Real Estate Games that Teach Your Kids the Value of Investing

Remember the games you used to play when you were a kid? Cops and robbers, make believe and video games. And who could forget about board games? Those games packed in boxes with cards, dice and figurines. Nearly every person of a certain age can remember sitting around the dining room table with his or her family with a board game at the center of the action. Little did we realize as kids that they can do much more than provide our family with a night of fun.

But as you grew up, you graduated to other devices and game consoles. Digital games are acknowledged as part of the entertainment mainstream now but the past decade has also seen unexpected growth in tabletop board games and among those are real estate board games. It’s clear that any game related to real estate, be it analog or digital, teaches people a lot about renting property versus ownership, utility payments and making informed decisions. Things people can use in life.

Here are the more popular real estate games that illustrate the value of investing: 

Board Games

• Monopoly

Monopoly is one of the most well-loved board games of all time and it’s is available across countries in many versions and languages. First appearing in the early 1930s, Monopoly players move around the board, collecting cash and navigating situations assigned by “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards.

Buy property, mortgage it, collect rent, and erect buildings while trying to avoid being thrown in jail and running out of money. The winner is the player with the highest net worth determined by property and cash.

• The Construction Game

Dig into some fun. This bulldozing, dump-trucking version of the Farming Game lets players buy vehicles, businesses, and properties in order to build their companies into big-time financial successes.

As in Monopoly, strategic trading and buying yield the best results. The Construction Game contains over $5 million in construction cash, $20 million in equipment and property, and plenty of IOUs.

• Accession: A Real Estate Board Game

Accession is a real estate board game for 2 to 6 players in which the goal is to make more money than opponents by buying and selling real properties at the most opportune time.

Each time a player lands on a space fronting an owned business the price of the property goes up, noted by the placing of an income disc on the property. The income discs may accumulate until the property is sold by the owner of the property or they may be removed (at the owner’s expense or benefit) by various means determined during play.

• Cartel

Cartel is extremely similar to Monopoly in that you spin a spinner to move one to six spaces, visiting different countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, U.S.A.) on the board.

You may purchase properties in the different countries. If you land on a country with an opponent’s properties, you must pay rent to that player.

Mobile Apps

• Millionaire Tycoon

Start with a limited budget and be on your way to build a million dollar empire. A Monopoly style game unlike anything you’ve ever experienced on your iPod/iPhone. Buy and sell property, trade on the stock market, purchase vehicles, attend game shows, construct skyscrapers, and challenge your friends.

This game is designed to be more addictive and fun than any traditional real estate board game you might be used to.

• SimCity Build It

With countless buildings and vivid, 3D-quality graphics, this is the most realistic city builder on mobile. Strategically place buildings to keep the taxes flowing and your city growing.

The larger your city gets, the more needs your citizens have. Solve challenges and add services to keep them happy and your city thriving. Pinch, zoom, and rotate 360 degrees as you manage your city on the go – both online and offline.

• Build-a-lot

In this game you are to become a truly real-estate magnate! Resell houses for quick profit, or wait, reaping profits from the lease. Visit picturesque cities, choosing houses and premises for being purchased, earn huge sums of money and make everything to get a leg in authorities of the towns.

Will you be able to build a new cinema for a local film star? Erect a new skating-rink for Olympic Games? Build a skittles alley in mayor’s mansion? Test your skills and find out in this new strategy game.

• Monopoly Tycoon

Build your own monopoly empire, destroying your competitors. Choose the scenario for your business development. During the game you will take part in auctions and you will compete with your rivals for getting exposed lots.

Instead of using dice, the game relies more on the speed and innovativeness of the players. In the standard mode, the user plays against the AI opponents. In the multiplayer version, players go against other online players in order to gain victory.

• Millionaire City

Become a real estate magnate and build the most chic city. Create beautiful houses that are crowded with shopping malls and skyscrapers, the lease payments that will fill your box offices.

In this game, you will have to invest reasonably, enter into the profitable contracts and buy all the luxuries as you watch your company grow.

Online

• Property Mogul

Property Mogul is a revolutionary online property game which allows you to buy, sell and manage properties of your choice. Property Mogul allows you to build your property empire with the help of virtual agents from your local Century 21 office. Property Mogul will give you the opportunity to purchase properties in wealthy beachside and middleclass suburbs, along with outer rural suburbs.

Your property can increase or decrease in value depending on whether you choose to renovate your property or not, which ultimately affects your net worth. The game allows you to release your inner Property Mogul, compete with friends and build your property empire.

• House Flip

Buy, fix, and sell houses with a click of your mouse in House Flip! Browse the listings, then purchase and inspect a house to see what needs fixing. Hold an open house to see which renovations prospective buyers want.

Choose a section of the house to clean, repair, or upgrade, and then play mini-games to do the work yourself. Satisfy the buyers with wise choices and high quality work to push their offers higher. If you’re running out of time and spot a juicy offer, accept it and flip that house.

Of course, these are still games and shouldn’t be taken as a thorough education in real estate since it certainly has its flaws. But it does have some valuable lessons to teach, such as how to spread yourself out across the board intelligently, keep cash on hand, focus on cash flows, be patient and pay attention to price. Most of all these games introduced at a young age can help impart financial responsibility.

Did you like our selection of real estate games? Tell us which one is your favorite through our comment section.