Critical infrastructure (CI) organizations increasingly face disruptions that cascade across interdependent systems. Preparing for this fact requires thorough training, yet many existing training methods, especially tabletop exercises, are too resource-intensive, classified, or narrowly scoped to prepare diverse civilian and military stakeholders effectively. To address this gap, we introduce resilience games, a form of serious gaming with wargaming elements. First, we present the JV4.0 technical framework, the latest iteration of the U.S. Army Cyber Institute’s Jack Voltaic series, an open-source, modular architecture for creating, running, and adapting such games. Second, we demonstrate Access Denied and Sector Down as two implementations of the framework. Access Denied is an entry-level, non-technical card game focused on incident recognition and communication. Sector Down is a cross-sector game that trains CI decision-makers to sustain essential functions under cascading attrition. We describe gameplay mechanics, alignment with practitioner taxonomies (e.g., CISA lifelines, MITRE ATT&CK/ICS, D3FEND), and insights from formative playtesting across military, academic and public venues. We conclude by outlining next steps for empirical evaluation and policy integration. The aim is to provide a scalable, accessible tool to help Department of War installations and civilian communities prepare for disruptions ranging from cyberattacks to extreme weather events.
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