Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
Professor of Political Science, McGill University. Middle East politics, peacebuilding, humanitarian response, urban warfare, intelligence, serious games. https://paxsims.wordpress.com/
Political science
57%
Sociology
39%
AWL Wargaming Conference 2026
The 2nd Edition of the WARGAMING CONFERENCE AWL will take place at the Military University of Land Forces (AWL) in Wrocław, Poland on 15-17 September 2026. The theme this year will be "Comprehensive Security: Advancing Wargaming in Military and non-Military Domains." If you are interested in joining a panel discussion or delivering a presentation, contact the organizers at: conferencewargame@awl.edu.pl. They are also accepting inquiries from industry representatives wishing to showcase games, systems, solutions, or hardware. General attendee registration is not open yet. The official registration form will be published closer to the event date.
paxsims.wordpress.com
AWL Wargaming Conference 2026
The 2nd Edition of the WARGAMING CONFERENCE AWL will take place at the Military University of Land Forces (AWL) in Wrocław, Poland on 15-17 September 2026. The theme this year will be "Comprehensive Security: Advancing Wargaming in Military and non-Military Domains."…
The 2nd Edition of the WARGAMING CONFERENCE AWL will take place at the Military University of Land Forces (AWL) in Wrocław, Poland on 15-17 September 2026. The theme this year will be "Comprehensive Security: Advancing Wargaming in Military and non-Military Domains."…
Assises Françaises d’Étude du Wargaming 2026
The 2026 Assises Françaises d'Étude du Wargaming will take place on 23 April in Lyon. Nous vivons une situation d’imbrication de crises multiples : financières (par exemple celle des subprimes de 2008 dont la crise de la dette publique française est en partie une conséquence), sanitaires (Covid-19), géopolitiques (guerre en Ukraine, guerre de ses proxys et de l’Iran contre Israël), environnementales (climat, biodiversité), sociales (migrations, inégalités), et informationnelles (désinformation, guerres narratives).
paxsims.wordpress.com
Assises Françaises d’Étude du Wargaming 2026
The 2026 Assises Françaises d'Étude du Wargaming will take place on 23 April in Lyon. Nous vivons une situation d’imbrication de crises multiples : financières (par exemple celle des subprimes de 2008 dont la crise de la dette publique française est en…
The 2026 Assises Françaises d'Étude du Wargaming will take place on 23 April in Lyon. Nous vivons une situation d’imbrication de crises multiples : financières (par exemple celle des subprimes de 2008 dont la crise de la dette publique française est en…
Simulation and gaming miscellany, 26 January 2026
PAXsims is pleased to present some recent items on conflict simulation and serious (and not-so-serious) gaming that may be of interest to our readers. Many thanks to Catherine Philippe and Andrew Spearin for suggesting material for this latest edition. In October 2024, the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at the University of Pennsylvania ran a tabletop exercise on…
paxsims.wordpress.com
Simulation and gaming miscellany, 26 January 2026
PAXsims is pleased to present some recent items on conflict simulation and serious (and not-so-serious) gaming that may be of interest to our readers. Many thanks to Catherine Philippe and Andrew Spearin for suggesting material for this latest…
PAXsims is pleased to present some recent items on conflict simulation and serious (and not-so-serious) gaming that may be of interest to our readers. Many thanks to Catherine Philippe and Andrew Spearin for suggesting material for this latest…
Serious Play 2026
The Serious Play 2026 conference will take place at Duke University on 5-7 August. Further details can be found at their website.
paxsims.wordpress.com
Serious Play 2026
The Serious Play 2026 conference will take place at Duke University on 5-7 August. Further details can be found at their website.
The Serious Play 2026 conference will take place at Duke University on 5-7 August. Further details can be found at their website.
All the more reason to attend the Connections North professional wargaming conference in Ottawa on March 14. paxsims.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/w...
Reposted by Rex Brynen, Nathan P. Kalmoe
Canadian soldiers have been carrying out Donald Trump’s orders
As the American president becomes more aggressive, this is becoming a problem
www.economist.com
@christysomos.bsky.social "Canadian Brig-Gen Robert McBride is the deputy commanding general... for the [US] 11th Airborne. His role in a division waiting to support ICE is a pointed example of how Canadian personnel are caught awkwardly..."
www.economist.com/the-americas...
www.economist.com/the-americas...
