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Strategy Quest vs Fortlane
Fortlane runs wargames. Strategy Quest runs full rehearsals. We simulate competitive dynamics too — but with consequence logic, portfolio triggers, and CFO-ready metrics. Here’s how they compare.
Why this comparison matters
Wargaming offers a compelling format for exploring competitive dynamics, but it often falls short when used as a stand-in for genuine strategy rehearsal. Many teams enjoy the theatre of it — players role-play as competitors, simulate boardroom power plays, and debate plausible futures. But theatre without consequence builds confidence, not capability.
Strategy rehearsal demands more than just ideas and debate. It requires teams to make tough trade-offs, face political constraints, and respond to feedback they can’t control. If your simulation doesn't include those variables, you're rehearsing the wrong thing.
Limited realism
Fortlane’s wargames lean heavily on roleplay and facilitation. They are typically delivered as one-off workshops with external moderators, which means outcomes often rely on facilitation quality and participant mood.
But in the real world, strategic decisions are not made in isolation. They evolve over time, are subject to trade-off logic, and require teams to balance portfolio exposure, capital discipline, and internal politics. Fortlane’s static structure and lack of consequence modelling mean critical variables get left out.
The Strategy Quest approach
Strategy Quest integrates the best of wargaming logic — competitor moves, market dynamics, optionality — into a repeatable system designed to simulate long-term strategic outcomes. But we go further. Each decision interacts with a set of constraints, dependencies, and triggers over time.
Your team doesn’t just 'play out' a rival’s behaviour — they experience what happens when that behaviour hits capital allocation frameworks, internal buy-in thresholds, and changing market assumptions. That’s why we say: this isn’t a game. It’s a rehearsal.
Success factors
Teams finish a round of Strategy Quest with a clear memory of when they hesitated, why they invested too soon, or how they failed to anticipate a market shift. The realism forces reflection. The structure supports iteration.
What emerges is not just better understanding, but behavioural change: strategy becomes a team capability, not a solo act or a facilitated exercise. Executives leave with language, alignment, and foresight they can apply immediately.
ideal audience
- Heads of Strategy
- Innovation Directors
- COOs exploring wargames
- Corporate Strategy teams
- Business Unit Leaders
Common questions
What is a business strategy simulation?
Business strategy simulation is an immersive training method where leaders test strategic decisions in a risk-free, AI-powered environment. Unlike traditional workshops, participants experience consequences of their choices, compress months of strategic thinking into hours, and receive objective feedback on their decision-making under pressure.
How does Strategy Quest work?
Strategy Quest combines AI agents, realistic market dynamics, and proven business frameworks to create authentic strategic scenarios. Participants make decisions solo or in teams, navigate incomplete information and stakeholder pressure, then see the outcomes play out. Each session compresses 12 months of strategic decision-making into a 2-hour intensive experience.
Who should attend Strategy Quest sessions?
Strategy Quest is designed for innovation leaders, heads of strategy, product leaders, transformation consultants and senior executives who make high-stakes strategic decisions. Our participants typically lead teams and are responsible for new product launches, market entry strategies, or major business pivots.
What makes Strategy Quest different from other business simulations?
Traditional business simulations focus on financial outcomes. Strategy Quest emphasizes leadership development and "real world decision making skills". You'll practice navigating organizational politics, building consensus under pressure, and developing strategic foresight skills that directly transfer to your day job as an innovation leader.
How long is a Strategy Quest session?
Each Strategy Quest session is a 3-hour intensive experience, typically run with cohorts of 8-12 participants. We also offer custom half-day and full-day programs for leadership teams who want deeper strategic alignment.
Do I need any preparation before attending?
No special preparation required. You'll receive a brief scenario overview 24 hours before your session, but the experience is designed to mirror real-world conditions where you must make decisions with incomplete information.
Is Strategy Quest suitable for remote teams?
Yes! Strategy Quest runs seamlessly in virtual environments. Our digital platform recreates the pressure and collaboration dynamics of in-person strategy sessions, making it perfect for distributed innovation teams.
What results can I expect from Strategy Quest?
Participants report faster strategic decision-making, improved confidence in high-stakes situations, a better understanding of their innovative and leadership styles and better ability to anticipate market consequences. 72% of participants say they've applied insights from Strategy Quest to real strategic decisions within 30 days.
Can Strategy Quest help with specific strategic challenges my company is facing?
Absolutely. We create custom scenarios based on your industry, competitive landscape, and specific strategic challenges. Many clients use Strategy Quest to stress-test actual strategies they're considering implementing. Reach out to us to explore custom scenarios.
How is feedback provided during the simulation?
You'll receive feedback as scenarios unfold, plus detailed debrief sessions analyzing your decision making patterns, leadership style under pressure, and strategic thinking approach. All feedback is behavior-based and objective, not opinion-based.