I actually think you're really into something here

If it went faster than real life it might be more learnable

Disgruntled, they shouted "It's just not fair".

Idea: Once a game you can sit out 3 turns claiming 'social benefits'.

It would be quite boring since everyone would keep losing what ever they did.

So we somehow have to introduce a random #Bitcoin event that would make an escape possible 😇

Interesting game. The only winning move is not to play 👀

here’s what claude came up with, I fed it your prompt.

# INFLATION: The Card Game

*A satirical economic survival game for 2-4 players*

## OVERVIEW

Players struggle to maintain their standard of living as prices rise while their income stays flat. The goal is simple: survive the longest without going bankrupt while being forced to participate in the very system that’s bleeding you dry.

## COMPONENTS

### Card Types

- **Paycheck Cards** (40 cards): Your fixed income - $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, or $5,000

- **Essential Goods Cards** (60 cards): Rent, Food, Gas, Healthcare, Utilities

- **Inflation Tracker Cards** (20 cards): Price multipliers (1.1x, 1.2x, 1.3x, 1.5x, 2.0x)

- **Tax Cards** (12 cards): Government demands 30% of your paycheck

- **Investment Cards** (24 cards): Hedge fund shares in Essential Goods companies

- **Event Cards** (20 cards): Economic surprises and emergencies

### Other Components

- Player boards to track money and investments

- Inflation dial or tracker

- Money tokens ($100, $500, $1000 denominations)

## SETUP

1. Each player draws one Paycheck Card - this is their fixed monthly income

1. Create the Essential Goods Market: Place 5 Essential Goods cards face-up

1. Place Inflation Tracker at 1.0x (base prices)

1. Each player starts with money equal to their paycheck amount

1. Shuffle remaining cards into their respective decks

## GAMEPLAY

### Monthly Phases (each round)

#### Phase 1: Paycheck

- Collect your paycheck amount in money

- **Tax Phase**: Immediately lose 30% to taxes (round up)

#### Phase 2: Mandatory Purchases

Players must buy ALL five essential goods from the market:

- **Rent**: Base cost $800

- **Food**: Base cost $400

- **Gas**: Base cost $200

- **Healthcare**: Base cost $300

- **Utilities**: Base cost $150

*Current price = Base cost × Current inflation multiplier*

#### Phase 3: Forced Investment

- Must invest at least 10% of remaining money in hedge fund shares

- Investment options correspond to the essential goods companies

- Shares cost $100 each but pay dividends based on how much prices have risen

#### Phase 4: Inflation Increase

- Draw an Inflation Tracker card

- Prices increase by the multiplier shown

- Previous multiplier is discarded

#### Phase 5: Event

- Draw an Event Card and resolve its effect

- Examples: “Medical Emergency: Pay $500 extra healthcare costs”

- “Car Repair: Pay $300 or skip Gas purchases for 2 rounds”

## INVESTMENT MECHANICS

### Hedge Fund Dividends

At the end of each round, receive dividends:

- For each share you own, earn $10 × current inflation multiplier

- This creates the cruel irony: you profit from your own suffering

### Share Prices

- Investment shares increase in value as inflation rises

- You can sell shares for current market value

- But you must maintain minimum investment (10% of income per round)

## WINNING CONDITIONS

### Bankruptcy (Elimination)

You’re eliminated if you can’t afford all essential goods for two consecutive months.

### Victory

Last player remaining wins, or the player with the highest net worth (cash + investments) after 12 rounds.

## SAMPLE CARDS

### Essential Goods Cards

```

RENT

Base Cost: $800

"A roof over your head - non-negotiable"

Current Price: $800 × Inflation Rate

```

### Event Cards

```

SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS

All goods cost +$100 this round

Inflation increases by additional 0.1x

```

```

CORPORATE WINDFALL

Your investments pay double dividends this round

(Because someone's getting rich off this mess)

```

### Investment Cards

```

BigRent Corp Shares

Sector: Housing

Dividend: $10 × Inflation Rate per share

"Profiting from necessity since 1982"

```

## ADVANCED RULES

### Salary Negotiation Variant

- Once per game, attempt to negotiate a raise

- Roll dice: 1-2 = Denied, 3-4 = 5% raise, 5-6 = 10% raise

- But inflation immediately increases by 0.2x (the market “adjusts”)

### Credit Card Debt

- Players can go into debt to buy essentials

- Pay 20% interest each round on outstanding debt

- Bankruptcy threshold becomes -$2000 instead of $0

### Political Action Cards

- Special cards that let you vote on economic policies

- Effects last 2-3 rounds but often have unintended consequences

## DESIGNER NOTES

This game captures the frustrating cycle of modern economics:

- Your necessities become more expensive

- Your income stays flat

- You’re forced to invest in the companies raising your costs

- The system profits while you struggle

- Even when your investments do well, it’s because everything else got worse

The game ends when players realize the house always wins… just like real life.

-----

*“In Inflation, everybody loses - except the house.”*

I would include this mechanic in my current project but Bitcoin and by extension Nostr don’t have inflation 😂

Sounds like the game already exists. It’s called "fiat life." The expansion pack is called "Bitcoin fixes this."

People play to escape reality not to replicate it

Check out the classic Sierra game called Jones in the Fast Lane.