2024

Ojanen, Eetu; Saastamoinen, Kalle

In the evolving landscape of education and training, commercial computer games emerge as a novel avenue for operational analysis within military contexts. This article explores the application potential and limitations of such games in supporting decision-making processes. Through a qualitative case study involving usability testing with five participants, two distinct games, Tabletop Simulator and Combat Mission: Black Sea, were evaluated for their operational analysis utility. The findings reveal that while commercial games offer benefits such as cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and visual engagement, their applicability in operational analysis remains constrained. Limitations include inadequate analytical tools and language barriers. Additionally, the effort-to-benefit ratio for creating detailed scenarios is unfavorable. The study’s insights are pertinent to similar styled games and cyber boards, highlighting a nuanced potential for integrating commercial games into operational analysis frameworks.