Connections UK 2026 dates
From the organizers of the Connections UK professional wargaming conference: SAVE THE DATE! Connections UK 2026 will be on the 8th - 10th September 2026 at Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK To help us plan for this for the conference we are very interested in how you feel about Connections, and you can help us shape the Conference, not just in the coming year, but also future years. We would be really grateful if you would be able to complete the short (2-3 minute) survey via this link.
paxsims.wordpress.com
Connections UK 2026 dates
From the organizers of the Connections UK professional wargaming conference: SAVE THE DATE! Connections UK 2026 will be on the 8th - 10th September 2026 at Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK To help us plan for this for the conference we are very interested in how you feel…
From the organizers of the Connections UK professional wargaming conference: SAVE THE DATE! Connections UK 2026 will be on the 8th - 10th September 2026 at Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK To help us plan for this for the conference we are very interested in how you feel…
Some recent wargaming podcasts
The Wargame is a major five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise which imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out – and invites real-life former ministers, military chiefs and other experts to figure out how to defend the country. The Army Mad Scientist podcast The Convergence podcast features Mike Barnett and Joe Chretien from the Sustainment Exercise and Simulation Directorate, Combined Arms Support Command discussing their Sinews of War: Theater Sustainment Operations wargame. Jared Fishman discusses Kriegspiel (and other topics) with Jan Heinemann at the 20 Sided Gamified Podcast.
paxsims.wordpress.com
Some recent wargaming podcasts
The Wargame is a major five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise which imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out – and invites real-life former ministers, military chiefs and other experts to figure out how to defend the country. The Army Mad Scientist…
The Wargame is a major five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise which imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out – and invites real-life former ministers, military chiefs and other experts to figure out how to defend the country. The Army Mad Scientist…
AFTERMATH: A Venezuela matrix game
From the ever-productive Tim Price comes a matrix game about Venezuela in the aftermath of the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Briefings are provided for six actors: the Venezuelan regime, the Venezuelan military and security services, the opposition, the United States, other external and regional actors, organized crime, and "society, the streets, and informal power"—together with assets, a map, and a basic overview of how to play a matrix game. AftermathDownload If you are interested in developing your own matrix games, you might find the Matrix Game Construction Kit of interest.
paxsims.wordpress.com
AFTERMATH: A Venezuela matrix game
From the ever-productive Tim Price comes a matrix game about Venezuela in the aftermath of the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Briefings are provided for six actors: the Venezuelan regime, the Venezuelan military and security services, the opposition, the United…
From the ever-productive Tim Price comes a matrix game about Venezuela in the aftermath of the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Briefings are provided for six actors: the Venezuelan regime, the Venezuelan military and security services, the opposition, the United…
MIT Summer Wargaming Institute
The Summer Wargaming Institute is a four-day "bootcamp"-style program hosted by the MIT Security Studies Program Wargaming Lab on 12-16 July, designed to teach practitioners and scholars how to design and run wargames for research, training, and analysis. Applicants must be PhD candidates or junior faculty in international relations, political science, or related fields or early to mid-career foreign policy/national security professionals. Full details can be found here. The deadline for application is March 1.
paxsims.wordpress.com
MIT Summer Wargaming Institute
The Summer Wargaming Institute is a four-day "bootcamp"-style program hosted by the MIT Security Studies Program Wargaming Lab on 12-16 July, designed to teach practitioners and scholars how to design and run wargames for research, training, and analysis. Applicants…
The Summer Wargaming Institute is a four-day "bootcamp"-style program hosted by the MIT Security Studies Program Wargaming Lab on 12-16 July, designed to teach practitioners and scholars how to design and run wargames for research, training, and analysis. Applicants…
Simulation & Gaming (February 2026)
