17 Games that Can Teach You to Become Rich

vemuda.com - The video game industry has seen a vast growth even through the pandemic. In fact, its revenue reached an all-time high of $175 billion in the year of 2020 with an increase of 20% from the previous year. Since then, the industry has been further growing rapidly.  

Come to think of it, it makes sense; who  wouldn’t want to get lost in a fun virtual world and run away from the burden of real  life? But did you know that many games, while also presenting an entertainment  factor, also produce an educational value?

Source: unsplash.com by Florian Olivo

The list of video games we have today help  explain some complex financial lessons that you can carry on with you in the real world.  Finical literacy is a must if you want to succeed, so why not get that education from a series of colorful and exciting games?

So, without further ado, here are some video  games you can enjoy as you learn about money. Now, let’s begin, shall we?

1. The Sims

Have you ever thought about how much easier life would be if you had a practice run at it first? If yes, The Sims can give you that. This game is first on the list because it truly mimics reality. You, the player, are taught a lot about money management seeing as you have to create a budget from the limited funds you receive. You get a job which continually provides you with money.  

With the budget you create, you buy a house  in a neighborhood that you can afford, and you have to spend money on your basic  day-to-day needs. While severely addicting, this games gives you a test-run of sorts  when it comes to budgeting your finances.

2. Slime Rancher

Imagine colorful and adorable slimes popping up to teach you about investing. I’d much rather learn about investing from them than from some boring old human. In Slime  Rancher, you build a farm on a strange, far, far away planet and those tiny slimes pop up  and tell you ways you can grow your money. It teaches you a very important lesson on how small investments can compound into a mass of wealth.

3. House Flipper

Most of us know that the real estate industry is a lucrative industry to head into. One way you can make money in that area is by house flipping.  

Buy an undervalued property, renovate it, and then sell it for profit. This game is based on exactly that! The player goes into a run-down house, and they manually renovate it to increase its value. House flipping in this game is eerily similar to how it works in real life. 

4. Animal Crossing

Now expect to be pleasantly surprised at how charming and educational Animal  Crossing is. This game has been described as the treasure of wholesome economic principles. It’s the perfect place for kids and adults to acquire financial knowledge. The game teaches users to understand several aspects of money. 

The first lesson we learn is to do with mortgage. When you start the game, you’re living in a tent. In order to buy a house, you need to earn ‘bells’ (the game’s currency). Once you’ve bought your house, you can continue to upgrade  it by earning more and more ‘bells’.

There are many adorably fun ways you can earn money in this game. Save up and build the house of your dreams! 

The other lesson you’re taught in this game is  trade. There is a market in which you can buy and sell goods. Along with this, once a week you’re  presented with the opportunity to buy turnips.  

You can later sell the turnips or eat them. If you sell them be warned, there is a slight chance you could be lowballed on the transaction. You need to make your decision quick! turnips don’t last for too long in the game; they rot in seven days’ time. To sell, or not to sell. 

5. FIFA

The game not only presents players with an opportunity to play football, but to also understand the business. The FIFA Franchise segment enables players to act as the club managers where they get to manage the club’s budget.

They have to make the core decisions, to buy players, negotiate payments and invest into the teams. It’s a pretty cool interactive way to understand the football business. 

6. Capitalism Lab

Honestly you don’t need to look past the name to know this game will teach you about finances. I actually think this is one of the best business simulations ever. If you want to own a business but feel like you don’t know much about the ins and outs, give this game a try.

Sticking with the ongoing theme of ‘test run’, you can get a taste of what it takes to run a  whole corporation in whatever industry you want. This game is so fantastic, it’s actually  been used in several school competitions! 

7. Kerbal Space Program

In the real world, nothing is handed over to you for free. If it is, there’s always strings attached. This game teaches you just that. The player needs to work hard and mine  minerals that can be used to make a spaceship.  

Only once they’ve done the hard work, do  they get to enjoy the fruits of their labor; this is a vital lesson one must keep in mind if they wish to succeed in real life.

8. Stardew Valley

To tell you the truth, I’ve always wanted to live on a farm, milk cows, and just enjoy nature and my own private garden.  

