Free Market Kids' "Is That The Best You Can Do?" game is inspired to teach basics of financial literacy and negotiating skills, but it's fun whether or not you care about learning. It is as easy as Uno... but totally different. The games works with three people, but works best with four or more for the negotiations to get exciting. It is excellent for family gatherings, home schooling, or class settings. A match runs about 30-45min, but a single ~5min round can be fun and full of teachable moments.
Wed July 31st at Trade Day GenCon 2019, Free Market Kids demonstrated the game with ~17 librarians, game developers, and teachers.
This post shows short clips of mini-rounds. In short, these demonstrate how easy the game is to pick up. Negotiating can be fun... but it is most fun with abstract "Alternate Identities" and "Flying Cars" on the market.
Free Market Kids delivers a solid card with "Is That The Best You Can Do?"
It is inspired to teach basics of financial literacy and negotiating skills, but it's fun whether or not you care about learning. It is as easy as Uno... but totally different.
The games works with three people, but works best with four or more for the negotiations to get exciting. It is excellent for family gatherings, home schooling, or class settings. A match runs about 30-45min, but a single ~5min round can be fun and full of teachable moments.
High quality materials, art, and design produced this Deluxe version. The box is like a book that can be stored like one. A magnetic closure/top is slick . The currency, core to the game, are translucent, poker-sized "crypto-currency"---they are fun to hold and durable.
Each player takes 7 Supply/Demand cards. Then the negotiations start. One player begins by offering to sell or buy an item (all are Sci Fi based.... like flying cars, robot dogs, alien chess, etc.). Then... the others chime in. Some will want to buy, and others enter as competitive sellers. Everyone has different goals (ie buy-for-less-than OR sell-for-more-than).
Pairs negotiate, come to a price, and are awarded the difference between their card value and the end-price. Then they replenish their deck of 7.
It is easy, but different than most buying-trading games. Only takes a minute to pick up.
To add spice and learn more, there are Market Cards. Instead of replenishing one's deck with Supply or Demand cards, one can pick a Market card that introduces one-time events; there are 9 flavors (ie everyone holding a Robot Dog gets taxed! Or arbitrage is enabled, so you can buy/sell to yourself...and seven more events).
Free Market Kids are going to spring board off this, as they are preparing lesson plans and game-add-ons to stimulate learning. I suspect they will create a basic (non Deluxe) set that just has the basic cards and will cost less.