Simulation & Gaming 57, 1 (February 2026) is now available. Editorial We Need Cooperation to Save Our World- and Other Lessons Learned From Gaming Marlies P. Schijven and Toshiko Kikkawa Research Articles Exploring the Usability of Virtual Reality as a Tool to Assess Collective Non-Technical Skills: The Case of Team Communication During a Collaborative Task Yasmina Kebir, Gaelle Nicolas, Samuel Ferreira Da Silva, Pierre Chevrier, Valérie Saint-Dizier de Almeida and Jérôme Dinet…
paxsims.wordpress.com
Simulation & Gaming (February 2026)
Simulation & Gaming 57, 1 (February 2026) is now available. Editorial We Need Cooperation to Save Our World- and Other Lessons Learned From Gaming Marlies P. Schijven and Toshiko Kikkawa Research Articles Exploring the Usability of Virtual Reality as a Tool to…
Simulation & Gaming 57, 1 (February 2026) is now available. Editorial We Need Cooperation to Save Our World- and Other Lessons Learned From Gaming Marlies P. Schijven and Toshiko Kikkawa Research Articles Exploring the Usability of Virtual Reality as a Tool to…
🧵In my expert opinion as a researcher of vehicle ramming attacks, what has been publicly described in the video evidence does not support the claim that Renee Nicole Good was attempting a deliberate ramming attack when she was shot in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. 1/7
Simulation and gaming miscellany, 6 January 2026
PAXsims is pleased to present some recent items on conflict simulation and serious (and not-so-serious) gaming that may be of interest to our readers. PAXsims is made possible due to the generosity of our Patreon supporters. At his Euroblog, John Worth reflects on four years of running instructional simulation games on the European Union. I’ve now run 4
paxsims.wordpress.com
Simulation and gaming miscellany, 6 January 2026
PAXsims is pleased to present some recent items on conflict simulation and serious (and not-so-serious) gaming that may be of interest to our readers. PAXsims is made possible due to the generosity of our Patreon supporters. At his Euroblog, John…
PAXsims is pleased to present some recent items on conflict simulation and serious (and not-so-serious) gaming that may be of interest to our readers. PAXsims is made possible due to the generosity of our Patreon supporters. At his Euroblog, John…
Games of War conference, 24 February 2026
The Faculty of History at the University of Gdansk together with Magnus Ducatus Foundation in collaboration with European Humanities University and the Department of Computer Systems and Technologies of Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, are proud to announce the 3rd international academic hybrid conference “Games of War”, coming on the 24th of February 2025. The event is held every year on 24 February, marking the anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in 2022.
paxsims.wordpress.com
Games of War conference, 24 February 2026
The Faculty of History at the University of Gdansk together with Magnus Ducatus Foundation in collaboration with European Humanities University and the Department of Computer Systems and Technologies of Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of…
The Faculty of History at the University of Gdansk together with Magnus Ducatus Foundation in collaboration with European Humanities University and the Department of Computer Systems and Technologies of Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of…
Reposted by Rex Brynen, Steve Murdoch
The vanity, stupidity and venality is breathtaking. But the history teachers of the future will be grateful for the evidence.
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Jan 2
WATU Wargame Report 2023
On Saturday 6th May, the Western Approaches Tactical School was once again operational in Derby House for a celebration of the wargaming Wrens of WATU and the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the …
paxsims.wordpress.com
We’ve twice run WATU wargames in the museum/bunker, and it was excellent. paxsims.wordpress.com/2023/05/11/w...
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Jan 1
Looking back on 2025—and ahead to 2026
Happy New Year to one and all! This past year saw 38,723 visitors (77,451 page views) to PAXsims, down from 56,070 visitors in 2024. The decline likely reflects several factors, including fewer posts during the year (91, down from 113) and the continued migration of discussion on conflict simulation and serious gaming to other fora, including LinkedIn, Discord, and elsewhere. Since the site was established, PAXsims has attracted more than 715,000 visitors and 1.5 million page views.
paxsims.wordpress.com
Looking back on 2025—and ahead to 2026
Happy New Year to one and all! This past year saw 38,723 visitors (77,451 page views) to PAXsims, down from 56,070 visitors in 2024. The decline likely reflects several factors, including fewer posts during the year (91, down from 113) and the continued…
Happy New Year to one and all! This past year saw 38,723 visitors (77,451 page views) to PAXsims, down from 56,070 visitors in 2024. The decline likely reflects several factors, including fewer posts during the year (91, down from 113) and the continued…
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Dec 20
My pleasure!
