> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.veydra.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Activities

> Transform your models into interactive games, assessments, and guided explorations

<Info>
  **New to Veydra?** Start with the [Model Playground](/playground/overview) — Veydra's central workspace where you build, modify, and test your system dynamics models with real-time feedback and powerful visualization tools.
</Info>

## Overview

Activities transform your system dynamics models into engaging interactive experiences. Instead of simply experimenting with parameters, users step through a structured sequence of decisions, seeing how their choices affect outcomes in real-time.

Activities are attached to a model, but they are configured and managed independently from the model lifecycle status.

* **Model status** controls the model lifecycle (draft/active/completed/archived).
* **Activity status and configuration** control each activity experience.
* **Default playground settings** apply when no activity is selected.
* **Activity configuration** can override playground defaults when an activity is opened.

Activities are ideal for:

* **Educational games** — Students make decisions and compete for the best outcome
* **Assessments** — Test understanding by having learners optimize a system
* **Executive simulations** — Decision-makers experience consequences of strategic choices
* **Guided explorations** — Walk users through a model step-by-step

<Frame caption="Activity mode provides a focused game-like experience with step tracking and scoring">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/veydra/images/activity-game-mode.png" alt="Activity Game Mode Interface" />
</Frame>

## Key Concepts

### Steps and Turns

Activities are divided into discrete **steps** (or turns). At each step:

1. The player reviews the current state of the simulation
2. They adjust available parameters (sliders) to make decisions
3. They click **Commit & Advance** to lock in their choices
4. The simulation runs forward by the configured time increment
5. Results are displayed, and the next step begins

This turn-based structure creates a game-like experience where every decision matters.

### Objectives and Scoring

Activities can include an optional **objective** that gives players a goal to work toward:

| Objective Type | Description                    | Example                          |
| -------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------- |
| **Reach**      | Hit a specific target value    | "Reach 1,000,000 customers"      |
| **Maximize**   | Get the highest possible value | "Maximize profit by end of game" |
| **Minimize**   | Get the lowest possible value  | "Minimize carbon emissions"      |

Players earn points based on their progress toward the objective. The score is displayed in real-time during gameplay.

### Parameter Visibility

Model creators control which parameters are visible during an activity:

* **Visible parameters** — The levers players can adjust
* **Locked parameters** — Hidden or fixed values that simplify the experience

This allows you to create focused experiences by hiding complexity that isn't relevant to the learning objective.

## Creating Activities

Activities are created and managed from the model editor page, in the **Activities** section.

### Step 1: Open the Model Editor

1. Navigate to your model in the Model Playground
2. Click the **gear icon** or go to Settings from the model menu
3. Scroll to the **Activities** section

### Step 2: Create a New Activity

Click **Create Activity** to open the activity editor:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enter Basic Information">
    * **Activity Title** — A descriptive name (e.g., "Supply Chain Challenge")
    * **Description** — What users will learn or accomplish
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Steps">
    * **Number of Steps** — How many rounds/turns to play (default: 10)
    * **Time per Step** — Simulation time units per step (default: 1)

    For example, 12 steps with time per step of 1 month creates a year-long game.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set an Objective (Optional)">
    * **Target Variable** — The model variable to track (exact name from your model)
    * **Objective Type** — Reach, Maximize, or Minimize
    * **Target Value** — For "Reach" objectives, the value to achieve
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Create Activity** to save your configuration.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Example: Creating a Business Growth Game

Let's create an activity for a business model where players try to reach 1 million in revenue:

| Setting         | Value                                          |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Title           | "Growth Challenge"                             |
| Description     | "Grow your startup to \$1M revenue in 2 years" |
| Number of Steps | 24                                             |
| Time per Step   | 1 (month)                                      |
| Target Variable | "Revenue"                                      |
| Objective Type  | Reach                                          |
| Target Value    | 1000000                                        |

