McKinsey’s Solve platform features an interface where candidates can view and unlock games progressively, one after another. At the beginning of the assessment, the selected games by McKinsey are listed, and game’s interface dynamically unlocks each game as the previous ones are completed.
As part of this structure, McKinsey has rebranded the games with new names, such as Ecosystem Island and Redrock Island.
Within this evolving assessment landscape, McKinsey has introduced Sea Wolf, a game that apparently replaces the former Ocean Cleanup (previously available in Beta). Designed to assess analytical thinking and decision-making skills under pressure, The Sea Wolf challenges candidates to clean up three contaminated sites by selecting the ideal microbes.
This guide covers The Sea Wolf’s objectives, structure, gameplay flow, and the resources you can rely on to maximize your performance.
What’s the goal of the Sea Wolf game?
Sea Wolf is not just a technical test, it’s an exercise in problem-solving, resource management, and critical thinking.
The main goal is to assess the candidate’s ability to analyze highly complex data and make decisions under pressure while managing multiple variables at once.
The objective is to identify the best treatment to clean up three contaminated sites by selecting the most suitable microbes based on specific attributes and traits.
Each choice must be made carefully, considering both the desired properties and those to avoid while working with averages to stay within the required parameter ranges.
You’ll have 30 minutes to complete the game, and time must be strategically divided across the three sites.
The game’s structure
The Sea Wolf game combines environmental analysis and strategic decision-making across three progressive stages. Each stage introduces a new Contamination Site with unique characteristics, challenging candidates to build an effective treatment by selecting the right combination of microbes.
Success depends on following specific selection rules and managing multiple variables under time pressure.
Sea Wolf phases
Now that we’ve covered the overall structure, let’s dive into the practical flow of the game.
In each phase, you’ll need to carefully assess the site’s information, profile the microbes to program into the database, and build a treatment that fits strict attribute and trait requirements.
Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how it works.
Understanding the site characteristics
At the start of each phase, the candidate receives information about the characteristics of the optimal microbes to clean the site.
These define the parameters to follow in order to build an effective treatment and are divided into:
- target ranges for three attributes such as, for example, permeability, rigidity, or size. The selected microbes must feature attribute values that, on average, fall within these specified ranges;
- a desired trait: at least one of the selected microbes must have this positive characteristic;
- an undesired trait: none of the selected microbes should display this negative characteristic, or penalties will apply to the final score.
Understanding these characteristics is key to building effective strategies for the next phases of the game.
Select profiling characteristics
Before beginning the microbe categorization process, candidates must first choose 2 characteristics from the site attributes and traits to program into the database. This selection can include two attributes, two traits, or a mix of one attribute and one trait.
While this profiling choice does NOT influence the 10 microbes proposed for categorization, it is crucial for understanding how you approach the problem and can influence the microbes selected in the Initial Prospect Pool during the second part of the game.
Prioritize extreme-range attributes when selecting profiling characteristics. Choose attributes with the widest ranges (like 1-2 or 8-10) over mid-range attributes (like 4-6). Extreme ranges are harder to achieve through averaging in the treatment phase, so selecting them demonstrates your understanding that edge ranges are more challenging to manage and require greater control during microbe selection.
Categorize microbes: keep, save, or discard
After analyzing the characteristics of the Contamination Site, candidates move on to the microbes categorization, as part of profiling phase.
They receive a list of 10 different types of microbes, each with specific attributes and traits.
Also, at the bottom a preview of the next site attribute is shown, providing a useful insight for next choices.
At this point, they must choose from three options:
- keep for the current site: if its attributes are within range (or close enough to meet the average) and it has no undesired traits;
- save for the upcoming site: if its attributes don’t match the current one, it could work for the next phase based on the previewed attribute;
- discard: if it isn’t suitable for either sites.
Don't discard microbes based on individual attributes alone. In Sea Wolf, microbes are selected based on their potential to create valid treatments when averaged with two others. A microbe with attributes outside the target range can still be valuable if it helps achieve the correct average across three microbes. For example, if the target Size range is 2-4, a microbe with Size = 6 can work when paired with microbes of Size = 2 and Size = 1 (average = 3, which fits the range). Keep microbes that offer averaging flexibility rather than discarding them prematurely.
Categorizing microbes correctly is crucial and significantly increases the chances of having a favorable selection pool for the next phase!
These first two phases, categorization and characterization, are also part of a bigger piece, where profiling the microbes takes place. The outcome of these phases is not carried to the next two.
Let’s see how they unfold.
Selecting your prospect pool
The profiling phase is followed by prospect pool selection, which refers to the set of microbes the candidate will use to build the final treatment.
First, candidates receive a set of six pre-loaded microbes selected based on their previous choices and the system’s suggestions.
Next, applicants must select 4 additional microbes, shown in groups of three—only one microbe can be chosen from each group, ending up with 10 microbes in the pool.
A thoughtful selection leads to a well-balanced pool and, as a result, a more effective final treatment.
Avoid microbes that make extreme ranges impossible to achieve. For extreme ranges like 1-2, never select microbes with values above 4, as even with the lowest possible other microbes (1+1), the average would exceed the range and trigger a 20% penalty. Calculate maximum allowable values before selecting.
Never select microbes with undesired traits. Including them in your prospect pool serves no purpose since using them in the final treatment automatically results in a 20% effectiveness reduction. Only make exceptions in rare cases where no alternatives exist.
Building the final treatment
Once the 10 microbes have been selected, the candidate must choose the 3 most suitable ones to create the treatment for the contaminated site.
That is a critical phase: as mentioned earlier, the average of their attributes must fall within the required ranges, at least one microbe must have the desired trait, and none must carry the undesired trait.
A well-constructed treatment allows candidates to maximize their score and move on to txhe following site.
Treatment effectiveness will be reduced by 20% for each of the following situations:
- Every averaged attribute that falls outside the acceptable range;
- Presence of one or more undesired traits;
- Absence of any desired trait.
In some extreme cases, it may not be possible to avoid a 20% penalty—this happens when no combination of three microbes fully meets the requirements.
Even if every step has been followed correctly, the candidate might find themselves in a situation where no three microbes are perfectly suitable.
That means being forced to include a microbe with an undesired trait, not including one with a desired trait or having an attribute falling out of range, which results in an automatic 20% deduction from the treatment score.
However, smart decisions made in the earlier phases significantly increase the chance of having valid options during the final selection, making this outcome much less likely.
In-game resources you shouldn’t overlook
Throughout the game, several helpful tools are available to keep you focused on objectives and rules:
- Key (Legend): in the bottom-right corner, an expandable legend uses icons to show the attributes and traits of each microbe.
- Help: in the bottom-left corner, the “HELP” section allows you to revisit the instructions, overall flow, and useful definitions at any time.
- Tutorial: before the game begins, you’ll go through a full practice session with no time limit.
Leveraging these tools effectively can significantly impact your final score.
Your mindset matters
Sea Wolf is more than just a game—it's a test that demands logic, strategy, and meticulous resource management.
Understanding its structure, criteria, and dynamics can make a difference, guiding you toward a top-level performance.
Take time to prepare for each phase, ideally by training with simulations before the assessment. Maximize your score using tools such as Sea Wolf’s solver, which can boost your performance during the game.
With the right approach, tackling Sea Wolf will be a challenging yet rewarding experience—well within your reach.
