Instead of scrolling through banking apps, about 200 university students were huddled over a board game that promised something many classrooms struggle to deliver: making financial literacy fun.
Welcome to “Cashflow 101”. At first glance, it looks like a typical board game – colourful squares, play money, role cards. But within minutes, players find themselves juggling monthly salaries, car loans, surprise expenses and investment opportunities.
One unlucky draw and you are hit with a medical bill; one smart move and suddenly you are collecting dividends.
“It was our first time playing the game and we learnt how to sell, earn dividends, and better understand cash flow,” said Vishnu, 22, an economics student.
Created by international financial author Robert Kiyosaki, best known for “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, the game is designed to teach financial thinking through action, not lectures.
“Play the game and you learn. You cannot learn without doing something – it’s impossible,” Kiyosaki himself said after launching the programme at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) recently.
“When our schools punish you for making mistakes, you don’t do anything. You are afraid to make a mistake. But mistakes are how we learn,” he added.
In the game, mistakes come fast, frequently – and safely. Players experience what Kiyosaki calls the “rat race”: earning a salary, paying bills, and struggling to build wealth unless they learn to invest wisely and generate assets.
For business administration student Wong Ch’ng Yin Chloe, 20, the lesson is simple but powerful. “We should control money and not let money control us. The game helped me learn how to manage and invest my money,” she said.
Muhammad Rafiq Fikri Rosnizam, 24, an information technology student, said the simulation has sharpened his thinking about business risks.
“The game involves elements such as shares and investing in companies, and it helps us assess whether a financial decision is worthwhile,” he outlined.
Beyond budgeting and dividends, “Cashflow 101” introduces players to financial statements – something Kiyosaki believes is often overlooked.
“A financial statement is what a banker wants to see. This is the only game that teaches accountancy,” he stressed.
The recent session was part of the Asean University Cashflow Challenge 2026, jointly organised by UPM’s centre of entrepreneurial development and graduate marketability, the Sultan Abdul Samad library, and the University of Malaysia student entrepreneurship council.
Associate professor Hizmawati Madzin, director of the entrepreneurship centre, said initiatives like this complement academic learning by exposing students to real-world decision making.
“Through such interactive simulation approaches, students gain a practical understanding of cash-flow management, risk assessment and asset building beyond classroom theory,” she said.
UPM board member Mohamad Sabrie Mohamad Salleh added that financial literacy must go beyond textbooks, noting that while many students graduate with strong academic credentials, they often lack familiarity with inflation, debt structures and long-term financial sustainability.
“Programmes like this help bridge the gap between theory and real-world financial realities,” he said.
For the students, however, the appeal is more immediate: it’s about the thrill of running the rat race, the frustration of a bad investment, and the quiet triumph of building passive income – even if only on cardboard.
Find out more about ‘Cashflow 101’ here.