I play games. A lot. It’s an interest of mine, and no, it’s not a time wasting activity. For me, playing games is a learning experience. Of course, not all games are created the same – but the right choice of games has helped me to gather new ideas, stay creative and hone my intuition – and relieve stress, too!
Today, I play games on my tablet and smartphone. It’s easier for me to do so because I can play on the go.
What kind of games do I play? Mostly strategy, and mostly business/finance/city building related. Minecraft has helped me in many ways, especially on the creative department (go, Stampy!) Monopoly apps are always appealing. Hay Day is cool.
Recently, I’ve been recommended to try Capital City: Escape from SuperCorp. It’s a business strategy game. I have my doubt, because I’ve actually purchased similar game apps but boy, they are, um, rubbish.
Later, I learn than it’s an official Rich Dad games. My perception is immediately changed. Why? It’s because I’m here today doing what I do partly because of what I learn from Robert Kiyosaki and Rich Dad educational material in general.
Now, let’s go back to the game context. I have actually purchased Cashflow – The Investing Game. It’s the classic Cashflow game for iOS and Android. I’ve played Cashflow numerous times, in various forms – the board game, the computer game, the online game, and now, the mobile game.
The app might not feature the best graphical experience, but I continuously play it because it keeps me focused on what’s important: Getting my passive income to exceed my monthly expenses.
I think that Capital City: Escape from SuperCorp is having pretty similar concept and design, so I give it a try. Well, the first time I access the app, I was surprised that it exceeds my expectation in term of graphic. How about the gameplay?
The first time I tried it, I get the feeling that Capital City: Escape from SuperCorp is a fusion of Cashflow and Monopoly. Several games later, it’s official: It’s an attempt to combine the concept of Cashflow and Monopoly.
Here’s an example: In Cashflow, you are given investment choices, but not ‘physical’ locations. In Monopoly, you can acquire physical locations, but not investment choices. Capital City: Escape from SuperCorp combines the both: As you roam in the street in your vehicle (the tank is awesome!) you always have 2 options to choose. Each option features price and potential impact on your cashflow. The actual figure is not yet revealed, giving a sense of surprise.
The background story is pretty typical: You are an employee of boring SuperCorp and want to get out of the rat race. The idea of the game is in line with the Cashflow concept: The one whose passive income exceeds monthly expenses wins.
Once you have made your decision, you can’t go back: You have to take it or decline it. Choosing the right investment should follow Rich Dad’s guide to investing: Keeping the purchase cashflow-positive no matter how seemingly lucrative the opportunity is.
Opportunities are limited, and you have to make your decision wisely – and quickly. You will get three moves per turn, and at the end of the turn, your financial statement is updated. It’s now your opponent’s turn to play.
Opponent? Yes – Capital City: Escape from SuperCorp lets you choose to play against AI (computer player) or real people.
The most interesting part of the game is that after a while, the assets up for grab are decreasing in numbers. This makes things hard, and here’s one feature of the game that makes it quite similar to Monopoly: When you move and land on your opponent’s asset, you will need to buy the products they sell or pay the rent. Ouch.
So, what’s my results? Not bad, really. I usually play with AI with medium difficulty and starting to win regularly as I discover better ways to invest and generate more cashflow faster. I tried with AI with hard difficulty and still occasionally lost. My bad.
Against real people? I actually played once against someone and lost. I don’t play more against real people because I can’t save the progress of my game and quit whenever I want. Perhaps there’s a way to mitigate this, but I personally don’t know how the game can accommodate this.
Verdict
All in all, Capital City: Escape from SuperCorp is a very interesting game. It’s less detailed than Cashflow, but the Monopoly-style asset grabbing feature gives the sense of urgency to the game, which is pretty similar in real life: You need to consider your options fast, or else, others might grab the opportunity and profit from it.
If you fancy learning from games like I do, I highly recommend you to get Capital City: Escape from SuperCorp. It worth your investment.
Further info:
- Rich Dad Suite of Apps and Games
- Capital City: Finance & Strategy Game for iOS and for Android