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Dec 18
WWN: Kriegsspiel
An announcement from the Women's Wargaming Network: On February 7, 2026, the Women’s Wargaming Network (WWN) will partner with the International Kriegsspiel Society (IKS) to host a live, facilitated Kriegsspiel session, the 200-year-old Prussian staff wargame that still shapes how military decision-making is taught today. Date: Feb 07, 2026Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM EST | 5:00 – 9:00 PM CET…
paxsims.wordpress.com
WWN: Kriegsspiel
An announcement from the Women's Wargaming Network: On February 7, 2026, the Women’s Wargaming Network (WWN) will partner with the International Kriegsspiel Society (IKS) to host a live, facilitated Kriegsspiel session, the 200-year-old Prussian staff wargame that still shapes how…
An announcement from the Women's Wargaming Network: On February 7, 2026, the Women’s Wargaming Network (WWN) will partner with the International Kriegsspiel Society (IKS) to host a live, facilitated Kriegsspiel session, the 200-year-old Prussian staff wargame that still shapes how…
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Dec 18
#GFC2026
The 2026 Games for Change Festival will take place in New York on 21-22 July. As education, entertainment, technology, and community engagement continue to evolve, play has become a powerful form of self-expression and exploration, enabling us to envision better futures and test bold ideas. Play is more than games; it's a living, evolving force that invites experimentation, collaboration, and creative exploration.
paxsims.wordpress.com
#GFC2026
The 2026 Games for Change Festival will take place in New York on 21-22 July. As education, entertainment, technology, and community engagement continue to evolve, play has become a powerful form of self-expression and exploration, enabling us to envision better futures and test bold…
The 2026 Games for Change Festival will take place in New York on 21-22 July. As education, entertainment, technology, and community engagement continue to evolve, play has become a powerful form of self-expression and exploration, enabling us to envision better futures and test bold…
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Dec 17
Humans (and Non-Humans) at Play: Games and Simulations in Crisis Management
The 42nd annual EGOS (online) conference will feature a session on Humans (and Non-Humans) at Play: Games and Simulations in Crisis Management, convened by Andrea Bernardi, Giulia Gaudenzi, and Philippe Lépinard. The deadline for uploading a short paper is January 7. We would like to host research on the relationship between wargaming, simulations, and organization studies. The sub-theme invites papers addressing the role of games and simulations in studying organizations and in management education.
paxsims.wordpress.com
Humans (and Non-Humans) at Play: Games and Simulations in Crisis Management
The 42nd annual EGOS (online) conference will feature a session on Humans (and Non-Humans) at Play: Games and Simulations in Crisis Management, convened by Andrea Bernardi, Giulia Gaudenzi, and Philippe Lépinard. The…
The 42nd annual EGOS (online) conference will feature a session on Humans (and Non-Humans) at Play: Games and Simulations in Crisis Management, convened by Andrea Bernardi, Giulia Gaudenzi, and Philippe Lépinard. The…
e.w. niedermeyer
@niedermeyer.online
· Dec 15
please take a moment to appreciate Tesla's epic accomplishment of coming dead last in the auto industry in reliability, despite making relatively expensive cars with a tiny fraction of the moving parts
www.consumerreports.org/cars/which-b...
www.consumerreports.org/cars/which-b...
Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Rex Brynen
Social Media Lab
@socialmedialab.ca
· Dec 10
Canada launches billion dollar plan to recruit top researchers
Canada on Tuesday launched a CAN$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion) program to recruit leading global researchers, part of the effort to poach intellectual talent looking to leave the United States because of...
www.france24.com
🎉 At last it's public ... "Canada on Tuesday launched a CAN$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion) program to recruit leading global researchers, part of the effort to poach intellectual talent looking to leave the United States because of President Donald Trump's policies." 🇨🇦 💪 www.france24.com/en/live-news...
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Dec 9
Gaming the American challenge after the NSS
Back in March, I wrote a deliberately provocative piece that suggested "wargaming must account for a new and unexpected “Red”: Donald Trump’s new United States of America." With the recent release of the new US National Security Strategy (NSS), that concern seems validated. The discussion below highlights my own views on the Trump Administration's emerging strategic doctrine, the particular implications of that for my own country (Canada), and finally some more brief thoughts on what we need to be (war)gaming if we are to support an effective strategic response.
paxsims.wordpress.com
Gaming the American challenge after the NSS
Back in March, I wrote a deliberately provocative piece that suggested "wargaming must account for a new and unexpected “Red”: Donald Trump’s new United States of America." With the recent release of the new US National Security Strategy (NSS), that…
Back in March, I wrote a deliberately provocative piece that suggested "wargaming must account for a new and unexpected “Red”: Donald Trump’s new United States of America." With the recent release of the new US National Security Strategy (NSS), that…
Reposted by Bonnie Honig, Rex Brynen
Alejandra Caraballo
@esqueer.net
· Dec 4
DOJ orders prison inspectors to stop considering LGBTQ safety standards
A memo obtained by NPR shows the Justice Department is telling inspectors to stop evaluating prisons using standards designed to protect trans and other LGBTQ community members from sexual violence.
www.npr.org
It's not surprising that a rapist's presidential administration is removing standards intended to prevent rape.
