Hello, , and welcome to FinSim!
A quick overview to get you playing in minutes.
A personal finance simulator where you learn by making decisions: earning income, managing expenses, investing, and building wealth over time.
- Learn by doing: experiment in a low-stakes environment.
- Shared world: everyone plays on the same in-game date.
- Education-first: the goal is clarity, not complexity.
You don’t need to optimize everything on day one. Start simple, stay curious, and build from there.
What should I focus on first?
- Keep your cash positive.
- Get a job and build steady income.
- Then explore investing once you can handle ups and downs.
FinSim runs on a shared clock. You’ll see the current date and a countdown timer in the top bar.
- Countdown timer: shows how long until the next day.
- Daily processing: some systems update once per day (prices, metrics, scheduled events).
- Monthly processing: larger updates can happen on a new month.
In this version, 1 in-game day passes every 48 real minutes, so an in-game month is about 24 real hours. If you check in once or twice a day, you’ll see meaningful progress.
If you ever see “Processing” in the timer, the server is finishing daily updates, so just give it a moment. Processing should never take more than 12-ish seconds. When in doubt, refresh the page.
Why does time matter?
A lot of outcomes are easiest to understand when you compare “before the day changes” vs “after daily processing.” Try checking the FSE or your account, then refresh after the next day ticks over.
FinSim is currently in pre-release v0.4.8. Core features are playable, but you may see missing data, unfinished pages, or systems that are still being tuned. This tutorial, for example, is not complete.
Want the change log? Check the Patch Notes.
Found a bug or have an idea?
Head to the Guide tab to send feedback directly. Short, specific reports are the most helpful.
If you only do one thing after this page, go to the Hub.
- Start at the Hub: it’s your launchpad for the whole game.
- Get stable: find a job, get an education, and build a career.
- Build your wealth: Play for a few minutes every day to build a strong foundation in financial literacy.
Quick “first session” checklist
- Open the Hub and explore what tabs exist.
- Visit Account to understand your current situation.
- Set one small goal (ex: stabilize cash, learn one stock, etc.).
Your Account page is where you’ll see your core stats, achievements, and progress. If you ever feel lost, this is a good “home base.” The Account page is currently also where users can manage their spending, pay their bills, and see apply for/view credit cards, as those systems continue to expand.
- Cash is king: staying positive keeps options open.
- Action Log: when something changes, check the log to understand why.
- Small habits: checking in briefly each day is more powerful than marathon sessions.
The FSE (formerly known as the CVSE) is the in-game stock market. Prices move based on orders, liquidity, and simulated market participants. This portion of FinSim will constantly evolve to approach real-life market dynamics.
- Start simple: pick one company and follow it for a few in-game days.
- Expect volatility: prices can move quickly—don’t invest money you can’t afford to lose.
- Look for patterns: over time, you’ll build intuition about risk and timing.
The market has liquidity mechanics and automated participants — so it won’t feel “dead,” but it also won’t behave like a single-player sandbox. Treat it like a learning lab: place small bets, observe what changes after the day advances, and iterate.
A simple way to learn the market
- Pick one company and watch price moves for a few in-game days.
- Make a tiny trade and observe how it feels when the day advances.
- Write down what you expected vs what happened — that’s how intuition forms.
A steady income makes everything easier. Careers are where you’ll build consistent cash flow, then use investing to grow wealth faster.
- Focus on stability first: keep expenses below income.
- Grow over time: higher income gives you more options and more room for mistakes.
- Upgrade gradually: education + job changes compound over weeks of game time.
Tip: If you’re unsure what to do next, get your income stable before taking big risks.
Real estate is another way to build wealth. It tends to be less “minute-to-minute” than stocks, but it can still carry risk (cash flow, repairs, timing). The real estate market is still being built out, so expect changes and improvements over time.
Why real estate is different
Real estate is often slower and more cash-flow focused. It’s great for learning patience and risk management.
- Keep cash positive: running out of cash limits your options fast.
- Start small: one stock, one goal, one improvement at a time.
- Use the timer: check back after daily processing to see what changed.
- Be curious: the best learning comes from testing ideas and watching results.
When you're ready, complete the tutorial to earn your first achievement.
You can still revisit this page any time from the Guide tab.
Social features are on the roadmap: leaderboards, messaging, and more ways to interact. For now, keep an eye on Patch Notes and the Guide as features roll out.
You can already send feedback from the Guide page. Full in-game inbox UI is coming soon.