
On the Web
November 22, 2011
Game Highlights Tough Choices for Poor
In May, Squared Away’s very first post was about an eye-opening “game” in which players take on the role of someone who is poor. The player is assigned a job and a paycheck. Every financial decision ricochets through the monthly budget, often in unexpected ways. Lives, children, and work choices are affected – poverty even creates unique ethical decisions.
The game, Spent, is so powerful, because its creators interviewed clients of Urban Ministries of Durham in North Carolina, which operates a food pantry, clothing closet, and homeless shelter. A local advertising firm, McKinney, designed the game in conjunction with Urban Ministries.
Happy Thanksgiving.
To play Spent, click here.
To read more, click here.
Wow! Compelling game. Everyone should try this, especially folks in the top 1 percent.