180
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #191,153 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★☆
A shame they made so many changes...
I found my old game of Payday while visiting my mom's home in the summer, and played it many times with my kids, 8 and 4. They loved it, so I decided to buy a copy of the new version for our house. They still love playing it, but we are disappointed with some of the changes:
1) No savings option -- this is really disturbing, actually. You aren't given any incentive for saving your money anymore. There used to be a 10% interest payment on whatever you had in savings at the end of the month. For my money-conscious 8 year old, that was a GREAT lesson. Yes, they do still charge 10% interest on loans, but he has learned already not to borrow unless he has absolutely no other choice...
2) No insurance cards. The '70s version of the game had insurance cards that you could buy to protect yourself from automobile or medical bills. This was also a GREAT lesson that my son picked up on early. A shame this is no longer possible.
3) I wish there weren't quite so many "windfall" type opportunities -- too many lottery spaces, gambling options, etc. Too few regular bills and real life events. Nothing at all about work -- would have been nice to have some "you got a promotion" spaces that give you a salary raise (though I admit this is really hard to track in the Game of Life), etc.
In general, though, I agree that this is a fun game that even young kids seem to like (my 4YO is asking me to play it several times a day!), and a good way for kids to start learning about everyday money management.
December 2009 · Toys and Games