Wardley Mapping Gameplays

Transforming Insights into Strategic Actions

By: Mark Craddock

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Gameplays are a crucial component of Wardley Mapping that elevate it from a purely analytical tool to a dynamic framework for strategic action. Understanding and effectively utilising gameplays can significantly enhance an organisation's ability to navigate complex business environments and gain competitive advantage.

In Wardley Mapping, gameplays are context-specific patterns of strategic action that organisations can employ to influence their competitive landscape. These plays are not universal solutions but rather tactical approaches that can be applied based on the specific context revealed by a Wardley Map.

Gameplays can be categorised into various types, including:

• User Perception plays (e.g., education, bundling)
• Accelerator plays (e.g., open approaches, exploiting network effects)
• De-accelerator plays (e.g., creating constraints, exploiting IPR)
• Market plays (e.g., differentiation, pricing policy)
• Defensive plays (e.g., raising barriers to entry, managing inertia)
• Attacking plays (e.g., directed investment, undermining barriers to entry)
• Ecosystem plays (e.g., alliances, sensing engines)

How gameplays enhance strategic decision-making

1. Contextual action: Gameplays provide a repertoire of strategic actions that are tailored to specific situations identified in a Wardley Map.
2. Anticipation: By understanding common gameplays, organisations can better anticipate competitors' moves and prepare appropriate responses.
3. Innovation: Gameplays can inspire novel approaches to addressing challenges or exploiting opportunities revealed by the map.
4. Risk management: Certain gameplays can be employed to mitigate risks or defend against potential threats identified in the mapping process.
5. Resource optimisation: Gameplays help organisations focus their resources on actions that are most likely to yield strategic benefits given their current position.