in a fictional small town – playfully experiencing politics and political issues leads to sustainable learning, and it’s fun! We develop simulation games on social, political and economic issues for (almost) all age groups. There are more than 80 games in our repertoire, and every year, a few more are added – mostly on demand.

Most of our simulation games are available in various versions, i.e. for different target groups, group sizes or specific related subjects. Ranging from a 90-minute game for 15 people to an event lasting several days for 60 participants – many of the existing simulation games are adaptable. Experience has shown that combining simulation games with other formats such as future workshops or negotiation trainings can be particularly effective.

As a result of our comprehensive experience, we are regularly brought in for consulting and development services. This can take a variety of forms: often, we are commissioned to develop the overall concept of a conference or a programme. Based on your specific requirements, we will develop a concept for method and content in which different interactive methods are modularly intertwined.

Another large area is concerned with developing simulation games. We are often asked to take on the entire development of a simulation game, complete with guidelines for its facilitation and training of the team of facilitators. On other occasions, we merely function as consultants on the development of a game. In the latter case, we tend to mostly provide advice and feedback on the game materials developed by the client. Hybrid forms are, of course, available too, as are the development of online games and other events.

How do I successfully conduct negotiations that leave everybody satisfied? What are the special characteristics of multilateral international negotiations? How do I select and build up a team and how to get a team to work together well? How do I detect and solve conflicts in the workplace? What is good crisis management? Our skills trainings will provide you with answers to these and other questions – as well a space for practicing!

In our didactic trainings, we allow participants to take a look behind the scenes and share our rich experience gained during years of working with interactive methods. How do I develop a simulation game? What are important points to look out for when facilitating a game? Which methods provide an interactive way into a subject, which methods are suitable for evaluation? How do I present an event? How do I adapt an event to varying numbers of participants? We explore these and other questions in relation to the specific needs of our participants, either focussing on the simulation game as a method or on interactive methods in general.

We offer you friendly, flexible and participant-oriented moderation. Apart from classic forms of moderation, we like to involve interactive methods such as world cafés, future workshops or the development of scenarios – if the nature of the event allows it. Alternatively, we’ll develop new formats if no existing one fits. We are also happy to take on the creation of an events’ entire concept as well as all the communication between organisers, speakers etc. Furthermore, we have had a lot of positive experiences with integrating online sequences into preparation, evaluation or the presentation of final results during a conference.

One very special format is the creative workshop. Under the guidance of professionals, the participants produce a short film, develop an advertising campaign or create a play. While our team boasts a large variety of competences, we are still the first to admit that there are limits – therefore we usually ask professional partners from the worlds of film, advertising, theatre or journalism to join us for these formats.

During our beginnings, we mostly developed single events, and in the course of years our projects have become larger and larger through the years. By now, we can draw on several years of experience through large-scale projects with the European Union as well as more complex projects for other clients. Simultaneously, our pool of experienced employees and freelance team members has steadily grown, allowing us to complete larger commissions professionally and competently. We are currently partners in two EU-funded European collaborative projects.

Aside from the many special events for students, we are also active in regular teaching at numerous universities at home and abroad. We teach seminars on topics ranging from conflict management, EU policy to negotiation techniques in international politics – always aiming at as much active involvement from the students as possible.

Furthermore, we are increasingly concerning ourselves with the methodical questions raised in our work, i.e. with the scientific examination of the advantages and disadvantages of interactive teaching methods, their evaluation and their suitability to different subjects. We are actively seeking exchange with other actors in the field of education, particularly with other creators of simulation games, but also in academia in general. The list of our publications on didactics-related topics is steadily growing, most recently through contributions in an anthology on European education work as well as in the journal European Political Science. Furthermore, we will contribute two articles to the handbook “Planspiele in der politischen Bildungsarbeit” (publication planned for 2015).