Not Just Entertainment: How Games Can Develop Financial Literacy Skills

Financial literacy is one of the most important skills today. Due to the ability to manage money, invest wisely and understand market principles  you may avoid debts and achieve financial independence. However, not everyone is ready to spend time studying economic theories and reading complex books about finance. Fortunately, it can be learned even while playing games.

Virtual worlds went beyond mere entertainment a long time ago. In many games players face complex economic systems, where they should manage budgets, analyze markets, and make strategic decisions that affect their virtual wealth. Of course, virtual economies are different from real ones, but the principles players learn often work off-screen. In real life, some invest in the stock market, while others collect rare items, be it comic books, vintage toys or coins, betting on their worth. For example, a 1943 nickel value can significantly exceed its face value, provided that the coin is well preserved and has some special features. 

Today we would like to talk about what games help develop financial literacy skills, how in-game economics relates to real life and what lessons can be learned from the world of video games.

A teenage gamer is playing a city-building simulation game like SimCity or Cities: Skylines on a high-resolution monitor. 

Learning Budgeting Through Strategy and Simulation Games

Some of the best video games for teaching financial literacy are strategy and simulation games. In them, players have to manage the economy, allocate resources, and make strategic financial decisions - all very similar to real-life financial planning.

Games that teach budgeting are:

  • SimCity is a game, where players must manage a city's budget, allocating funds for infrastructure, public services, and economic growth while avoiding financial collapse.

  • Cities: Skylines is a more detailed city-building simulator in which players balance taxation, government spending, and city planning.

  • Anno 1800 is a game in which players must develop a thriving economy, manage supply chains, and make profitable trade decisions.

In SimCity, for example, failure to properly allocate resources can lead to financial ruin. Players who spend too much on luxury projects while neglecting basic infrastructure can face bankruptcy for their city. This directly reflects real life financial principles - spending without a sound plan can lead to financial disaster.

A study conducted by the journal Frontiers in Psychology showed that 56% of strategy game players demonstrate better financial planning skills than people who don't play them. Why? All because these games cause players to think ahead, allocate resources wisely, and anticipate economic problems, i.e. habits that, in real life, lead to better money management.

For example, in Cities: Skylines, a player who raises taxes too high may find that businesses leave, reducing the tax base and leading to an economic downturn. On the other hand, lowering taxes without considering public services can lead to dissatisfied citizens and failing infrastructure - a direct parallel to real-world economic policy.

Virtual Economy and Investments: From In-Game Trading to Real Money

In the real world, economies are based on supply, demand and speculation. It would seem that these principles work only in business and stock exchanges, but in fact they penetrated into video games a long time ago. Many game universes develop complex virtual markets where players trade items, make investments and even earn real money.

This is especially interesting to observe in multiplayer online games and role-playing projects with a developed trading system. There prices are constantly fluctuating, there is a “market crash”, and the most forward-thinking players manage to sell rare items at the right time and earn a fortune. In fact, they learn the basics of the real economy, even if in a game format.

For example, in EVE Online, the in-game market is so complex that it can be compared to a stock exchange. Players buy and sell ships, weapons and resources, and prices for some items reach tens of thousands of dollars in real equivalent. World of Warcraft has an auction system, where successful trading depends on knowing supply and demand. And Runescape has a Grand Exchange, i.e. a platform resembling a stock exchange, where users buy things cheaper and then sell them for a profit.

It's more than just entertainment - it's a kind of financial thinking simulator. Players learn to analyze the market, find successful investments and even anticipate price hikes. Similarly, in real life, some people invest in securities and others in collectibles

Case Study: The $33,000 Spaceship in EVE Online

In EVE Online, the virtual economy is so complex that some items have reached stunning real-world values. In one famous case, a player-owned Titan spaceship was worth $33,000 due to its rarity and the massive amount of in-game resources required to build it. When the ship was destroyed in a massive in-game battle, its loss was seen as a financial disaster in the real world.

This kind of high-stakes digital trading is a lesson in asset management and investing. Just as collectors carefully evaluate rare coins, savvy gamers study in-game markets, scouting out opportunities to buy low and sell high.

How is everything related to real life finance? The skills learned in virtual economies apply to real-life finance as well:

  • Understanding supply and demand: Players who have mastered in-game trading often find it easier to understand how stock markets and investment portfolios work.

  • Risk management: As in the real world, in-game investments can be volatile, which teaches players to calculate risk.

  • Recognizing market trends: Successful traders in both gaming and finance understand that time is important, whether buying virtual armor in World of Warcraft or investing in cryptocurrency.

A young man with a joyful expression is clapping his hands in excitement, as his rare item has just been sold for a high price.

How Gamers Become Entrepreneurs

Video games are no longer just entertainment - they’ve become a real way to earn money and even start a business. Players who understand virtual economies can successfully apply these skills in real life, be it managing digital assets, trading in-game items, or running online marketplaces.

In-game economies operate much like real markets, with supply, demand, and investment opportunities. In Diablo III, players once made thousands reselling rare items on its real-money auction house. CS:GO skins trading evolved into a multi-million-dollar industry, with some virtual items worth over $100,000. In FIFA Ultimate Team, skilled traders flip player cards, using stock market-like strategies to maximize profits.

Just as successful gaming entrepreneurs study virtual asset trends, collectors use Coin ID Scanner to assess the value of rare coins. In both cases, data analysis, patience, and smart investment strategies are key. A rare in-game skin can gain unexpected value - just like a rare coin example value might surprise a coin collector.

Games as a Financial Thinking Simulator

Who would have thought that the habit of managing the budget of a virtual city or trading rare in-game items could one day help you in real life? Financial literacy is no longer limited to boring textbooks - now it can be mastered in a game format. Maybe the next time you buy a rare in-game item or successfully sell a digital asset, you will realize that you have just applied skills that are useful not only in-game, but beyond.