Stock Market Game

Details: Last Updated: Thursday, 17 January 2019

Playing a stock market game is a great way to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of the stock market without the risk of losing real money. We did some research, and found several online games that are very good. We also took a look at several board games that might help with the learning process too.

Stock Market Board Games

While some individuals might prefer to play a stock market simulation game online, there are alternatives. In fact, there is something to be said for board games. After all, many of us spend quite a bit of time staring at a computer screen. Wouldn't it be nice to interact with real people for a change, while playing a friendly stock market game? (We'll assume there is such a thing as playing a friendly board game.)

It's understandable that a seven year old might not share the same enthusiasm for the stock market. But children like to fantasize and play interactive games, and most adults do too. Below is a list of stock market board games to consider:

Pit (2 to 8 players): first published by Gavitt in 1903, in this game players are charged with the task of cornering the market in one type of commodity. The game is a loud, real-time commodity and stock trading game that takes about 90 minutes to play.
Monopoly Stock Exchange (2 to 6 players): a variation of the famous Monopoly game that involves bidding for stock, speculation, and auctions. The game includes an electronic console that keeps track of trades, and the playing time is roughly two hours.
Stock Market Tycoon (2 to 8 players): played like Monopoly, this stock market board game takes about 2 hours to play. The objective of the game is to make $1 million, and the game involves commodities, stocks, and even a shot at day trading. Wildcard problems emerge in the form of gambling sprees and unexpected taxes.

Opensource Market Games

The development of Linux and OpenOffice are great examples of people working together to make high-quality software products that are available to everyone with a personal computer. We were not able to find a production-ready free stock market game that was available at SourceForge.net, but we did find a couple of applications that provide the user with some tools to analyze stocks.

Stock Market: promises to be a simulation game based on an adaptation of the Stock Market board game made by the now defunct Western Publishing Company in 1968.
Market Analysis System: not a stock market game, but a software application that provides for both the technical analysis and fundamental analysis of stocks and the stock market.

Online Stock Market Games

There are many websites that offer online stock market games. Some of these are "free," and others charge a fee for participating. There is certainly enough competition in this area, which means it's not necessary to pay for the right to play a fantasy game. Also be wary of stock market games that merely offer free trials.

We're going to recommend three online games that offer a great experience, regardless of your level of expertise in trading stocks. The first site is sponsored by MarketWatch, and they host an excellent virtual stock trading game.

The remaining two online games come from smaller companies, both of which use the Stock Trak stock trading simulation software. This application is used by 60,000 students through 1,000 professors in 30 countries.

Virtual Stock Exchange: offer stock market trades based on real stock prices and other stock trading information from the NYSE Euronext and NASDAQ. The game can be played as an individual or in a group. Each fantasy / competition has different rules such as the ability to trade on margin accounts, and the dollars are placed in the account at the beginning of the game.
Wall Street Survivor: this site partners with Microsoft, Yale University, and the University of Chicago. Play is free, and the site even awards money to winning teams.
How the Market Works: a virtual stock exchange that allows players to practice techniques involving penny stocks, day trading, as well as value investing. Players start with as little as $100 or as much as $500,000 in virtual money.

Have fun and please do remember that they're only games. Keep in mind that one of the reasons for playing a stock market game is to learn about the workings of a stock exchange. Eventually, this should increase everyone's comfort level when it comes to trading stocks using real money.

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