Leave the Rat Race.
Your investment income must exceed your total expenses. Salary is not passive income, and a large cash balance alone does not qualify you.
Passive income > Total expenses
Your beginner's field guideHow to play
How to play
CASHFLOW.
Before the first roll, get to know the board. Start here, watch a turn unfold, then bring your questions to the table.
So, what is CASHFLOW?
A financial-learning board game by Robert and Kim Kiyosaki. Practice evaluating investments, managing a financial statement, and building income-producing assets inside a simulation.
About the official gameWhy play?
Explore money habits, compare choices, and discuss what happened.
Who is it for?
Adults, families, and learning groups, including homeschoolers.
A different kind of money game
The useful question isn't just “How much cash do I have?” Ask: “What does this choice change on my statement?”
Inside the box
Game overview and contents Board, colored pieces, tokens, dice, game money, financial statements, and Profession, Small Deal, Big Deal, Market, and Doodads cards.
Set up your table.
Prepare the table
Choose a banker. Shuffle and place the four card decks.
Meet your profession
Take a Profession card; copy its figures onto your financial statement.
Find your auditor
The player to your right checks your calculations.
Receive starting cash
Collect your monthly cash flow plus savings from the banker.
Choose your pieces
Pick matching pieces. Mark a Dream; start your rat on the arrow.
Decide who begins
Highest die roll starts. Move clockwise; the first green Opportunity is space one.
See it in action
Watch the official tutorial.
Use the video alongside the steps. Pause whenever you want to follow along with your own board.
One turn, four moves.
Roll & move
On a normal Rat Race turn, roll one die and move clockwise. Special spaces can change this.
Read & decide
Resolve your space. Read drawn cards aloud, including who may participate. Decide whether to take an optional deal.
Record the change
Pay or receive game money, then update the affected income, expenses, assets, and debts.
Check & pass
Your auditor checks the figures. Then play passes to the next player.
Read the space you land on.
- Payday
- Collect your monthly cash flow when landing on or passing it; negative cash flow means paying the bank.
- Opportunity
- Choose a Small Deal or Big Deal card. Evaluate its cost and cash flow.
- Market
- Read the event or sale offer. Only eligible holdings and players can participate.
- Doodads
- Follow the card and pay its required expense; this is not an optional purchase.
- Other spaces
- Baby, Charity, and Downsized have specific effects. Follow your edition's instructions.
Space names and some rules vary by edition. For exceptions, use the instructions in your box and ask your facilitator.
Two tracks. A new goal.
Play the Fast Track.
Follow your edition's winning conditions. In CASHFLOW 101, be first to buy your chosen Dream or add $50,000 in Fast Track cash flow.
Classic winning conditionsFictional practice example
Cash flow is not your salary.
Monthly cash flow is total income minus expenses. Your statement separates income from your job and income from investments.
- Salary
- $2,600
- Passive income
- + $400
- Total expenses
- − $2,400
- Monthly cash flow
- $600
You have a positive monthly cash flow, but you are still in the Rat Race: $400 in passive income is below $2,400 in expenses.
CASHFLOW FAQs.
How long does a game take?
Rich Dad estimates 3–4 hours for beginners. Check your event's published schedule.
Can younger players join?
The main game is recommended for ages 14+. Ask the organizer about younger participants.
Is it difficult to learn?
Start with the tutorial and setup steps above. At a club session, ask your facilitator to explain an unfamiliar space before resolving it.
How many people play at a table?
Rich Dad recommends 3–6 for interaction. Our sessions use up to six seats per board; an event can have several tables.
Will this teach me about investing?
It introduces investing concepts through practice. Game results are not predictions of real returns, and this guide is not personal financial advice.
Why is it priced differently from other board games?
Rich Dad presents CASHFLOW as a financial-education product. See the official store for current pricing. Buying a board and booking a local session are separate.
What if I borrow game money?
Record the bank loan as a liability and its payment as an expense. The official gameplay FAQ specifies a monthly payment of 10% of the bank loan. This is a game rule, not a real-world lending recommendation.
Now bring it to the table
Your first game doesn't have to be solo.
Meet the facilitators or find a published session near you.