Playing the future: How futures role-play builds empathy and strategy for systems change

Building empathy and strengthening strategy through role-play 

Raised eyebrows, occasional shaking of heads, wry smiles of understanding, groans of frustration, and copious cups of coffee. A whirlwind of diagnosis, deliberation and debate as events unfold and timelines narrow, the clock inexorably ticking. Hurried negotiation of solutions that address the concerns of disgruntled local communities and development organisations, no shortage of people scurrying off to talk to the all-powerful finance ministers and union leaders. And then there were the left-field events that threatened to derail the best of intentions, creating an intense pressure to act.  
 
Amidst the discussion of short-term trade-offs and desired coalitions, to the overt lobbying of investors and governments, you would be forgiven for thinking I was speaking about COP30 in Brazil last month. But in fact, I’m reflecting on a future-focused strategic role-playing game called Changing Currents we were playing for the second time in London with thirty invited participants from across civil society, business and the public sector. The game was originally played at an energy convening in South Africa in June to help participants hone anticipatory and Futures skills for the just energy transition (more information about that workshop can be found here).   

Based on extensive expert interviews and desk research, the game centres around a fictional renewable energy project in Southern Africa. Players are asked to adopt the roles and mindsets of key stakeholders that are either driving the project or would be impacted by it and are placed in positions where they must navigate the transition, making difficult decisions amidst significant uncertainty.  

We created Changing Currents so that we, as individuals and organisations seeking to ensure a fair transition to a decarbonized energy system, can be better equipped at anticipating risk and pre-empting the moves of others seeking to undermine or delay the changes required. Facing significant headwinds and powerful resisting forces, we need to think more creatively and expansively.  

We also know that traditional formats for knowledge sharing such as research reports, panels, and lectures, take us only so far. Games offer a form of experiential learning often absent from professional settings. Sadly, the work can often seem very adversarial, grounded in differences in ideological, technological or economic thinking. Through the game, we aimed to simulate real life scenarios and test out strategic decision making and tactical responses in a no-stakes setting. The challenge was to design an immersive experience that would be relevant and thought-provoking for all players, regardless of their expertise, focus or location. 

So, what did the players think?  

Well, fair to say there was lots of valuable feedback and recommendations for improving the game itself and wider learning about the value of facilitating an applied futures process such as this.  

30 years of catalysing change 

As we start 2026, Forum for the Future will mark an extraordinary milestone: 30 years of catalysing systems change for a just and regenerative future.  As we look toward this anniversary, we're developing something special – a futures initiative that honours our legacy of anticipating potential trajectories of the future and designing strategies to foster resilience, while collaborating with our partners to accelerate the systems change our world urgently needs.