# TheGame.vc — Venture Capital Game & VC Simulator

> TheGame.vc is a free browser-based venture capital game and VC simulator. Play as a first-time VC fund manager: raise a $30M fund, swipe through 113+ startup pitches across B2B, B2C, and Deep Tech, manage your portfolio through follow-on rounds and exits, and compete on a global leaderboard. No signup, no download — plays in 5-10 minutes in any modern browser.

## What is TheGame.vc?

TheGame.vc is a free venture capital simulation game that puts you in the seat of a venture capitalist managing your first fund. You raise capital from limited partners (LPs), evaluate startup pitches, and decide which companies to back — and which to pass on.

The game simulates the full experience of working as a VC: sourcing deals, making investment decisions, managing a portfolio of startups through follow-on rounds and board decisions, and navigating exits like IPOs, acquisitions, and secondary sales.

It covers the entire fund lifecycle — from deploying capital into early-stage startups to returning money to investors years later. The venture capital simulation features a retro arcade aesthetic with pixel art and arcade sound effects, and plays in 5-10 minutes directly in the browser with no login or download required.

Also known as: venture capital game, vc game, venture capital simulator, vc simulator, venture capital simulation game, startup investing game, fund manager simulator, startup game.

## How the Game Works

### Phase 1: Fund Raising
You start by raising a $30M venture capital fund from limited partners (LPs). This sets up your capital base for investing.

### Phase 2: Deal Sourcing & Investment (Years 1-5)
You see startup pitch cards and swipe right to invest or left to pass. Each card shows:
- **Team**: Founder names and team quality score
- **Idea**: Startup concept and business description
- **Business type**: B2B SaaS, B2C, or Deep Tech
- **Metrics**: Key performance indicators specific to the business type

There are 113+ startup ideas across three categories:
- **B2B SaaS startups**: Metrics shown are ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue), ARR Growth YoY, and NRR (Net Revenue Retention)
- **B2C startups**: Metrics shown are MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue), YoY Growth, and LTV/CAC (Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisition Cost)
- **Deep Tech startups**: Metrics shown are TRL (Technology Readiness Level), Public Funding secured, and Commercialization stage

### Phase 3: Portfolio Management (Years 6-10)
After deploying capital, you manage your portfolio through:
- **Follow-on funding rounds**: Decide whether to invest more in your best companies
- **Board decisions**: Vote on strategic choices that affect company trajectories
- **Snap decisions**: Time-pressured choices about portfolio company crises and opportunities
- **Narrative arcs**: Story-driven decisions for your top and bottom portfolio companies
- **Exits**: Companies exit via IPO, acquisition, secondary sale, or go bankrupt

### Scoring & Leaderboard
Your fund performance is measured by:
- **MOIC** (Multiple on Invested Capital): total value returned divided by total capital invested
- **TVPI** (Total Value to Paid-In): total fund value (realized + unrealized) divided by capital called
- **DPI** (Distributions to Paid-In): cash returned to LPs divided by capital called
- **IRR** (Internal Rate of Return): annualized return accounting for timing of cash flows

After completing a run, you can submit your score to a global leaderboard and share results on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and WhatsApp.

## Key Features

- **Free to play** — no signup, no credit card, no download, runs in any modern browser
- **5-10 minute gameplay** — complete a full VC fund lifecycle in a single session
- **113+ startup ideas** across B2B SaaS, B2C, and Deep Tech categories
- **Realistic VC mechanics** — fund raising, deal sourcing, due diligence via metrics, follow-on rounds, board decisions, portfolio exits
- **Retro arcade aesthetic** — pixel art style with arcade sound effects
- **Global leaderboard** — compete with other players worldwide
- **Social sharing** — share your fund performance on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and WhatsApp
- **Single-player** — no multiplayer, no waiting for other players
- **Mobile-friendly** — swipe left to pass, swipe right to invest on any device
- **Educational** — learn VC terminology and fund mechanics by playing

