We help organisations think, communicate and train through games and exercises, from tabletop strategy games to realistic simulations that test plans, solutions and teams.
Where we came from
In 2011, at the British Army Training Unit Suffield in Canada, our founder designed and ran large-scale live simulations to prepare British Army formations for operations. These exercises used a higher headquarters, a conventional enemy, an insurgent force, a Pashtun-speaking civilian population, helicopters, journalists and simulated casualties to train thousands of troops at a time. Observers, radio recordings and GPS tracking fed structured after-action reviews. The progression into the civilian setting was natural. If exercise design delivers value at that scale for defence, it has a place supporting business. By incorporating design approaches and mechanics from games played for fun, we can create genuine engagement, even with dry or difficult topics. Throw in our experience turning narrative into realistic news feeds, and engagement becomes immersion. Participants don't just hear what they should do, but get to feel it, too.
What makes us different
Genuine professional wargaming expertise in the UK is almost exclusively employed either within defence or academia. Evocatus works in support of both, and is well networked into both, but we are unusual in our ability to work independently and with real agility, delivering bespoke solutions that use wargaming in support of our clients' own objectives and on commercial timescales. From a 90-minute tabletop to a multi-day simulation, the format follows the objective, not the other way around.
Experience brought back into service
That independence rests on real experience. Evocatus was founded in 2016 by Ant Sharman, who spent seventeen years as a regular officer in the British Army in roles focused on command and training. From this career, he brings experience of developing young people, of providing red-teaming and risk management, of designing and delivering the army's biggest, most complex field training and, most importantly of command, leading teams, making decisions and driving change. In the past decade, his work on Defence wargaming has been recognised and commended at national level. The company's name tells our story: Evocatus is Latin for veteran, the experienced soldiers of ancient Rome who chose to serve a second time; those for whom the profession of arms became a vocation. This is the lens through which we approach our clients' challenges, and the experience we bring to bear.
Built around the problem
For larger or more complex engagements we bring in a trusted network of associates: specialists in analytical techniques, cyber, red teaming, project management and film making, so the team is matched to the task. Every engagement is bespoke, and the first step is always understanding the outcome you want.