Create interactive decision-based stories with H5P Branching Scenario

Do you dream of your students being able to try out decision-making in realistic situations—similar to a computer game—but don't want to learn how to program? H5P allows you to create interactive branching stories in which students make decisions, observe their consequences, and learn from their mistakes. And you can do all this for free, without any programming knowledge, directly in the ELF environment.

Branching Scenario is a type of interactive H5P content that guides students through a story. At key moments, students must choose which direction the story will take – their decisions then influence what happens and how the story ends. Later, they can return to the scenario and try different paths, which promotes a deeper understanding of the topic and comparison of individual decisions.

A big advantage is that students can "make mistakes" in a safe environment and reflect on why their decisions led to a particular outcome.

When is a branching scenario appropriate?

A branching scenario is particularly suitable when students are working with interpretation, argumentation, and decision-making in complex situations. For example, it allows them to:

• simulate real or realistic situations,
• work with ethical dilemmas,
• develop decision-making skills, critical thinking, and responsibility for their choices.

What can a scenario contain?

Within a single Branching Scenario, you can combine:

• texts and narratives,
• images and videos,
• multiple-choice questions,
• different branches of the story with different endings.

And if you find creating a branching scenario with listed options too simple, you can also try inserting other interactive H5P content, such as interactive video.

You can learn more about H5P in the ELF user documentation, or you can sign up for our workshop on working with HP5 content in ELF, which we are planning for February 11, 2026.