2025 CAPTRS Challenge
AI-powered human augmentation for Emergency & Crisis Games and Exercises
November 13, 2025 - March 8, 2026, 5:00 PM CT
Final Pitch Event: April 14, 2026
The Challenge
Discussion-based exercises, such as tabletop exercises or preparedness games (simulation games and serious games), are of paramount importance when facing known and unknown threats.
Designing realistic and tailored exercises (like tabletop exercises and serious games) is often too complex, resource-intensive, and time-consuming. This complexity often exceeds the capabilities and capacity of smaller organizations, local governments, and businesses without dedicated in-house exercise teams, leaving them unprepared for future threats.
CAPTRS is launching an international competition to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Agentic Systems to radically simplify and accelerate the design and development of discussion-based exercises (i.e., tabletop exercises and games) for emergency and crisis preparedness. Our goal is to make high-quality preparedness exercises accessible to all.
We are seeking innovative Agent and Agentic-Based Solutions that radically simplify and accelerate this process. Crucially, the solutions must act as intelligent collaborators (e.g., an AI teammate) that empowers users with limited expertise.
Target Users
Solutions must demonstrate clear utility for end-users in organizations that need to run crisis management exercises but have limited or no in-house exercise or gaming teams.
Examples include, but are not limited to, small hospitals, municipalities, medium-sized businesses, or regional public health units. Ideal end-users are located in different countries and might operate at different levels, from local to state and international levels.
Important Dates
- •Submissions opening: 10 November 2025
- •Closure: 8 March 2026 at 5:00 PM CT
- •Final Pitch Event: 14 April 2026
CAPTRS Institute
The CAPTRS Institute merges rigorous research and innovative game design to fundamentally transform crisis preparedness by creating impactful, scalable solutions for organizations and communities. Its core mission is to promote the broad adoption of games among crisis stakeholders, using applied research and practical systems to enhance strategic decision-making and preparedness programs worldwide.
The CAPTRS Institute is directly addressing a key challenge currently hindering the broad adoption of preparedness exercises and games: the lack of scalable and accessible solutions to design, develop and execute these games. Therefore, as part of our ongoing efforts to transform the preparedness space we are launching, in collaboration with the University of L'Aquila (Italy) and the Institute for Experimental AI - Northeastern University, the CAPTRS 2025 Challenge: AI-powered Human Augmentation for Emergency & Crisis Games and Exercises.