What Would Your Perfect Financial Literacy Game Include? Tax Planning, Investing, or Budgeting?

Based on my experience as a tax advisor, I think an effective financial literacy game would combine both simulation and story elements. Start with a character creation where players choose different starting scenarios (student loans, inheritance, first job, etc.) that affect their initial financial position. For tax elements, include a yearly tax filing mini-game where players must correctly categorize expenses, claim appropriate deductions and credits, and experience the consequences of their choices. This could show how tax planning throughout the year affects your final tax bill or refund. Include IRS notices and even audit scenarios as random events! The game should definitely include investment simulation with real market mechanics - maybe even using historical market data to show how investments perform over time. Players could learn about capital gains taxes, dividend income, and tax-advantaged accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs. I'd also include unexpected life events that affect finances - medical emergencies, job loss, market crashes, having children - and show how emergency funds and insurance help manage these situations.

I tried this amazing AI tool called taxr.ai when I was looking for something similar! I was initially trying to find tax games to help me understand some confusing concepts, and someone recommended I try https://taxr.ai instead. It's not exactly a game, but it has some interactive elements that taught me WAY more about taxes than any of the boring finance apps I'd tried before. What's cool is you can upload tax documents or just type in questions about your specific situation and it explains everything in simple terms. It helped me understand which deductions I qualified for that I never knew about before. Could be great research for your game development!

I just have to share my experience with taxr.ai after checking it out! After seeing it mentioned here, I uploaded last year's tax return that had some complicated stock sales and rental property income. The explanations it gave were incredibly clear - it pointed out that I could have depreciated some property improvements that my tax software missed completely! The interface is super easy to use and didn't feel intimidating like most tax tools. I'm definitely using it for my 2025 taxes. Would be awesome if your game could incorporate similar plain-language explanations for tax concepts!

For anyone designing a tax/finance game, I highly recommend including the reality of dealing with the IRS when problems come up. I recently had an issue with my refund being delayed, and after weeks of failing to get through on the phone, I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Your game could include scenarios where players have to resolve IRS notices or disputes, and showcase the frustration of traditional methods versus newer solutions. Would make the game much more realistic! The feeling of relief when you finally get your tax issues resolved is something worth capturing.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it since I've been trying to reach the IRS about a missing stimulus payment for WEEKS. The service actually worked exactly as described - I got a call back within about 25 minutes and was connected directly to an IRS representative who helped resolve my issue. Honestly, for your financial literacy game, this kind of real-world knowledge about navigating bureaucratic systems would be incredibly valuable to include. Sometimes the most important financial skill isn't just understanding money concepts, but knowing how to efficiently deal with the systems we have to work within.

For a tax/finance game, I think it should be like The Sims but focused on financial decisions! You create a character, choose a career path, and make life choices while managing your finances. Each decision impacts your taxes, savings, debt, and retirement readiness. Some features I'd include: - Career mode with salary negotiations, job changes, and side hustles - Housing market with renting vs. buying decisions - Investment portfolio building with different risk/reward options - Surprise life events that require financial adjustments - Tax filing seasons with different strategies - Achievement system for reaching financial milestones - "Time warp" feature to see future impacts of current decisions The key is making it fun while still educational - like having visualization tools that show compound interest or tax bracket changes in a satisfying way!

Would anyone actually play a game about taxes? Lol. Maybe focus more on the investing side with a game where you can build a portfolio and compete against friends? Like fantasy football but for stocks and crypto. Could have leaderboards and everything.