Build
Map characters, goals, pressures, resources, and relationships.
A learning game concept
Don’t just choose
the adventure.
Build the system.
Young people already understand stories: who wants what, who influences whom, and what changes everything. Story Systems turns that instinct into systems thinking.
PLAY↓The premise
Every story is a system
hiding in plain sight.
Simulate
Run the story forward and see how one change ripples through the whole system.
Revise
Adjust the model, test a new theory, and explain why the outcome changed.
Interactive sketch · Scene 01
The greenhouse
is failing.
Maya’s school greenhouse is overheating before the science fair. The system has three people, one deadline, and a fragile web of trust. Change one relationship, then run the scene.
Systems lens: feedback + trust
MODEL VIEWRUN 00
PRESSURE18:00science fair
Waiting for your model
Choose a relationship change and run the scene to reveal the next consequence.
Why it works
Story is the interface.
Systems thinking is the skill.
Instead of memorizing isolated facts, learners make a model, predict an outcome, test it, and revise their thinking. The drama creates a reason to care about every connection.
- Science Model ecosystems, outbreaks, or lab decisions.
- Biotech Explore how technical choices affect people and systems.
- Life skills Make relationships, incentives, and tradeoffs visible.
THE BIG IDEA