Designing a serious game

Serious game scene types, and what each one teaches

A good serious game doesn't ask the same question seven times in a row. It varies the situations: listen, decide, look, argue, sort. Here are the seven scene types Immersio can put into play, illustrated with real screenshots, with what each one is for and when to use it.

Seven scene types The four matrices
The dilemma scene: when no answer is the right one
Consequence-based multiple choice: decide, then live with your decision
The open question: making learners formulate, not just recognise

In short

An Immersio scenario combines seven scene types: narrative (set the scene), consequence-based multiple choice (decide), dialogue (handle an exchange), dilemma (make a trade-off with no right answer), observation (spot things in an image), open question (write your own answer, analysed automatically) and matrix (sort items into a management tool: Eisenhower, RACI, SWOT or Pareto). Immersio's scenario generation engine builds the mix according to the level you choose, or the formats you require.

Screenshots show the French version of the player: scenarios are currently generated in French. The platform interface itself is available in English.

Scene types

Why vary scene types?

Because a professional skill is never a single mental move. Handling an unhappy customer means listening (dialogue), spotting what's wrong (observation), choosing a response (multiple choice), giving something up (dilemma) and sometimes writing the message that commits the company (open question). An exercise that trains only one of these moves trains only part of the job.

Variety also sustains attention. Switching interaction mode renews engagement, and each scene type leaves a different trace: a score, a gauge that moves, a written answer, a classification. The personalised debrief at the end of each playthrough draws on all of these traces to tell learners what they do well and what they need to work on.

01 — 07

Seven scene types

Each page shows the scene as the learner sees it, explains what it trains and how to get it in your own scenario.

The narrative scene 01 Narrative The setting, the role, the stakes. The moment the learner steps into the story. Trains: immersionExplore → Consequence-based multiple choice 02 Consequence-based multiple choice Two to four options. Each has a score, feedback, an effect on the gauges and its own continuation. Trains: decision-makingExplore → The dialogue scene 03 Dialogue A multi-line exchange that builds tension, then the learner's reply. Trains: communicationExplore → The dilemma scene 04 Dilemma No right answer: trade-offs that weigh on the gauges, and a decision to own. Trains: judgementExplore → The observation scene 05 Observation An image, areas to spot, traps to avoid. Training the eye as much as judgement. Trains: vigilanceExplore → The open question 06 Open question The learner writes their answer. Immersio's engine analyses it and shows what was covered and what's missing. Trains: written expressionExplore →
07 · Matrices

Matrices: where the game meets the manager's toolkit

The matrix scene asks learners to sort 8 to 12 items drawn from the story into a classic management tool. It isn't a school exercise: the items come from the situation they are living through, and every mistake is corrected on the spot.

Matrix scenes →
Matrices in serious games: Eisenhower, RACI, SWOT and Pareto
An Eisenhower matrix in the middle of a crisis: seven actions out of eight correctly placed, and the mistake explained.
Eisenhower matrix Urgent or important? Do, schedule, delegate, eliminate. Explore → RACI matrix Who does it, who decides, who to consult, who to inform? Explore → SWOT analysis Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats: what depends on us, and what doesn't. Explore → Pareto chart The few causes that produce most of the effects. The 80/20 rule. Explore →
Scene types

Anatomy of a scenario

An example of an expert-level path, as Immersio's engine can build it. The final order depends on the story; the opening and the endings are fixed.

  1. IntroductionThe setting, your role, the stakes.
  2. First decisionThree options, three consequences.
  3. The conversationOne person, several lines.
  4. The dilemmaTwo values in conflict.
  5. The matrixSort things out to see clearly.
  6. The open questionWrite what you would say.
  7. Ending + debriefSuccess or failure, then the analysis.

Your first scenario, on your own topic

Describe a situation your learners face, choose the scene formats, and judge the result. 7-day free trial, no credit card required, with 3 scenario generations.

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Learning design

What each scene type trains

Reading guide: the “cognitive level” column uses the revised Bloom's taxonomy (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001), which ranks learning from “remember” to “create”.

Scene typeWhat the learner doesCognitive levelWhat is measuredBuilt by the engine
NarrativeReads, steps into the roleUnderstandNothing: it's story timeYes, always (introduction)
Consequence-based multiple choiceChooses one of 2 to 4 actionsApplyScore from 0 to 10 and gaugesYes, always
DialogueFollows an exchange, then repliesApply in a relational situationScore and gaugesYes, at least one per scenario
DilemmaTrades off options that all have a costEvaluateGauges only, no “right answer”Yes, from intermediate level
ObservationSpots areas in an imageAnalyseAreas found, traps avoidedNo (built by the Immersio team)
Open questionWrites their own answerEvaluate, createScore from 0 to 10, concepts coveredYes, at expert level or on request
MatrixSorts 8 to 12 itemsAnalyseShare of items correctly placedYes, expert level or on request

Who chooses the scene types?

You, or Immersio's engine. In the studio, the Scene formats panel offers two modes. In automatic mode, the engine composes according to level: at beginner level, a dialogue and multiple-choice scenes to anchor the basics; at intermediate level, a dialogue, a dilemma and a matrix if the topic lends itself to one; at expert level, a dialogue, a dilemma, an open question and a matrix.

In custom mode, each format you tick guarantees at least one scene of that type, and you pick the matrix or matrices you want: one scene per matrix. The introduction, multiple-choice scenes, the success ending and the failure ending are always included. Each generated scene uses one credit, visual included.

Frequently asked questions

What is a scene in a serious game?

It's a unit of play: a situation presented to the learner, with an interaction (read, choose, answer, spot, sort) and a consequence. An Immersio scenario links several scenes together; depending on their choices, learners don't follow the same path or reach the same ending.

How many scenes should a scenario have?

You set the number of scenes in the studio. The more formats you require, the longer the path must be to fit them: the studio adjusts the minimum automatically. Each generated scene uses one credit, so the cost is known before you start the generation.

Can I choose the scene types precisely?

Yes. In custom mode, each format you tick (dialogue, dilemma, open question, matrix) guarantees at least one scene of that type, and you choose the matrix or matrices: Eisenhower, RACI, SWOT or Pareto. In automatic mode, the engine composes according to the chosen level.

Do the scenes work on mobile?

Yes. Scenarios run in the browser, on computers and phones alike. On touch screens, matrices are filled by tapping an item and then the target box, instead of dragging and dropping.

In which language are scenarios generated?

In French. The platform interface is also available in English.