CRISIS FAQ
Crisis simulation and tabletop exercise FAQ
THE SHORT ANSWER
Twenty-four short answers grouped in four themes: the basics of crisis exercises, buying and pricing, the nine platforms we score, and how this site scores and discloses. Each answer links to the page that goes deeper.
By The Exercise Desk · Crisis Simulation Ranked · Published 2026-10-11
Crisis exercise basics
What is the difference between a tabletop exercise and a crisis simulation?
A tabletop is discussion-based; a crisis simulation makes people act on an unfolding incident under time pressure. Lesson 1 compares the formats.
Who should take part in a cyber crisis exercise?
The people who would decide in a real incident: executives or their deputies, legal, communications, the technical lead, and often operations and finance. Lesson 3 lists the decisions they face.
How long should an exercise take?
It depends on the format: microsimulations take minutes, decision exercises 30 to 60 minutes, full simulations longer. Reflex Security describes a sixty-minute session; iluminr describes 3–5 minute microsimulations and 30–45 minute team exercises.
How often should we exercise?
More than once a year. A practical rhythm is one full simulation a year, shorter decision exercises each quarter and short drills between them. See lesson 7.
What should an after-action report contain?
Objectives and whether they were met, a timeline, the key decisions, strengths, findings and actions with owners and dates. See lesson 8.
Are free tabletop packages any good?
CISA's packages are a sound baseline, with over 100 scenarios and an After Action Report template. They are discussion-based and do not adapt, run or report the exercise for you.
Buying and pricing
Which crisis simulation platforms publish prices?
Conducttr publishes four annual licences from £11,950 to £25,725. Hack The Box publishes a training plan price but not Crisis Control. The other seven do not publish prices for their exercise products.
Why do so few platforms publish prices?
Most sell through demos and price by organisation size or modules. We score pricing clarity at 10% so that the absence is visible without dominating the ranking.
Can I buy Cyberbit Crisis Sim 360 on its own?
No. Cyberbit says Crisis Sim 360 is only offered as an add-on to a Cyberbit Readiness plan.
Is a platform cheaper than a consultant-run tabletop?
We cannot say from published prices. TryHackMe claims its tabletops are "56% more affordable than the average consultancy tabletop exercise"; that is the vendor's claim, and no price is shown.
What should I ask in a demo?
Ask the vendor to replay the same opening with a different decision, show where scenario details come from, show the report from a real session format, and state the price. Lesson 2 has more.
Do I need a separate cyber range?
Only if your gap is hands-on technical skill. Crisis exercises test decisions; ranges test keyboard work. Immersive Labs, Cyberbit and Hack The Box sell both.
The platforms we score
Which platform ranks first?
On our published weights iluminr and Reflex Security share the top score of 7.55 out of 10. See the rankings.
What is Reflex Security best at?
Scenario realism and delivery effort: a scenario built from the organisation's own footprint, an adversary that adapts to each decision and an AI facilitator. It publishes no price. Profile.
What is iluminr best at?
Regulatory evidence and executive focus: eleven named frameworks, board-ready dashboards and short microsimulations. It has no technical hands-on work. Profile.
Where does Immersive Labs fit?
It combines Crisis Sim with labs, drills and a live-fire range on one platform, with strong measurement. Profile.
Which platform gives the most control over the scenario?
Conducttr, which scores 10 / 10 on customisation: you author the exercise in its Scenario Editor. TryHackMe follows at 9 / 10.
Which platforms let technical players work hands-on in the same exercise?
Immersive Labs, Cyberbit, Hack The Box and TryHackMe describe hands-on work inside or alongside their exercises. Reflex Security describes an Investigation Console where players query simulated logs, endpoint telemetry and network traffic in plain English. iluminr and Conducttr exercise decisions only.
How this site scores
How are the scores calculated?
Each platform is scored 0 to 10 on seven criteria from public sources, and the total is the weighted average using published weights. See scoring.
Why is scenario realism weighted at 20%?
Because a scenario that ignores your own systems or follows a fixed script rehearses the wrong thing. Executive and board focus carries the same weight.
Did you test the platforms?
No. Scores come from desk research on public pages read between 27 September and 13 October 2026. We did not run exercises, take trials or attend demos.
Can I use my own weights?
Yes. The exercise planner re-ranks the platforms on your weights and filters.
How do I report an error?
Use the contact page with the topic Correction and a link to the public source. Scores recompute when the data changes.