Gamifying financial literacy

In today’s digital era, transforming complex financial concepts into engaging experiences is revolutionizing financial education. Games tap into our natural desires for achievement and competition, making money management both accessible and enjoyable. Discover how gamification is creating a new generation of financially confident individuals through interactive learning that sticks—far more effectively than traditional methods.

What is gamifying financial literacy?

Gamifying financial literacy transforms traditional money education into an engaging, interactive experience by incorporating game-like elements into learning about finances. At its core, this approach makes financial concepts accessible and enjoyable rather than intimidating or boring. Three essential elements define successful financial literacy gamification: points and rewards systems that provide immediate gratification for positive financial behaviors; competitive leaderboards that foster healthy competition among participants; and compelling narratives that contextualize financial decisions within meaningful storylines.

By applying these game mechanics, individuals develop sustainable financial habits through regular engagement with concepts like saving, investing, and budgeting. The power of gamification lies in its ability to trigger dopamine releases when users complete financial literacy activities, creating positive reinforcement loops that encourage continued learning. For younger generations who have grown up in digital environments, gamified financial education offers a natural pathway to developing critical money management skills without the intimidation factor of traditional financial education.

Simulate portfolio building and stock market trading to activate youth engagement with a financial game approach

One of the biggest challenges faced by both financial institutions and media companies is attracting and retaining younger audiences. No matter how you slice it, youth – anyone aged 35 and under  – relies on a different approach to consuming news and has its own ideas about investing. Studies show that young people don’t access news as much as older people, and they aren’t likely to pay for it. A perfect storm of avoiding and distrusting traditional news sources, bearing witness to previous financial market meltdowns, and the ubiquity of social platforms like TikTok and Instagram has led millennial and Gen-Z audiences to be cautious. They tend to begin their news journey on social media – and keep it there. And investing in the stock market isn’t an area in which they feel a great deal of confidence.

How young people consume and want to engage with news has changed completely. Extending this to financial news as well as to curiosity about the stock market, we’re in uncharted territory. According to 2025 data from the World Economic Forum, 30% of Gen Z began investing in university or early adulthood, compared to just 6% of Baby Boomers. Yet many young people still seem hesitant about traditional investing, seeing it as too risky or simply as “not a good thing”. In part, this may be explained by a poor grasp of financial literacy among young people and uncertainty about how to get started and where to seek advice.

It doesn’t need to be this way. With education – and easier, no-to-low-risk ways of learning how to take part – financial literacy and stock market participation is just a few clicks away.

Activate youth engagement with gamification

Given what we know about young media users, it’s rather unlikely that someone in their early 20s is going to pay for a standard newspaper subscription, particularly with financial news being the conversion point. The last possible means by which we imagine a young person engaging with financial news is by grabbing the market pages from the newspaper and diving in. Digital engagement, instant access and games are likelier associations and pathways to reaching this challenging audience.

Traditional paywalled content versus gamification approaches:

• Traditional approach: Static information behind paywalls, formal language, limited interaction
• Gamification approach: Interactive challenges, immediate feedback, social comparison elements
• Traditional approach: One-size-fits-all content delivery
• Gamification approach: Personalized learning paths that adapt to knowledge levels

It’s not that youth will not pay for financial news, or news more broadly, but that they need to be reached their way.

Trade on: Putting the fun in Fantasy Funds

The next generation, it turns out, is not all as risk averse as it might initially seem, and not all are ready to give up on the idea of investing. In fact, for many young investors, non-traditional investment vehicles are the kinds of risks they are looking for, for example, cryptocurrencies and NFTs. The Motley Fool’s 2025 Generational Investing Trends Survey found that while long-term gains remain a priority, Gen Z and millennials are increasingly embracing day trading and crypto-related stocks, often learning investment strategies through YouTube and TikTok. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s think about how financial entities and news outlets might persuade a young person to get their trade on.

Why game mechanics motivate young investors

Just as the human brain is wired for stories, we’re also strongly inclined to engage with games. Gamification in financial literacy means using game-like elements to teach people about money – points, badges, challenges, and rewards – all applied to learning about complex financial concepts in an engaging way.

And with young people, who have spent their entire lives online, consuming information and playing games, this is the sweet spot for organizations that want to offer hands-on financial experience, incentives to start trading in the real world, and encourage a new generation of investors to become customers or subscribers to their services.

That’s where Fantasy Funds, an award-winning stock market game, comes into play. Across age ranges and genders, news platforms who have implemented Fantasy Funds have found readers to be extremely interested in playing this game, exceeding everyone’s expectations. The game’s complete challenges feature allows users to incrementally build financial knowledge while receiving rewards for their progress.

“Since young readers were the main target audience, the goal was to have 45 percent of the users under 35 years old. (…) However, after the 10 week period, a whopping 55 percent of the players were from that demographic. More than 20 percent of the players were 25 or younger, and “the youngest playing group was the most active.” – Petter Winther, Dagens Næringsliv

Shaping next-gen investors through financial education

This success is replicable across industry sectors, whether it’s the media or financial services industry. Survey results on the back of the Fantasy Funds game indicate that the game has increased players’ financial literacy and resulted in them following financial and stock market news while increasing their confidence to invest. In fact, 70% of participants stated that they would be more willing to invest after having played the game (Source: https://www.norkon.net/fantasyfunds).

According to Forbes, young people are ideal investors.

To empower them to get there, confidence building through a combination of financial news and media and hands-on education is essential. Fantasy Funds is one avenue to help get more young people engaged and excited about investing.

The Telegraph witnessed similar success in winning over new subscribers and tapping into their extended audience, reaching people who engage with the Telegraph on social channels but who don’t necessarily subscribe to their digital newspaper. Fantasy Funds has played a strategic role in generating interest in the Telegraph’s Market Hub.

Want to know more?

Ready to transform how your audience engages with financial content? Download our e-book and explore how publishers covering the financial market successfully leverage gamification to drive audience engagement and subscriptions.

FAQ on gamifying financial literacy

How do personal finance games improve financial knowledge?

Personal finance games boost learning by making complex concepts accessible through interactive challenges. Recent studies show gamified methods increase financial literacy scores by up to 65%, with participants demonstrating improved decision-making in saving and investing scenarios.

Are gamified budgeting apps safe for young users?

Most gamified budgeting apps employ strong data encryption and privacy controls. Look for apps with transparent privacy policies, parental controls, and no in-app purchases. The best platforms focus on education rather than connecting to actual bank accounts for younger users.

Which financial habits can games reinforce the fastest?

Gamification most quickly reinforces daily tracking behaviors and saving consistency. Research indicates that reward-based challenges particularly accelerate habit formation around expense tracking and goal-setting, with measurable improvements appearing within 2-3 weeks of regular engagement.