Creating your first scenario

Scenarios are the heart of SimChat. Each scenario sets up a simulated conversation by defining the AI character's personality, the context and the goals for the learner.

As an organisation owner, administrator or author, you can create scenarios and publish them for your learners to use. You can write scenarios yourself, generate them with AI, or - if your organisation has set up template sets - start from a template that pre-fills the key fields for you.

Scenario components

Every scenario includes:

• Title and description - what the scenario is about
• AI behaviour - the set of AI rules for the scenario: how the avatar plays its role, how the conversation is marked, and the style of feedback
• User instructions - what the learner sees before starting the scenario. Explains the context and objectives.
• Script - the AI character's background, personality, and knowledge. This is what powers the AI's responses.
• Checklist - assessment criteria for evaluating learner performance
• Questions (optional) - follow-up questions asked after the conversation
• Resources (optional) - additional resources for the learner

Creating a new scenario

1. Go to Scenarios in the sidebar
2. Click Create scenario
3. Choose how to start: Write it yourself, Generate with AI, or Start from a template (shown when your organisation has template sets - it pre-fills the user instructions, script and checklist from a set you choose)
4. Work through each step of the scenario creator:

• Key details - AI behaviour, title, description, conversation modes (text, audio, video), who can access the scenario, and voice/avatar choices when audio or video is enabled
• User instructions - what you want learners to do
• Scenario script - the AI character's complete background
• Checklist - assessment criteria
• Questions - optional follow-up questions
• Resources - optional links and a walkthrough
• Settings - purpose, time limit, tags, curriculum topics, and collections

5. Click Save draft to save your progress
6. When ready, click Publish to make it available to learners

After your first Save draft, Preview scenario appears in the header so you can test the conversation before publishing.

AI behaviours

When your organisation is set up, SimChat creates four default AI behaviours based on your industry. They appear in the AI behaviour dropdown grouped under Generic and, for healthcare organisations, Medical headings.

• All organisations receive Generic and Interview.
• Healthcare organisations also receive History taking and Counselling.
• Other industries receive Customer service and Explanation.

You can also create custom AI behaviours with your own avatar instructions under Scenarios → AI behaviours. See Creating custom AI behaviours.

Selecting conversation modes

In the Key details step, choose how learners can interact with the scenario:

• Text mode - always available
• Audio mode - real-time voice conversations (requires audio minutes)
• Video mode - real-time conversations with a video avatar (requires video minutes)

When you enable audio or video, you also choose the AI character's voice and avatar. See Choosing voices and video avatars.

Publishing and access control

Scenarios can be:

• Draft - only visible to staff
• Published - available to learners (subject to access control)

In the Key details step, under Who can access this scenario?, choose All users in this organisation or Specific cohorts. You must make this choice before you can publish. See Previewing, publishing and managing scenarios.

Updated on: 14/07/2026