''Run for the Money'' is a two-player

business simulation game Business simulation games, also known as tycoon games or economic simulation games,< ...

developed by

Tom Snyder Productions Soup2Nuts (sometimes referred to as Soup2Nuts Studios, and formerly part of Tom Snyder Productions) was an American animation studio founded by Tom Snyder. The studio is known for its animated comedy series, its use of Squigglevision, a techniq ...

and published by Scarborough Systems in 1984 for

Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...

, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, IBM PC, and Macintosh. The players have crash-landed their spaceships on an alien planet and compete to buy resources and convert them to goods to sell to locals in order to raise funds to repair their ships.

Overview

The players take the roles of two aliens called Bizlings who have crash-landed their Proto-Ruf Ships on the planet Simian after flying through a zinger storm. The zinger storm has removed the paint from the ships' protective shields. The two players purchase raw materials called Rufs from aliens called Ruffians and use a machine on their ships to convert the Rufs into Synannas, which they sell to local aliens called Simians. Players can purchase low, medium, or high quality rufs, set the price of their Synannas, and spend money on advertising. The goal is to generate enough profit to purchase paint to repair the ship's protective shield and launch through the Simian atmosphere. The game ends when a player successfully launches.

Reception

Compute! ''Compute!'' (), often stylized as ''COMPUTE!'', is an American home computer magazine that was published from 1979 to 1994. Its origins can be traced to 1978 in Len Lindsay's ''PET Gazette'', one of the first magazines for the Commodore PET. ...

'' called ''Run for the Money'' "an interesting game for a broad age group", being both "competitive for adults and fast-moving for children." The reviewer suggested games like it had "the potential to become the modern-day equivalent of the sidewalk

lemonade stand A lemonade stand is a business that is commonly owned and operated by a child or children, to sell lemonade. The concept has become iconic of youthful summertime American culture to the degree that parodies and variations on the concept exist ...

for lessons in economics." ''

Commodore Power/Play ''Commodore Power/Play'' was one of a pair of computer magazines published by Commodore Business Machines in the United States in support of their 8-bit home computer Home computers were a class of microcomputers that entered the market i ...

'' called ''Run for the Money'' "a very entertaining program as well as a super learning tool" and suggested the game's fast-paced action would "keep your child's attention as he or she learns about the business world." ''

Creative Computing ''Creative Computing'' was one of the earliest magazines covering the microcomputer revolution. Published from October 1974 until December 1985, the magazine covered the spectrum of hobbyist/home/personal computing in a more accessible format t ...

'' said the game balanced fun gameplay with teaching "many sophisticated economic concepts, including the laws of

supply and demand In microeconomics, supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a Market (economics), market. It postulates that, Ceteris_paribus#Applications, holding all else equal, the unit price for a particular Good (economics), good ...

bidding Bidding is an offer (often competitive) to set a price tag by an individual or business for a product or service ''or'' a demand that something be done. Bidding is used to determine the cost or value of something. Bidding can be performed b ...

practices,

production process Industrial processes are procedures involving chemistry, chemical, physics, physical, electronics, electrical, or mechanization, mechanical steps to aid in the manufacturing of an item or items, usually carried out on a very large scale. Industr ...

es,

marketing Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

decisions, as well as good old fashioned business sense and

customer service Customer service is the assistance and advice provided by a company to those who buy or use its products or services, either in person or remotely. Customer service is often practiced in a way that reflects the strategies and values of a firm, and ...

". ''

Family Computing ''Family Computing'' (later ''Family & Home Office Computing'' and ''Home Office Computing'') was an American computer magazine published by Scholastic Corporation, Scholastic from the 1980s to the early 2000s. It covered all the major home comp ...

'' called the game fast-moving and complex but "relatively easy to master" due to the documentation and in-game tutorial. The review play-testers enjoyed the game, although players aged 10 to 15 took longer to grasp the game's concepts. ''

Enter Enter or ENTER may refer to: * Enter key, on computer keyboards * Enter, Netherlands, a village * ''Enter'' (magazine), an American technology magazine for children 1983–1985 * ''Enter'' (Finnish magazine), a Finnish computer magazine * Enter ...

'' said the game was enjoyable and would teach players "a lot more about economics than ''

Monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...

'' did." ''K-Power'' called the game "a typical business situation" despite the bizarre setting, with gameplay that was exciting but not too hectic and time to strategize during the game. ''

PC Magazine ''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and continues . Overview ''PC Mag ...

'' rated the game 16 out of 18, calling it "surprisingly deep" and praising the game manual's "clarity and organization". ''

Games A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ...

'' called ''Run for the Money'' a "solid introduction to basic economic principles" and "a lot of fun." ''

Electronic Games ''Electronic Games'' was the first dedicated video game magazine published in the United States and ran from October 15, 1981, to 1997 under different titles. It was co-founded by Bill Kunkel, Joyce Worley, and Arnie Katz. History The h ...

'' nominated ''Run for the Money'' for the 1985 Arkie Award for Best Electronic Money Game. The award was won by '' Millionaire: The Stock Market Simulation''.

References

{{reflist 1984 video games Apple II games Atari 8-bit computer games Business simulation games Classic Mac OS games Commodore 64 games DOS games Multiplayer video games Tom Snyder Productions games Video games developed in the United States