YieldGuardian
Game rules

How Yield Guardian works

Yield Guardian is a turn-based financial survival game. Each round is one month. Your job is simple: keep your net worth above zero for as long as possible.

1. The monthly loop

Every month an event card is drawn from the deck — inflation, a flash crash, a tax shock, a dividend payday. Before the event resolves, you commit to one stance. Then the modifiers are applied, your monthly expenses are paid, and the next month begins.

2. Your three stances

Hold Cash — zero market risk, full exposure to inflation. Invest 50% — half of your cash moves into the book and earns +1.5% per month if no crash hits. Hedge — pay a $300 premium; negative tax and expense events are absorbed in full.

3. Net worth

Net worth = cash + investments. Both lines move every month based on the event's modifiers, your stance, and recurring expenses. The chart on the dashboard tracks it turn by turn.

4. Game over

If your net worth drops to zero or below, you go insolvent — Game Over. You can restart any time from the sidebar.

5. How you win

There is no win screen. The longer you survive, the higher the score. The deck contains 12+ events and the order is shuffled — no two runs play the same.

Hold Cash

Safe but slow. Inflation eats into your purchasing power every month.

Invest 50%

Half exposed to the market. Pays +1.5% in calm months, hurts in a crash.

Hedge

Pay $300 to fully absorb negative tax and expense events this month.