Planetfall
A leadership simulation for learning agility and ambiguity tolerance.
Group SizeUp to 20 participants
FormatIn-person
FacilitatorArvindh Sundar
Planetfall is a leadership simulation where participants navigate landing a spaceship on an alien planet — with incomplete information and uncertain atmospheric conditions.
Core Concept
Players deploy probes, gather data, purchase upgrades, and adapt strategies as new information arrives. The game deliberately lacks a single correct answer, requiring disciplined experimentation and hypothesis testing.
What It Reveals
The simulation exposes leadership behaviours under uncertainty:
- Bold versus cautious experimentation patterns
- Strategy adaptation when evidence contradicts assumptions
- Responses to ambiguity — control-oriented versus exploratory
- Team capacity to build shared mental models with incomplete data
The debrief connects observed patterns to organisational challenges including change management, decision-making under uncertainty, and learning-from-failure cultures.
Who It's For
- Leaders in fast-changing environments
- Organisations undergoing transformation
- Teams navigating new markets
- High-potential cohorts (learning agility is measured directly)