Why We Wargame

Another new question in Wargame, Soldiers, and Strategy's The Great Wargaming Survey (GWS), 2025 edition asked respondents to list the Top 3 reasons why they play a wargame.  The choices were:

• Creative and hobby aspects
• Fun and escapism
• Historical (or fictional background) interest
• Social connection and camaraderie
• Storytelling and narrative
• Strategic challenge and intellectual stimulation
• Training and education

Having given this topic some thought over the years, getting hard data through the survey might offer worthwhile insight into this question as applied to a broader population.  While I hold a mental notion of my top reasons for wargaming, these top reasons can move around a bit over time, interest, and mood.  Others may have similar thoughts on what drives them to wargame too.  

What does the survey say?  Well, let's find out.

Top Choice in Why We Wargame

The survey asked respondents to rank up to their three top choices.  To begin the analysis, only the top choice is examined.  In counts of reasons why we wargame (variable "WHY" in Figure 1), "Historical (or fictional background) interest" came in at the top spot by about 500 responses.  The top choice was not close.  The results are aggregated by percentage in the pie chart illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 1

Figure 2

As primarily an historical wargamer, the top choice makes sense to me.  The result that surprises me is that "Strategic challenge and intellectual stimulation" comes into the rankings ahead of "Social connection and camaraderie."  In the rankings, "Social connection and camaraderie" comes in at #4.  While I enjoy the challenge and puzzle-solving aspects that wargaming brings to the table, my anecdotal inclination would have been to see the social aspects of the hobby rise more toward the top.  Are many of the respondents primarily solo gamers or in it for the challenges of competition?  A question, perhaps, for another analysis.

Top Three Choices in Why We Wargame

Since the survey asked for the top three choices, do the rankings change much when all three response choices are aggregated?

Figure 3 shows that the top two spots in the rankings remain the same as in Figure 1.  "Creative and hobby aspects" reason closes the gap with "Historical (or fictional background) interest" making up a lot of ground and coming in at a very close second place in the rankings.  "Social connection and camaraderie" and "Strategic challenge and intellectual stimulation" swap places in the rankings when the top three choices are included.  

Figure 3

Figure 4

Interesting to see that "Fun and escapism" and "Storytelling and narrative" fall to near the bottom of the rankings.  Almost no one lists "Training and education" as a top choice.

Why do fun and storytelling sink to the bottom among the collection of reasons why we wargame?  These survey results suggest that we do not game simply for fun and narrative building!  Perhaps adding a "Competition" choice might be telling?

I plan to return to this question and analysis again for a deeper dive into these data.  In past analyses, preferences tend to shift and become more nuanced as other qualifying attributes are brought into the computations.  Adding stratifications by primary interest, age groupings, and a few other attributes might provide a clearer and, perhaps, another interesting perspective.

If you completed the 2025 GWS (or even if you did not!), what are your top reasons for wargaming and why?  Have these top reasons for wargaming changed over time?  I wonder if your choices and rankings could be predicted if other qualifying attributes mentioned above are brought into the equation?