One compressed timeline. ~40 ticks. No idea how it ends.
A run is 15–25 real minutes. The game clock advances three months per tick; every couple of ticks a payday arrives and you decide where it goes. Random life events (car repair, medical bill, bonus, tuition) and scripted market events (crashes, rallies, rate shocks) happen around you — the game watches what you do, it never stops you from panic-selling.
Chapter 1 — The Quiet Decade
1992–2002The tutorial run. Ends inside the dot-com unwind, no warning it's coming.
The run loop
Pick a scenario and difficulty. The game rolls a hidden historical window — every run is different.
~40 ticks. Portfolio value animates, real dated headlines stream in, unlabeled.
The historical window is revealed. Your line vs. the Bot's DCA line vs. cash under the mattress.
An Investor Report: behavior flags, concept XP, one reflection question. Badge checks fire here.
Scenario chapters
Named, chaptered runs with fixed historical data, streamed real headlines, and a narrative wrapper — you're dropped in without being told the ending. Each is ~20 minutes, graded on process (not luck), and replayable.
Reading the Tape — skill chapter
Learn candlestick vocabulary, mark a real chart, then see the patterns' honest track record. Unlocks after Chapter 1.
Chapter 2 — Irrational Exuberance
The dot-com arc in full. Pets.com-style IPOs get offered at every payday — that's the temptation mechanic.
Chapter 3 — The House Always Wins
The Global Financial Crisis. Includes a house-purchase decision and a layoff mid-crash.
Chapter 4 — Diamond Hands
COVID crash into meme-stock mania. A fake in-game social feed hypes tickers at you on purpose.
Difficulty
Cadet
Hints on, event warnings, generous paydays.
Investor
The default. No hints, no warnings, standard paydays.
Iron
No hints, meaner life events, bear-heavy window sampling. Leaderboard-eligible for league bonus XP.