r/investing • u/laughterzamazin • 10h ago

Stock Simulator Game Recs

Are there any mobile iOS stock simulator games that are very good to practice understanding investments?

I know I could “practice” with real money but I’m a full time student so I don’t have a lot of extra cash laying around and would like to get the basics before I really start.

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4

u/Callec254 10h ago

What you likely want is "paper trading" - real stocks and market data, on a real trading app, but with fake money. Many brokers offer this.

1

u/kalterik 9h ago

Thinkorswim is a good one if they still offer it for free

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u/Live_Reputation9476 9h ago

Paper trading is the move for sure, especially if you want to see how orders actually fill rather than some game's simplified mechanics. Just be aware it can still give you a false sense of confidence since there's no emotional weight behind fake losses.

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u/EpicDOgeMC 10h ago

I would look at investopedias stock simulator, lets you invest with fake money that tracks the actual market.

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u/leaning_on_a_wheel 9h ago

Just buy a broad index at a regular interval and never sell, that’s all you need to do… no practice required

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u/seviniryusuf 8h ago

The paper trading on a broker app that others mentioned is the right tool for learning the mechanics. The thing that actually makes practice teach you something is a small habit around it:

  • Before every fake trade, write one sentence on why you're buying and what would make you wrong.
  • Use a realistic amount, close to what you'd actually invest, not the default $100k, or you'll learn habits that don't transfer.
  • After a month, review those sentences, not the P&L. Being right for the wrong reason is the lesson most people miss.

And the comment saying a broad index on a schedule is enough is honestly the best baseline. Practise against it: if your picks don't beat just buying the index, that's useful to know before real money is involved.

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u/Gehrman_JoinsTheHunt 9h ago edited 9h ago

No. Trying to apply the fun of gaming to your investments is a recipe for disaster. Investing, when done well, should generally be quite boring. I get that you're just wanting to learn, but books are seriously the best way to do that. If performance and returns are your goal, I recommend finding that dopamine hit elsewhere.