Branching and Choices

In exercises, you can create branching based on player choices. Designing exercises that consider player agency ensures they are immersive. Training is much more memorable and effective when players experience the impact of their choices.

What is branching?

Branching is when a scenario splits into different paths based on a decision point.

How branching works

How to

Follow these three steps to set up branching in your scenario table:

1

Create a new step as a question type

To branch, select either Choice or Drop-down list under Type of question.

You won't be able to branch with either Multiselect or Open text options. This is because there is no clear answer.

2

Select the persona and channel

Fill out the content of the step (which should include a question).

Click the ✨ icon to generate content with our AI Assistant.

3

Go into the Interactions tab

Click + Add new option to create a response to the persona question. Fill out the button text and decide which step will be activated as a result of the player selecting it. To achieve branching, the activated steps for each button should be different.

Arrange

You can branch with Arrange but it's important to note the answer arranged at the top is the one that activates the next step (the outcome):

When to use

Use branching in your exercise when you want players to experience the impact of their choices. This is most effective when the right answer isn't entirely clear. As a result, different players will have different experiences within the same exercise based on their own perspectives.

Alternate endings

A great way to use branching is to create alternate endings for players based on their actions. It may be that you don't need to use branching throughout your exercise but only at the end for maximum impact.

This would work for scenarios where tension culminates into one dilemma. By using alternate endings, players can feel and experience the consequences of their actions.

⚡Avoid overuse

Too much branching can overcomplicate exercises. Only use when necessary to immerse players and get the most out of experiential learning. If you're using branching in the middle of an exercise, it's recommended to eventually bring the scenario back into one pathway again unless you're using alternate endings.

Our recommended approach to branching