The MI6 Intelligence Officer role is really niche. But it’s also a role that requires a lot of everyday skills, the kind that people might naturally have but just don’t realise it. It’s a tricky message to get across, and a job description alone wouldn’t do it justice. MI6 needed to do something unconventional and unexpected.

That’s why, working with Stafford Long, MI6 designed a 16-bit game to test those everyday skills in a fun, creative way – while at the same time challenging misconceptions about what it takes to be an IO.

The game is set in fictional Fleming Town, where the main character has to find her dog – Kloos – by completing a series of skills tests aligned to the IO role. There were also mini-games and a plethora of tasks and fetch-quests with an unexpected look and feel for MI6. The game needed to attract ‘inquisitive polymaths’ that would excel in the IO role, show the skills required in a new and interactive way, challenge perceptions about what the role needs, and build awareness of MI6 to a wider, more diverse audience.

Potential candidates might not identify as gamers, but would be tech savvy, inquisitive and have empathy for others. Solving problems through a game was an effective way to reveal these skills. Feedback from players included that it was a “unique take” on demonstrating skills and that it kept candidates engaged. It boosted the audience’s understanding of the everyday skills needed to be an IO, and thousands played the game.