Everyone has a story, right? Here’s mine.
Around 1988 when I got out of college, I was determined to break the trends of my childhood environment and make sure that I developed a high degree of financial literacy. Financial independence was a goal of many that seemed to be thwarted by bad financial habits. After decades of reading and investing, and eagerly helping others with their financial affairs, it was time to pour some of that experience into an entertaining and portable format that can help promote a better view and use of money. As the primary caretaker and stay-at-home Dad of three children, I anxiously toiled to do a good job, and one of my concerns was being able to set my kids on a path less likely to be plagued by the financial traps and suffering I had always seen around me growing up. This game was born out of that concern.
Here is one of the early development boards of Investor Showdown, before I turned to cards only:
If you notice the colored hex shapes underneath and between the spaces, that’s from another game (Summon Guardians) that I had been working on many years earlier.
The board-game version quickly evolved into a more adult-like, streamlined, highly portable card-based game. Here is a very small sampling of Investor Showdown’s card evolution over the years – and I do mean VERY small! The play-money and rules had their own evolution as well:
Most of us were taught how to spend money as children, and something to fear or be uncomfortable about – but not how to manage or invest it. Well aware of this, one of the reasons I created this game was to help people develop a better relationship with money than I had, and a lot sooner. Financial independence is so much more likely if the right habits are cemented in young. That is why I have, and you may want to check out, the Academic area of this site. It is key to the Mission of increasing financial literacy. Both a list of Financial Terms derived from the game, as well as the No Allowance system I created, can be viewed or downloaded from the “Homeschool Headquarters” located there.
This is my stab at an investment game that’s simplified but still interesting. It was a fun tool in my toolbox, and I hope it serves you as well. Investor Showdown is one of the offerings my company, VideoJitsu LLC, proudly manages.
On social media I will be sharing the occasional financial-related news item, tip, or comment that I feel may be worthy of your time.
Thanks for reading my story.
Frank D’Aurio