Entrepreneurship may not be for everyone, but thanks to this new card game on Kickstarter, everyone can get a taste of the “startup life.”
Venture Valley is a card game based on the high-stakes world of entrepreneurs. The game combines the financial strategy of Monopoly with the savviness of Poker and the turn-based play of Magic: The Gathering.
“I designed this game as a way to let regular people experience what its like to make decisions like the world’s most powerful investors,” said founder Jon Gosier. “A lot of my friends and family find the lives of entrepreneurs and investors intriguing. Yet, I was surprised at how little resources were available to those who wanted to further their understanding the world of investors.”
So, Gosier created Venture Valley, where players get to be investors, and their main goal is to build the largest tech investment firm possible. Players choose which companies they want to invest in and try to out-maneuver other players by building the strongest portfolio. All the while, each player has to pay careful attention to the needs of their companies to keep them from running into trouble and/or going out of business by helping them raise capital, go public, or deal with lawsuits. The goal is to earn as much money possible, while attempting to send the rest of the players into bankruptcy.
Of course, the game only vaguely mimics the world of investments, but it seems like a fun way to learn how to be strategic about your investments. VCs have a lot to consider when it comes to deciding which startups to invest in. If you want to take a peek at what the VCs do all week, read Brooklyn Bridge Ventures‘ s Chris O’Donnell‘s recent post breaking down how he spends his day — pretty intense.
For those who prefer to stick to betting on fake startups, check out Venture Valley on Kickstarter.
Image Credit: Flickr/Topher76