Won an international game scenario competition with an idea from an Aurora course

How can tabletop role-playing games strengthen people’s managerial skills, creativity and decision-making?

A few students at the University of Iceland explored this question during an international course on tabletop role-playing games and managerial skills within the Aurora University Network this spring. As part of the course, the students participated in an international game-scenario competition, and one of UI’s participants, Khair Un Nisa, together with her team, went on to win.

The course, titled “Tabletop Role-Playing Games and Managerial Skills”, was organised by the Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) in Paris, one of the Aurora Network’s partner universities, a European university alliance that the University of Iceland has been part of for the last ten years. Alongside representatives from UI and UPEC, students and staff from five other European and American universities participated in the programme. The course was a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), a short course developed collaboratively by several universities within the Erasmus+ programme. These courses are available to both students and staff at the University of Iceland.

Fully believes in the gamification of education

BIP courses combine online and in-person learning, and UPEC’s course on tabletop games and managerial skills followed this format. Participants attended online classes in February before gathering in Paris for a week to work collaboratively on their projects.

Five students from the University of Iceland participated in the programme, together with Skúlína Hlíf Kjartansdóttir, an adjunct lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Pedagogy, who also served as one of the course instructors.

“In the course, we used tabletop role-playing games to develop creativity, collaboration, and managerial skills,” explains Skúlína.

Skúlína has extensive experience in the gamification of education.

“I’ve taught the course ‘Video Games, Gaming Worlds and Video Game Culture’ in the School of Education, worked on the gamification of teaching through the Erasmus+ project ACADIMIA, and I fully believe in using games in teaching and the gamification of education,” she says.

Never imagined the connection between role-playing games and management

One of the participants was Khair Un Nisa, a student at the University of Iceland.

“I’ve always been drawn to hands-on learning. As someone with a postgraduate degree in English Literature and now pursuing a postgraduate degree in International Business and Project Management, I’ve come to appreciate that theory can only take you so far. Real learning happens when you’re placed in situations where you have to think, adapt, and make decisions. That’s what fascinated me about this course,” Khair says.

Khair explains that her previous experience with tabletop games was limited to Ludo and Monopoly.

“I had never imagined that role-playing games could have such a strong connection with management, leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving. The idea that a game could simulate real managerial challenges fascinated me, and my curiosity made me think, ‘Why not?’”

However, Ludo and Monopoly were not the focus of the course. Instead, students explored tabletop role-playing games similar to Dungeons & Dragons and Dungeon Crawl Classics. In these games, participants assume the roles of fictional characters within carefully designed scenarios, making decisions that shape the unfolding story while following the game’s rules under the guidance of a Game Master. During the course, students from UPEC served as Game Masters.

“The Dungeon Crawl Classics role-playing game is well known among tabletop gamers worldwide. Its designer is Joseph Goodman, founder of Goodman Games. One of our very first online sessions was with Joseph Goodman himself, which immediately sparked my interest. I actively participated in the discussion, and afterwards I found myself researching the game, reading about different scenarios, and exploring how tabletop role-playing games actually worked. By the time we travelled to Paris, I was genuinely excited to experience it firsthand,” says Khair.

Students’ different strengths shaped the winning game scenario

Thirty-five students attended the course, which, according to Khair, combined lectures, networking, and gameplay.

“One of my favourite moments was sitting in a large classroom in Paris, surrounded by classmates from different countries, learning Dungeon Crawl Classics with experienced players guiding us through our very first adventure. It was my first tabletop role-playing experience, and I honestly loved it,” she says.

After learning the mechanics of the game, the students were divided into nine teams. Each team was tasked with creating an original game scenario from scratch and writing a short paper explaining how the scenario could be used as a teaching tool in higher education, particularly within management studies.

Khair’s team included students from Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Croatia.

“Our team divided responsibilities according to our strengths. One teammate had previous experience with tabletop games and focused on the game mechanics. Coming from a background in literature and creative writing, I concentrated on developing the story, dialogue, and narrative. The rest of the team contributed ideas, refined the concept, and worked on the illustrations. It became a genuinely collaborative project in which everyone’s strengths complemented one another,” says Khair.

The victory came as a surprise

Creating a complete game scenario for the Dungeon Crawl Classics 2026 international competition was one of the course’s primary objectives.

“Every team created an original scenario, which was first reviewed internally before being submitted to an international jury in the United States consisting of industry professionals from around the world, including the game’s creator himself. Three scenarios from our course advanced to the finals, and to our delight, ours went on to win,” Khair says.

In total, 26 scenarios were submitted to the international competition.

The winning scenario, titled Mystery of the Ancient Scroll of Wisdom, is a fantasy adventure centred on mystery, exploration, ancient knowledge, and moral decision-making.

“Without revealing too much, players uncover secrets hidden within an ancient scroll while facing challenges that demand teamwork, critical thinking, and difficult choices rather than simply defeating enemies. It explores a world where manipulation, lies, and deceit dominate, and where we are often mere pawns in the hands of powerful politicians,” Khair explains.

When asked about winning, she says the result came as a complete surprise.

“I still remember sitting in a small classroom on the fourth floor in Paris with four people I had only recently met. We would laugh and joke, saying, ‘Let’s just do our best and see what happens.’ We knew the competition would be incredibly strong, with submissions coming from around the world, so winning was never something we expected,” she says.

Nevertheless, Khair believes in giving her absolute best to everything she does.

“After our classes and long days exploring Paris, I would return and continue refining the writing late into the night—rewriting scenes, improving dialogue, and making sure the story balanced fantasy, realism, and meaningful choices,” she says, reflecting on the work behind the project.

She describes the moment the winners were announced during the Dungeon Crawl Classics 2026 competition as unforgettable.

“It was completely unexpected, but it reminded me that hard work, creativity, and teamwork truly do pay off.”

Khair also expresses her gratitude to her husband, Arslan Naeem, for encouraging her to enrol in the course. He had previously participated as a student at the University of Iceland in an Aurora course at the Università Federico II of Naples.

The course changed her perspective on management

When reflecting on her biggest takeaway, Khair says the course fundamentally changed the way she views management.

“Before taking this course, I saw tabletop games simply as entertainment. Now I see them as powerful tools for developing leadership, communication, strategic thinking, creativity, and decision-making. As a Game Master—or even as a player—every decision creates consequences. One choice can influence everything that follows, much like decisions in real organisations. The course taught me that effective managers don’t simply make decisions; they consider the ripple effects those decisions have on everyone involved. That perspective is something I’ll carry with me throughout my professional career.”

The course will be offered again by UPEC in Paris in February 2027.

Each year, the University of Iceland offers students a variety of BIP courses, including several through the Aurora Network, and Khair strongly encourages other students to participate.

“BIP courses offer something that traditional classrooms simply cannot. They bring together students from different countries, cultures, and academic backgrounds, creating an environment where learning happens naturally through collaboration and shared experiences.”

She believes the course broadened her horizons and opened countless opportunities.

“For me, the course wasn’t just about tabletop games. It was about creativity, teamwork, intercultural communication, and discovering new ways of thinking. It also gave me the opportunity to represent the University of Iceland internationally and experience learning beyond the classroom. If I had the opportunity, I would gladly participate again. Some of the most valuable lessons are learned not from slides or textbooks, but from working with people from around the world to create something meaningful together.”