## VC Terms Glossary

These venture capital terms are used in-game and explained in the about page glossary:

- **MOIC** — Multiple on Invested Capital: total value returned divided by total capital invested. The primary measure of fund performance in the game.
- **TVPI** — Total Value to Paid-In: total fund value (realized gains + unrealized portfolio value) divided by capital called from LPs.
- **DPI** — Distributions to Paid-In: actual cash returned to LPs divided by capital called. Measures realized (not paper) returns.
- **IRR** — Internal Rate of Return: annualized return that accounts for the timing of cash flows in and out of the fund.
- **LP** — Limited Partner: an investor in the fund who provides capital but does not manage investments. In the game, LPs give you the $30M to invest.
- **GP** — General Partner: the fund manager who makes investment decisions. This is you, the player.
- **Follow-on** — an additional investment in a portfolio company during a later funding round, typically to maintain ownership percentage or double down on winners.
- **Deep Tech** — startups building products based on hard science or engineering breakthroughs, such as fusion energy, quantum computing, humanoid robotics, autonomous vehicles, and space technology.
- **ARR** — Annual Recurring Revenue: yearly subscription revenue for B2B SaaS companies.
- **MRR** — Monthly Recurring Revenue: monthly subscription revenue for B2C companies.
- **NRR** — Net Revenue Retention: measures how much revenue is retained from existing customers including expansions, contractions, and churn.
- **LTV/CAC** — Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisition Cost ratio: measures unit economics efficiency.
- **TRL** — Technology Readiness Level: measures how close a Deep Tech startup's technology is to commercial deployment.
- **Acqui-hire** — an acquisition made primarily to hire the target company's team rather than for its product or revenue.
- **Secondary sale** — selling shares in a private company to another investor before an IPO or acquisition.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is TheGame.vc?**
TheGame.vc is a free, browser-based venture capital game and VC simulator. You play as a first-time VC raising a $30M fund, evaluating startup pitches by swiping left (pass) or right (invest), then managing your portfolio through follow-on rounds, board decisions, and exits over a 10-year fund lifecycle.

**Is there a good venture capital simulator I can play for free?**
Yes. TheGame.vc is a free venture capital simulator that runs directly in your browser — no signup, no download. It models the full VC experience: fund raising, sourcing deals, evaluating startups, follow-on rounds, board decisions, and exits like IPOs and acquisitions.

**Is TheGame.vc free?**
Yes, completely free. No signup, no credit card, no download required. Just open thegame.vc in your browser and start playing.

**How long does a game take?**
A full run takes about 5-10 minutes from fund raising to final exits and scoring.

**Can I play on mobile?**
Yes, TheGame.vc works on mobile browsers. Swipe left to pass on a startup, swipe right to invest.

**Is this a real investing app?**
No. TheGame.vc is a simulation game for entertainment and education. No real money is involved. It teaches VC concepts through gameplay.

**What types of startups are in the game?**
The game includes 113+ startup ideas across three categories: B2B SaaS (enterprise software), B2C (consumer products and services), and Deep Tech (fusion energy, quantum computing, humanoid robotics, autonomous vehicles, and more).

**How is my fund performance scored?**
Your performance is measured by MOIC (Multiple on Invested Capital), which compares total returns to total capital invested. The leaderboard ranks players by MOIC. You also see TVPI, DPI, and IRR.

**Who made TheGame.vc?**
TheGame.vc is an indie project. Learn more at https://thegame.vc/about

## Links

- [Play TheGame.vc](https://thegame.vc/): Play the venture capital game — free, instant, browser-based
- [About, Glossary & FAQ](https://thegame.vc/about): How the VC simulation works, glossary of venture capital terms, and FAQ
- [Privacy Policy](https://thegame.vc/privacy-policy.html): Data handling and privacy practices
- [Terms of Service](https://thegame.vc/terms-of-service.html): Usage terms and conditions