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Dec 1
(War)gaming Canadian Security in an Era of Strategic Uncertainty
"Triumph through Diversity" memorial, Parliament Hill, Ottawa. The Connections North 2026 professional (war)gaming conference will be held at the National Capital Region Officers’ Mess, Ottawa on 14 March 2026. The theme this year will be (War)gaming Canadian Security in an Era of Strategic Uncertainty. Canada’s security environment is being reshaped by an unusually volatile convergence of external and internal strategic pressures.
paxsims.wordpress.com
(War)gaming Canadian Security in an Era of Strategic Uncertainty
"Triumph through Diversity" memorial, Parliament Hill, Ottawa. The Connections North 2026 professional (war)gaming conference will be held at the National Capital Region Officers’ Mess, Ottawa on 14 March 2026. The theme this year…
"Triumph through Diversity" memorial, Parliament Hill, Ottawa. The Connections North 2026 professional (war)gaming conference will be held at the National Capital Region Officers’ Mess, Ottawa on 14 March 2026. The theme this year…
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Nov 29
Bridging theory, practice, and pressure: CNN Academy’s humanitarian health journalism simulation
This article was written for PAXsims by Zinzi Sibanda a BA(Hons) student in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and a member of the CNN Academy simulation team. The report below reflects her personal views, and not those of CNN or any other organization. Humanitarian crisis simulations are well established across the international system. United Nations agencies, NGOs, government organizations, and universities have long built exercises to replicate the pressure and complexity of real emergencies—from the …
paxsims.wordpress.com
Bridging theory, practice, and pressure: CNN Academy’s humanitarian health journalism simulation
This article was written for PAXsims by Zinzi Sibanda a BA(Hons) student in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and a member of the CNN Academy simulation team. The report below reflects…
This article was written for PAXsims by Zinzi Sibanda a BA(Hons) student in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and a member of the CNN Academy simulation team. The report below reflects…
Reposted by Charles W. Smith, Alan Richardson, Rex Brynen
The Beaverton
@thebeaverton.com
· Nov 28
Danielle Smith uses notwithstanding clause to declare herself premier of B.C.
Prime Minister Mark Carney disagrees with the concept of a premier of one province unilaterally taking over a different province but his hands are tied by his unwillingness to do anything about it.
www.thebeaverton.com
Danielle Smith uses notwithstanding clause to declare herself premier of B.C.
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Nov 19
Save the date: Connections North 2026
We are pleased to be able to announce that the Connections North 2026 professional (war)gaming conference will be held at the National Capital Region Officers’ Mess at 149 Somerset St West in Ottawa on Saturday 14th March 2026. A more complete announcement with theme, costs, and booking instructions will follow soon. We look forward to seeing you there! Information on previous Connections North conferences can be found here.
paxsims.wordpress.com
Save the date: Connections North 2026
We are pleased to be able to announce that the Connections North 2026 professional (war)gaming conference will be held at the National Capital Region Officers’ Mess at 149 Somerset St West in Ottawa on Saturday 14th March 2026. A more complete announcement…
We are pleased to be able to announce that the Connections North 2026 professional (war)gaming conference will be held at the National Capital Region Officers’ Mess at 149 Somerset St West in Ottawa on Saturday 14th March 2026. A more complete announcement…
Rex Brynen
@rexbrynen.bsky.social
· Nov 12
INVESTIGATING ATROCITY: Military Observers in Carana
INVESTIGATING ATROCITY: Military Observers in Carana is a new online (browser) serious game, launched today. Walter Dorn (Royal Military College and Canadian Defence College) writes: I am delighted to announce that, after five years of effort, a new R&D product is being published today. It is not another paper or book, but a digital simulation (www.peacekeepingsim.net), akin to a video game.
paxsims.wordpress.com
INVESTIGATING ATROCITY: Military Observers in Carana
INVESTIGATING ATROCITY: Military Observers in Carana is a new online (browser) serious game, launched today. Walter Dorn (Royal Military College and Canadian Defence College) writes: I am delighted to announce that, after five years of effort, a…
INVESTIGATING ATROCITY: Military Observers in Carana is a new online (browser) serious game, launched today. Walter Dorn (Royal Military College and Canadian Defence College) writes: I am delighted to announce that, after five years of effort, a…