Financial Nirvanaby Pradeep Rawal
Learning game

The FOMO Chase

Three fictional hot stocks, 60 trading days each, prices moving in real time and a social feed getting louder. Some will crash, some will fizzle, some will keep going. Buy and sell to make the most of ₹1,00,000 in each round.

Round 1 of 3Day 0 of 60Total P&L ₹0
Hot stock
₹100.00
Change since day 0
0.0%
This round
₹0
Hype meterCalm

What this game teaches

Fear of missing out is strongest exactly when it is most dangerous: after a big run, when everyone around you seems to be making money. In each round of this game, a fictional "hot stock" goes through a hype cycle while a social feed and a hype meter turn up the pressure. Some of these stocks are bubbles that collapse, some fizzle out, and some genuinely keep rising, just like real markets. You do not know which is which.

At the end you will see where you bought compared with the peak, and how much hype there was when you bought. Most players buy late, when the meter is high, and sell after the crash has already happened.

Why late buying is so common

  • Social proof: when many people talk about a stock, buying it feels safe. But by then, much of the move has happened.
  • Recency bias: a stock that rose 50% this month feels likely to rise again next month.
  • Anchoring to the peak: after a crash, players wait for the price to "get back" to where they bought, and hold far too long.

Our study of NIFTY 50 data in FOMO and panic found that, from 2019 to 2026, the six months after the index's strongest three-month runs averaged 11.0% and were positive in 76% of cases, while those after its weakest runs averaged 10.5% and were positive in 84%. A hot recent run told you nothing reliable about what came next, and that is for a broad index. For single hot stocks driven by hype, the risk of buying near the top is far greater.

Defences that work in real life

  1. Decide in advance what share of your money can go into speculative ideas (for example 5%), and never exceed it.
  2. Write down the reason for a trade and the exit before you buy. "Everyone is buying" is not a reason.
  3. Wait 72 hours before acting on a tip. Most urgent opportunities are not.
  4. Treat unsolicited tips on messaging apps as a warning sign: SEBI regularly acts against pump-and-dump schemes run through social media.

Frequently asked questions

Are the stocks real?

No. Names, prices and messages are generated for the game. Each round randomly follows a bubble, a fizzle or a genuine trend.

Is the game designed so that buying always loses?

No. One type of round is a real trend that keeps rising, and buying early and holding wins there. The point is that you cannot tell the types apart from hype alone.

Can I play at my own pace?

Yes. Use the pause button at any time, or switch the speed. Keyboard shortcuts: B to buy, S to sell.

This game uses simulated prices and random outcomes for learning. It is not a trading platform, uses no real money and does not predict real markets. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to us. Read our disclaimer. Built and checked by Pradeep Rawal.