## Managing Activities

### Editing Activities

1. In the Activities section, find the activity you want to modify
2. Click the **three-dot menu** (⋮) on the activity card
3. Select **Edit**
4. Make your changes and click **Update Activity**

### Deleting Activities

1. Click the **three-dot menu** (⋮) on the activity card
2. Select **Delete**
3. Confirm the deletion

<Warning>
  Deleting an activity cannot be undone. Any shared links to the activity will stop working.
</Warning>

## Playing Activities

### Starting a Game

There are several ways to access an activity:

1. **From Model Settings** — Click **Play Activity** in the activity's dropdown menu
2. **Direct URL** — Share the activity link: `app.veydra.io/model/{modelId}/activity/{activityId}`
3. **From the Model** — If activities exist, users can access them from the model menu

### The Game Interface

When playing an activity, you'll see a specialized interface:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Activity Header" icon="gamepad">
    Shows the activity title, current step (e.g., "Step 3 of 12"), score, and objective progress
  </Card>

  <Card title="Game Controls" icon="sliders">
    Parameter sliders filtered to only show the controls relevant to the activity
  </Card>

  <Card title="Visualization" icon="chart-area">
    Charts showing how the simulation evolves with each step
  </Card>

  <Card title="Commit Button" icon="forward">
    Lock in your decisions and advance to the next step
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Making Decisions

At each step:

1. **Review** the current simulation state in the charts
2. **Adjust** the parameter sliders to make your decisions
3. **Commit & Advance** to lock in choices and run the simulation forward
4. **Observe** how your decisions affected the outcome
5. **Repeat** until all steps are complete

### Game Completion

When you complete all steps, you'll see:

* Your final score
* Whether you achieved the objective
* A summary of your performance

<Tip>
  Want to try different strategies? Start a new game session and approach the challenge differently.
</Tip>

## Sharing Activities

### Direct Links

Each activity has a unique URL that can be shared:

```
https://app.veydra.io/model/{modelId}/activity/{activityId}
```

Users who click this link will immediately enter the activity in game mode.

### LMS Integration

Activities work seamlessly with LTI-enabled Learning Management Systems:

1. Configure the LTI connection in your LMS
2. Use the activity URL as the launch target
3. Students access the game directly from their course

See [LMS Integration](/features/lms-integration) for setup details.

## Best Practices

### Designing Effective Activities

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Keep it focused">
    Limit visible parameters to 3-5 key decisions. Too many controls overwhelm players and dilute learning objectives.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Choose meaningful objectives">
    Select objectives that connect to real-world outcomes players care about — revenue, health metrics, environmental impact, etc.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Balance difficulty">
    Set targets that are achievable but challenging. Too easy feels trivial; too hard feels unfair.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Test your activity">
    Play through your activity yourself before sharing. Make sure the pace feels right and the objective is reachable.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Activity Duration Guidelines

| Use Case             | Recommended Steps | Time per Step    |
| -------------------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| Quick demo           | 5-10              | 1                |
| Classroom exercise   | 12-20             | Varies           |
| Executive simulation | 10-15             | Quarter or Month |
| Deep exploration     | 20-30             | Varies           |

## Technical Notes

### Session Management

* Each play-through creates a new **game session**
* Sessions track: current step, world state, score, and player decisions
* Sessions cannot currently be saved/resumed — complete in one sitting

### Model Versioning

Activities always use the **latest published version** of the model. If you update your model:

* Existing activities automatically use the new version
* Ensure parameter names remain consistent to avoid breaking activities

<Note>
  Future releases will add support for saving/resuming sessions and activity versioning.
</Note>

## Troubleshooting

### "Target variable not found"

The objective variable name must exactly match a variable in your model. Check:

* Capitalization matches exactly
* No extra spaces
* The variable exists in the model output

### Activity not showing objectives

Make sure you:

1. Entered a target variable name
2. Selected an objective type
3. Saved the activity

### Charts not updating

After advancing a step, charts should update automatically. If not:

* Check your browser console for errors
* Refresh the page and start a new session