To educate lower middle-class families on sound financial decision-making using non-traditional methods that are more accessible and engaging than conventional financial literacy programs.
A board game prototype that integrates:
Rotating rows for uncertainty and excitement
Storytelling around accidents, income shocks, and savings decisions
Culturally familiar concepts like chit funds and informal community finance
Elements of gambling mechanics to keep it fun while subconsciously teaching better financial behavior
This format helps families intuitively understand the consequences of poor vs. good financial planning.
Additional Info
Constraints:
The game must be fun and engaging
It should avoid becoming repetitive to ensure continued interest and learning
Idea:
The team was concerned by India’s income inequality and wanted to address poor financial resource management. Recognizing that education alone hadn’t worked, they decided to build an interactive board game to simulate financial realities in an intuitive and enjoyable way.
Brainstorming Journey:
Inspired by Snakes & Ladders: they initially used this model to represent accidents (snakes) and insurance (ladders)
However, the predictability of this game made learning outcomes fade with repeated play
They then explored formats that could simulate financial uncertainty better
Took inspiration from chit funds and gambling games like housie, common among low-income families
Used MDF and rotating modules to simulate unpredictability, mirroring real-life financial ups and downs