I was aways under the impression that being a farmer was fun and relaxing… until I played this game. Don’t get me wrong, it’s one of my all-time favorites but wow do you have to work hard! In the game you move into your grandfather’s neglected farm with a limited budget.  

The main goal is to clean up the farm and  make it presentable but in order to do that, you require a substantial amount of money. There are many ways in which you can earn your money.  

Options include selling minerals from your  mining adventures; selling animal products; fishing; and so on. Budgeting is the biggest  lesson you learn from this game. This game also does a great job at teaching you how to  re-invest your profits back into the business.

9. NBA

This game is yet another that will train you to understand finances and the sports business. In the game, the players have to make crucial decisions that will affect their career as the basketball team manager and the team players under them.

Just as the FIFA game, the team managers are given a tight budget with which they have to build a team, and make all the financial decisions. The game also teaches players how to manage loans by enabling them to hire players on debt and repaying on time.

10. The Legend of Zelda

This is one of the few games in which although you get your money in questionable  ways, you still end up learning about its value.  

Players are taught about budgeting and spending through gambling. There are several mini-games within this game. Think of it like a virtual Las Vegas casino, except instead of getting drunk and blowing all your money, you actually do learn about how to tactfully spend what you’ve earned. 

11. Civilization

Although it’s been out for 20 years, this is still my go-to educational game. In this game, you have to acquire resources to build civilizations, make alliances, and even fight with other tribes. Along with learning about money management, you also understand the power of soft skills like negotiation and diplomacy. With the game learning about business has never been so cool!

12. Buy It Right 

This game is perfect for kids between the  ages of 6 to 10. It’s used a lot in schools to train children with different levels of math’s skills about money management. The game uses the most realistic replica of money and enables kids to understand the principles of trade and value of money.

13. Pay Day 

This is another game that’s amazing for younger children. It takes 15 minutes from start to finish and within that short time, you’ll learn a number of new skills. The game revolves around earning a pay check, budgeting and paying for bills.

The remainder of the money in this came can be used to make investment decisions on  property deals. Passive income is so important for financial freedom, and this is one of the games that teaches you that principle. 

14. Thrive Time

I have talked about so many games in this post, but none matches up to the realistic life and money concepts taught in Thrive Time. The game takes you through different stages in life. It starts off from the point of being a student with a part-time job. It teaches the player how to manage the money they have by paying bills, taking loans, and earning returns from the right investments.

The game also has a balance sheet that enables the players to keep track of their income streams. The game is a wonderful place to start if you want to learn about  money-making strategies and money management.

15. Dave Ramsey

The most vital lesson this game teaches you is how to get out of (or better yet completely avoid) debt. You start the game by choosing a life card and three different debit cards. The end goal is to eliminate the debt through strategic playing.  

You’re given pieces of advice on how to get  out of debt; this advice is so realistic, you can use it in your own life. This is the  perfect game to learn about debt management.

16. SimCity

This game is quite complicated, but you will definitely get the hang of it after a couple of rounds. Like many other games on this list, it starts off with the player having a specified budget.  

With this money, the player is supposed to select the location they will live in and the city’s infrastructure to increase development in the region. Once the city is well developed, revenue will be generated from multiple streams supporting the economy. If the infrastructure isn’t well utilized, there will be stagnated growth.

This game will not only teach you the basics of money, but how to contribute to overall economic development.

17. Railroad Tycoon

If you’d like to learn about the basic concepts of running a startup, this game is for you. You start off by choosing a debt amount for running the business; the higher the amount, the higher the interest rate. Once you have the money, it is up to you to choose how to spend it.

Running a business requires strategic thinking, planning and financial forecasting and management. All these crucial lessons are taught in this game. You generate revenue by selling goods from one city to another based on demand and supply.  

Should you re-invest the generate income or should you buy shares of competitors? These decisions presented in the game will also  be presented to you in real life. Business school, or not – everything you need to know about being a business tycoon is provided in this game.

That’s it for today, if you’re still here you must’ve enjoyed the post. We consistently create useful content to help you grow financially and be a better person. With that said, have a great day, and see you in the next one.