Who we are

We are a games design consultancy, which supports, develops and facilitates bespoke serious games.

Stone Paper Scissors (SPS) is active in designing command and decision games covering issues such as political crises, social media and influence, strategic planning, cyber defence and civil disorder.

The team combines management experience at a senior level in the public and voluntary sectors, with an appreciation of the psychological dimension of game design and facilitation processes, to ensure that Stone Paper Scissors events deliver educational, team building or management development goals.

SPS game designs in the recreational arena have now been played world wide in the USA, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Austria and New Zealand as well across the UK.

We are supported by a peripatetic team of experts, all experienced professionals in facilitating games as well as subject matter experts in their own right.

The team's subject matter expertise has been drawn from backgrounds including academic history, cyber security, performing arts, computer science, journalism, senior management, military/defence, security, government and the social sciences.

It is the diversity of this interdisciplinary group that has proved very creative in designing and delivering games that both challenge and entertain.

The Team

Jim Wallman

Stones Paper Scissors is headed by its Director, Jim Wallman, a professional game designer and facilitator who has over 30 years experience in the serious game design field.

He has worked extensively with the corporate, public, educational, recreational and voluntary sectors, designing and delivering a wide range of games, such as in support of academic research, on social issues and map wargames & concept development games for the UK Defence community.

Jim's background and training is primarily in the social science, psychology and military history fields, with a particular interest in the practical application of positive psychology to game structures and the development of immersive and emerging gameplay.

Viji Szepel-Golek

Stone Paper Scissors day to day activities are headed by its Operations Manager, Viji Szepel-Golek, an experienced administrator with over 20 years experience in a range of roles, including support to training, finance and administration.

Viji’s background and training is in the positive psychology field with particular interest in the application of positive awareness in organisational development.

Associate Partners

Stone Paper Scissors has a number of experienced Associate Partners who work closely with the Director to develop new projects, lead events, games and workshops. Associate Partners are drawn from a wide area of expertise, and are integral members of the SPS team…

Bruce Walton

Bruce Walton is qualified in history, vocational training and directing and acting for stage and TV. His professional background is in data analysis and ICT training across several sectors, for the last two decades specialising in road safety. He has substantial game facilitation experience and is involved in design, delivery, and development of SPS' professional control training courses.

Fraser Patrick

Fraser is a TAP certified training professional and full member of the Chartered Institute of Information Security, with seven years experience writing and delivering training for intelligence professionals within law enforcement, government, defence, and the intelligence community in over 30 countries.

Fraser has designed and facilitated large scale games, immersive training exercises, and crisis simulations since 2015, and has worked on professional and serious games for both the UK Government and UK Defence community.

John Mizon

John Mizon has been involved in game design and game facilitation since 2015, working for his own company designing and facilitating large-scale games, as well as working as a partner of Stone Paper Scissors. John is a successful and creative game designer with several internationally-recognised megagame designs to his credit.

Nick Drage 

Nick Drage is a cyber security strategist with over 25 year's experience within the cyber security field, in both offensive and defensive roles, mainly at a technical level. Nick is also a game designer, with over 15 years experience within the professional wargaming industry. He has wide ranging interests, from strategic choices in limited environments such as a sports, to how doctrines apply analogically across all conflicts, and the use of non-traditional methods in professional wargaming, such as the use of hybrid formats.

Rob Grayston

Rob has experience in professional plan testing and developing exercises in a government context, with experience of working in resilience and emergency planning in a response role, as well as a background in the events industry. He is also a published recreational game writer.