Money Hacks

Inspiration

People love simulation games that turn everyday tasks into play. We asked, why not do the same for money? Our game uses familiar sim-style mechanics to teach youth how to save, budget, and invest, giving them financial skills before adulthood forces them to learn the hard way.

What it does

Money Hacks guides players through realistic financial milestones, from earning their first paycheck to saving for major purchases like a car. Players learn how to budget, compare costs, and research before spending, while tracking how everyday decisions affect long-term goals.

As they progress, the game introduces core financial concepts such as building credit, managing credit cards, investing basics, and using tools like TFSAs. By seeing the consequences of their choices in real time, players build practical money skills in a safe, low-stakes, and fun environment.

How we built it

We started by designing the financial learning itself, breaking down concepts like saving, credit, investing, and TFSAs into meaningful in-game decisions. We then built a detailed storyboard to ensure each choice reflected real-world consequences and stayed engaging for youth.

All of our visuals were hand drawn to create an approachable, personal style, and the narrative was written to mirror realistic teen experiences. With the structure, story, and educational intent in place, we used Cursor to implement the gameplay and logic.

Challenges we ran into

Our biggest challenge was defining realistic savings goals and savings amounts. Everyone’s financial situation is different, and we were careful not to set expectations that felt unrealistic, especially in today’s economy.

At the same time, we wanted to show youth that with consistent effort and smart financial decisions, progress is possible. This required research and a lot of iteration to ensure the game felt realistic and still encouraging for youth.

(also finding outlets on campus was impossible)

Accomplishments that we're proud of

As a team of 2 design students, and 2 business students, we're really proud of the product we were all able to pull together with minimal dev knowledge! The amount of effort that was put into our handmade drawings and the storyline brought the entire game to life.

What we learned

As a team, our vibecoding skills significantly improved! one of us learned how to use git for the first time, one of us learned to make pixel art for the first time, and one of us did content designing for a game for the first time. This hackathon was a lot of firsts for the whole team and a lot of learning across the board.