Posted by Vicky Powell on 14th Aug 2009

Reviewed by Vicky Powell; ShareChat.co.nz, on behalf of Good Returns Bookstore.

Let loose your inner investment tycoon. Here’s a new, fun way to increase your investment IQ without risking your own cash!

The NZ Investment Game is a ‘new generation’ of board games that include an interactive on-screen component. So yes, you will need access to a computer to play this game.

But this is the appeal of this product. Because of the software, each game is different and will no doubt appeal to younger generation who are familiar with data being available at their fingertips.

Each two hour game roughly represents a five year cycle in the financial markets, although you can lengthen or shorten the time allocated for playing.

One very appealing feature of this game is that the arduous task of tracking your incomings and outgoings by writing on manual balance sheets is removed. All the calculations and portfolio balancing are done instantaneously for you, making the game run smoothly and is slightly less taxing on the grey matter.

The object of the game is simple – be the player to make the most money! The game does go even further with players competing with themselves to increase their Investment Intelligence quotient (IIQTM). During the game the software tracks your decisions and will ultimately rate you against an average of 100, and this rating carries over from previous games.

The NZ Investment Game has a distinct ‘kiwi’ flavour with some well known companies appearing on the board such as Massey University and TradeMe. The game even incorporates the opportunity of opting into KiwiSaver.

If you get stuck, help is on hand with the ‘Ask Frank’ request. Creator, Frank Newman an experienced investor himself, will offer appropriate virtual advice relevant to that particular stage of the game.

During the game, players can invest in shares, property or hold their savings in an interest bearing account. You get to decide which strategies to utilise in different market conditions. Personally, I found the interaction between the three main markets; property market, share market and money market a great learning curve. The game encourages you to remove the blinkers and assess the conditions across the three; rather than having a narrow focus on just accumulating one asset class, such as property for example.

I found this game to be lots of fun and although it is quite detailed, it is easy to follow. A handy rule book is also provided, although there is a comprehensive on screen help centre to assist you at any stage.

This is a positive way to learn about investing through experiencing real-life economic scenarios. The game empowers you to gain the confidence to make investment judgements and then take effective decisions regarding the use and management of your money.