· Money Moves · Auctions
Sealed Bid: a free game about bidding blind
One envelope, one shot. Bid just enough to win the plot, and not a coin more.
What is Sealed Bid?
One envelope per plot, one shot. You don't see the other bids. Bid just enough to win, and never more than the plot is worth to you.
Sealed Bid is a free auction game. Each plot gets one sealed envelope from you and from each bot. You never see the other bids.
The highest envelope wins and pays its own bid. Bid too low and you lose the plot; bid too high and you overpay. The sweet spot is a little under the value.
At a glance
- Category
- Money Moves
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Play time
- 2–4 min
- Price
- Free, in your browser, sign-up optional
How to play
- Bid
- Set your bid and seal the envelope. The highest bid wins and pays what it bid.
- Score
- Points for a profitable win; some for losing a plot that sold above its value.
- 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
100 per profitable win plus 1 point per 40 coins of profit; 60 for losing a plot that sold above its value.
Five envelopes per run.
What it trains
- Bidding blind
- Shading a bid below value.
- Estimating
- Reading a value range.
Strategy and tips
- Shade your bid
- Bid below what the plot is worth to you: winning at full value earns nothing.
- Losing is fine
- Missing a plot that sold above its value is a good result.
- Use the estimate
- The estimate tells you where the others will likely bid.
Why play Sealed Bid?
Tenders, quotes and sealed offers work the same way. Knowing your value before you bid keeps you from overpaying.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sealed Bid 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.