VoltStrategist is a browser-based business strategy simulation game where you play as the CEO of an electric vehicle manufacturer and manage the company over 24 quarters. It’s not an action or racing game, but rather a game where you increase market share and profits by making a series of business decisions such as pricing, production, research and development, advertising, and competitive analysis.
VoltStrategist — EV Business Simulation | MBA Strategy Game for Classrooms & Teams
You can see the VoltStrategist game screen below.
The core of the game lies in the decisions you make each quarter. The official website outlines key actions such as setting vehicle prices, investing in research and development, reviewing production results, and market intelligence including advertising and market research. The tutorial begins with a quarterly practice session where you determine prices and marketing budgets, create a production plan, select research and development policies, and decide whether or not to purchase market research.
When developing a vehicle, we invest not only in the vehicle type but also in specifications such as mileage, design, and software. Furthermore, we need to allocate a budget for advertising and retail support.
In the tutorial’s practice phase, five companies compete for a total market of 30,000 units, starting with 1,800 units in inventory. This design requires you to consider not only sales but also inventory and supply simultaneously.
Demand is determined by factors such as price, brand recognition, and product quality, and profit and loss statements can be reviewed quarterly. Decisions also need to be made regarding capital investments such as factory expansion and operational costs such as overtime production, and research and development can be strengthened in multiple areas such as range, appearance, software, maintainability, and technical specifications. Market research is also available to examine competitors’ prices and quality, demand trends, and price sensitivity, and it is said that there is a game-like aspect to it where you read the numbers and decide your next move.
The developers of VoltStrategist emphasize to gamers that ‘it’s decided by strategy, not luck.’ Instead of being a game where the outcome is reversed by dice rolls or random events, the results are based on demand models and revenue calculations, allowing players to analyze afterward why they won or lost. Therefore, it’s intended not only for playing as a game, but also for use as a case study simulation in MBA programs, university and high school classes, and corporate training.
VoltStrategist is free to play, and requires either linking a Google account or registering an email address. While the game is entirely in English, you can use your browser’s built-in translation function to play in Japanese or other languages.
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