· Money Moves · Market cycles
Boom & Bust Board: a free game about market cycles
Prices boom and bust on a hidden rhythm. Can you time them better than a neighbour who buys every month?
What is Boom & Bust Board?
Property prices in town run in cycles, but nobody knows when the turn comes. Each month buy a share of the Riverside block, hold or sell one, while your neighbour Skip just buys one every month. Who ends richer?
Boom & Bust Board is a free money game about market cycles. Property prices in town rise, peak, fall and recover, but the rhythm is hidden.
Each month buy a share of the Riverside block, hold or sell one, while your neighbour Skip buys one every month whatever happens. At the end, compare.
At a glance
- Category
- Money Moves
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Play time
- 3–5 min
- Price
- Free, in your browser, sign-up optional
How to play
- Move
- Buy, hold or sell one share each month. The next month's price shows after you move.
- Compare
- Beat Skip's steady buying for a big bonus. Headlines follow the price; they don't predict it.
- Three levels
- Beginner, Intermediate or Expert, picked before you play: the content and the clock change, and each level keeps its own best score.
- Coins
- Example numbers in plain fictional coins, made up for the game. Not financial advice.
Scoring
10 a month, 30 more when your move fits the next price, points for final worth, 150 for beating Skip's steady buying.
10 or 12 months per run.
What it trains
- Market cycles
- Booms, tops, busts and bottoms.
- Steady investing
- Buying a little each month.
Strategy and tips
- Headlines lag
- The news gets loud after the move has happened.
- Steady is a strategy
- Buying a little every month averages out the highs and lows.
- Keep cash for the dip
- The bottom is only a bargain if you can still buy.
Why play Boom & Bust Board?
Trying to time markets is tempting and hard. Seeing a steady plan hold its own against clever timing is a useful lesson for any long-term saving.
Frequently asked questions
Is Boom & Bust Board free?
Yes. It is free and runs in your browser, with no download. Signing up is optional.
Is this financial advice?
No. Every number is an example in fictional coins, made up for the game. It teaches the ideas; for real decisions, look at your own situation and local rules, or ask a qualified adviser.
Are there levels?
Yes: Beginner, Intermediate and Expert. The numbers, the hints and the clock change, and each level keeps its own best score.