Set up a Trading Challenge
Create an investment group, then add a Challenge. Choose stocks and ETFs, starting cash, a duration, and whether short selling is allowed. Start manually or set a scheduled start.
Private paper trading competitions
Run a stock market game within your group.
Bring your investment club, friends, or learning community together for a virtual trading contest. Set the rules, give participants the same starting cash, and follow their results. Your group controls who takes part.
- Virtual money
- Shared trading rules
- Private group access
STARTING CASH$100,000DURATION30 daysASSETSStocks & ETFs
RANKPLAYERSIMULATED RETURN
01AR Atlas Rules+6.24%
02VT Vega Test+3.88%
03CP Chart Pilot−1.42%
Illustrative standings, not actual participant results. Virtual trading can produce gains or losses.
From invitation to final standings
How to run your stock market game.
A stock market game lets participants practice buying and selling with virtual money. Investfly turns that practice into a shared activity with a common schedule, organizer-defined rules, and results you can compare.
Invite your players once
Invite members by email or share your group's private join instructions. Active group members are automatically enrolled in open Challenges, with a separate managed virtual portfolio for each activity.
Trade, compare, discuss
Participants trade within the game rules while it runs. Review progress, compare total returns when ranking is enabled, and use final results to discuss the decisions behind each portfolio.
Your contest, your controls
Give everyone a common starting line.
A useful trading contest starts with clear rules. Configure the activity around what your group wants to practice.
Virtual starting cash
Set the same starting balance for every participant. Dedicated game portfolios keep the activity separate from personal portfolios.
Assets and trading mode
Choose permitted asset classes and whether to allow short selling. Use manual trading for a stock-picking contest or strategy automation for an algorithm challenge.
A shared schedule
Choose the duration and an optional scheduled start. The activity closes at its deadline, preserving final portfolio results and ranks where enabled.
Optional leaderboards
Rank by total return or run without ranking. Show standings during the game, reveal them after completion, or keep participant progress private.
The game is the focus. The group sets the audience.
Keep the competition within your circle.
Groups give your stock market game a defined roster. Organizers manage membership and activities; members participate in the Challenges available to their group. You can run another Challenge with the same community without rebuilding the roster.
Result visibility is a separate choice. Organizers can review everyone’s progress while members see their own result, a final leaderboard, or live standings according to your settings.
Built around your participants
- Invite members through Investfly or your own communication channel
- Use group membership to control participation
- Choose when participants can see one another’s standings
- Export progress as CSV for your own review
Choose what your group practices
One game format. Different ways to learn.
A manual trading contest
Run a time-limited stocks-and-ETFs competition. Members research securities, place simulated trades, and compare portfolio returns under the same game rules.
An algorithm challenge
Select strategy automation so members submit a strategy for their managed virtual portfolio. Compare how those strategies behave during the activity.
Explore strategy templatesA classroom stock market game
Use a Classroom Lab for an instructor-managed activity. Classroom participation follows student access requirements, with portfolio provisioning once students are eligible.
Explore the student stock market simulatorStock market game questions
Before you invite your group.
What is a stock market game?
A stock market game is a simulated investing activity where participants manage virtual money rather than a real brokerage balance. Investfly lets you organize it as a private group Challenge with shared rules, dates, and optional rankings.
How do I create a private stock market game?
Create an Investfly account, open Groups, create an investment group, and add a Trading Challenge. Set the starting cash, allowed assets, trading mode, duration, and leaderboard visibility, then invite your members.
Does the game use real money or require a broker?
No. Challenges use Investfly-managed virtual portfolios and simulated trades. Participants do not need to connect a brokerage account to trade inside the game.
How does the trading contest leaderboard work?
When total-return evaluation is enabled, standings compare participants’ portfolio returns. Organizers choose a live leaderboard, a reveal after completion, or private progress. You can also disable ranking altogether.
Can I run a stock market game for students?
Yes. The classroom experience calls activities Labs and supports instructor-managed virtual portfolios. See the Academics page for student access, classroom setup, and educational workflows.
Does winning mean a strategy will work with real money?
No. A contest result describes one simulated period. Virtual fills, fees, liquidity, and other assumptions can differ from live markets. A high return does not establish investing skill or predict future performance.
A concrete private-contest setup
Create an investment group, add an open Trading Challenge, invite the roster, provision managed portfolios and start the activity. Agree on the rules first.
| Setting | Illustrative choice | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Starting cash | $100,000 virtual cash | Common modeled balance |
| Allowed assets | Stocks and ETFs | Focused exercise |
| Participation | Manual paper trading | Practice order decisions |
| Duration | 14 days | One short observation window |
| Evaluation | Total return, shown after completion | Common review; optional ranking |
Organizers and players need Investfly accounts. Access depends on account role, plan and activity settings; check current plan limits and billing and classroom access before inviting participants. This is an Investfly private Challenge, separate from SIFMA’s The Stock Market Game. Follow the roster and activity setup guide.
Illustrative results and access
| Rank | Fictional participant | Ending equity | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learner A | $101,250 | +1.25% |
| 2 | Learner B | $99,750 | −0.25% |
Both begin with $100,000 virtual cash. The illustration is prepared October 14, 2026, not a live leaderboard. Rankings use total portfolio return when enabled; organizers can choose result visibility. Participants join the invited group/activity and receive a managed portfolio when eligible. Review learner billing and sponsored access before launch; a free instructor account does not make every learner’s paid access free.
Invite your group. Set the rules. Start the challenge.
Make your next stock market game your own.
Bring your members together around a virtual trading contest with a shared starting balance, clear boundaries, and results to discuss.
Account and plan terms apply. Game portfolios are simulations; results do not represent actual trading or predict future performance.