Customer Reviews

Payday: 30th Anniversary Edition

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found my old game of Payday while visiting my mom's home in the summer, and played it many times with my kids, 8 and 4. They loved it, so I decided to buy a copy of the new version for our house. They still love playing it, but we are disappointed with some of the changes:

1) No savings option -- this is really disturbing, actually. You aren't given any incentive for saving your money anymore. There used to be a 10% interest payment on whatever you had in savings at the end of the month. For my money-conscious 8 year old, that was a GREAT lesson. Yes, they do still charge 10% interest on loans, but he has learned already not to borrow unless he has absolutely no other choice...

2) No insurance cards. The '70s version of the game had insurance cards that you could buy to protect yourself from automobile or medical bills. This was also a GREAT lesson that my son picked up on early. A shame this is no longer possible.

3) I wish there weren't quite so many "windfall" type opportunities -- too many lottery spaces, gambling options, etc. Too few regular bills and real life events. Nothing at all about work -- would have been nice to have some "you got a promotion" spaces that give you a salary raise (though I admit this is really hard to track in the Game of Life), etc.

In general, though, I agree that this is a fun game that even young kids seem to like (my 4YO is asking me to play it several times a day!), and a good way for kids to start learning about everyday money management.

Be advised, this 30th anniversary edition only has 4 game pawns versus the 6 the older versions have - so only 4 can play. This edition also lacks the "mad money" cards - a favorite of ours. The game PayDay is fun and educational but this edition is disappointing - I don't know why they changed a good thing....

We found the "original" version on ebay (used) and it has 6 pawns and "mad money" cards - my daughter enjoys the original version over this one. But these minor changes might not be important to you - it's personal preference. The overall goal of the game and how it is played is not different between the two version we own.

This game is very fun. it can be as long or as short (time wise) as you want it. You learn about money and bills and such, but don't really see it as a learning game because its fun....

My son learned this game at camp this summer. We got him his own for his 7th birthday. It is great for his math and planning skills. Some of the concepts are way over his head (ie. borrowing money). But that makes this a great game he'll grow into over the next few years. He loves Monopoly Junior, but it's almost too young for him at this point and "grown up" Monopoly is still a bit too advanced. This game is perfect.

I was expecting the same PayDay game I had as a child. This one is way too easy to make way too much money. The denominations are so unrealistic it doesn't give one a sense of reality (life) like the old one did. I am very disappointed.

my daughter and her friends love this game, alot simpler but similar to monopoly

I remember playing this game when I was younger and enjoyed it then. Now I can enjoy playing this game with younger relatives that are just learning what finances are all about. I truly recommend this game to anyone looking for a way to teach kids about money and spending.

I would play this game all the time while I was growing up. One difference is there is no 'loan/bank' board with the pegs. This was handy if you played for several months. In fact I played this with my two children last night for 6 months and we ran out of 10,000 bills. It is fine if you play for 3 or 4 months. Only other difference is some of the squares are not the same but none the less we enjoy it. We have played it 10 times in just the 3 days we have had it so far. It has been a great addition to our family games. You can't go wrong if you want a fast paced easy game to play with your children. Some may say 'Children shouldn't experience receiving bills etc (as in the mail cards)' but unfortunately bills is a fact of life. Can't shelter your children from that fact forever.

We started playing boardgames with our kids (ages 6 and 8) by playing Monopoly. I could tell that they liked it, but at times they lost interest with that game. I decided to try playing Pay Day with them. They enjoyed this game a lot more. There were some decisions they could make besides to buy or not to buy. It also has an easier ending to understand versus telling them the game is over because everyone went "bankrupt." Overall, I think this is a much better game to start teaching children finances rather than Monopoly.

I purchased the game Pay Day for my children this Christmas. I remember playing the game in my youth. As a parent, I like the ability to set how long the game will be played, based on number of chosen months. I can play a game with my children and have quality time, yet still be able to complete adult responsibilities. My children have gotten a taste of what it can be like receiving "mail" and all of the bills they may entail! It has been alot of fun for us.