Dropped that note into Chat after telling it to become a game designer. It's close but no cigar.👇

Core Concept

Players live through an economy where:

Costs inflate every round.

Paychecks stagnate.

Taxes take a cut automatically.

Investments siphon away what little you have left.

The goal isn’t to “win” by becoming rich—it’s to survive longer than the others while the system grinds everyone down.

Components

Income Cards – fixed paychecks (e.g., “$1000 per round”).

Expense Deck – groceries, rent, utilities, medicine, fuel. Each expense card has a starting price, but an inflation track increases costs every time they’re drawn.

Tax Marker – auto-collects 30% of everyone’s paycheck each round.

Hedge Fund Cards – companies that profit from expenses (e.g., Big Rent Co., MegaGrocer Inc.). You must buy stock in these, but they only pay dividends when you or other players are squeezed.

Debt Tokens – if you can’t pay, you go into debt. Debt compounds.

Inflation Tracker – a dial or board that ticks up every round.

Setup

Each player starts with:

1 Income card ($1000)

$200 cash

1 mandatory Hedge Fund card (randomly dealt)

Shuffle Expense Deck and place face-down.

Set Inflation Tracker to Level 1.

Gameplay (Card Game Flow)

Each round = one “month.”

Paycheck Phase: Everyone receives $1000 → pay 30% to taxes immediately.

Expense Phase: Each player must draw 2–3 Expense cards. Pay the listed price × current inflation multiplier.

Example: Groceries start at $100. If drawn three times, cost rises to $150, then $200, etc.

Hedge Fund Phase: If you bought MegaGrocer Inc., every time ANY player pays for groceries, you gain $10 dividend.

BUT: you must also contribute a minimum investment each round (e.g., $50 upkeep).

Debt Phase: If you can’t pay, take a Debt Token. Each token accrues interest (10% per round).

Inflation Phase: Tick up the inflation marker → all future prices increase.

Endgame

The game ends when all but one player are bankrupt.

If multiple players go bankrupt in the same round, whoever has the least debt is the “winner.”

For a dark comedy ending, you can also rule that the house always wins: if nobody survives 10 rounds, the Hedge Fund deck “wins.”

Optional Board Game Version

Board = circular “monthly calendar” where pawns move each round. Spaces = pay taxes, pay rent, mandatory “investment review,” surprise expenses.

Events Deck adds chaos: “Car broke down (+$200),” “Government stimulus check (+$100),” “New tax hike (35% rate).”

Tone

This game plays like satire. It’s fast, frustrating, and designed to spark table talk:

“Do I pay rent or groceries this turn?”

“I invested in Big Rent, so I’m literally profiting off you suffering.”

“I went bankrupt in 3 months.”

Question for you:

Do you want me to design Inflation as a party game (funny, 15–20 minutes, lots of chaos), or as a strategy card game (30–60 minutes, resource management, heavier satire)?