“GME to the moon” was a term coined earlier this year when Gamestop stock prices went through the roof. If you missed the boat — most of us did — and aren’t a millionaire, The Invisible Hand is a nice gateway into the world of stocks. And the best part is, you will never lose any real money.
The Invisible Hand throws you straight into the world of a mid-level stockbroker. You will start your very first day of trading at the firm, FERIOS. However, you will have to fight for your position to be at the trading firm, and earn more money than the other person you are competing against. Fortunately, you have access to some exclusive sources that will give you some insider knowledge, which isn’t illegal unless you get caught.
The game paces itself quite well. You begin with the ability to buy (long) stocks, before shorting is added. There isn’t really a tutorial, although, it holds your hand any time new mechanics are added. Initially, you only have a small number of stocks to look after, but as the days go on, you’ll be introduced to more stocks, products, materials, and currencies, as well as dividends and lobbying. For those with no prior stocks knowledge, The Invisible Hand is a good way to learn about it while still being financially stable.
“This results in a game that can be monotonous, with no replayability.”
Even though this game is perfect for beginners, you might find it relatively easy if you already know your way around the stock market. Every day, TIC Investigations will announce breaking news that will dramatically change the stock market. If you’re fast enough, you can either buy or short the stock, material, product or currency they mention. If you drink tea to slow time down, this becomes even easier.
This results in a game that can be monotonous, with no replayability. Once you complete the relatively short story, you are left competing on the stock market with no end in sight. I did play for a little while longer to see if anything interesting would happen, and, apart from a unique scenario where you are fired, there isn’t much to see.
Throughout the game, you are earning money for the company. However, each day you will be earning a salary that goes to your personal wealth. You can spend this money on furniture, cars, paintings, or even different housing options. Each purchase will reward you will something you can place on your desk. Before long, you will have an abundance of things you can place on your desk or just around the office. This got old quickly as you run into numerous duplicates.
“The Invisible Hand is a fairly cheap game that gives you enough content for the price tag.”
The 3D aspect in The Invisible Hand feels a little wasted. Working at Ferios, you can walk around the office to interact with certain objects, and make coffee and tea. While this is a nice inclusion, it doesn’t go much further than that. About halfway through the game, you unlock the ability to host parties at your living quarters. However, this results in a still photo of the party with a text dialogue at the bottom mentioning everything that happened.
It isn’t all bad though, the 3D design compliments the game’s humour. Each competitor you beat will be absolutely livid and dumbfounded they lost. This results in swearing and cursing all over the place, while also begging for another chance. Although I believe the game would have benefitted from being a simple 2D simulation game, the humour would have suffered along the way.
The Invisible Hand is a fairly cheap game that gives you enough content for the price tag. If you’re interested in the stock market but never wanted to risk your hard-earned cash, then this game was made for you. However, with no ability to increase the difficulty, those more familiarised with stocks might find the game a little bit too easy.
*Disclaimer: Reviewed on PC, code was provided by the Publisher.
