Capitalism Lab (CL) is a complex, very multilayered and comparatively realistic economic simulation game with a very high learning potential. The focus is not so much on the micromanagement of individual companies, as is the case with Software Inc., but rather on building and managing a conglomerate of companies with numerous options for action. Thus, a wide variety of retail companies, factories, agricultural enterprises and mining companies can be founded and related to each other. Company networks can be set up across several countries with different framework conditions (e.g., labor costs, purchasing power), so that products can be manufactured in low-wage countries, for example, and sold in more affluent cities. Demand can be influenced by pricing, marketing measures and quality, but is also significantly dependent on the activities of competitors. Furthermore, areas such as cost accounting or stock trading, including the possibility of acquiring companies, are realistically represented in the game.
The basics of Capitalism Lab are relatively easy to learn in relation to its complexity and extent, which is also due to the tutorials. Until a deeper understanding of the interrelationships is acquired and the game can be mastered at higher levels of difficulty, however, several game runs and possibly the examination of the manual and relevant Internet forums are necessary. Nevertheless, this also results in a high replay value and the considerable long-term motivation of Capitalism Lab.

In view of its high complexity and degree of abstraction, Capitalism Lab is particularly suitable for adults and students of secondary schools. Although the game is actually in English, a German language mod can be set up with little effort. It is available exclusively via the website of the producer capitalismlab.com at a price of 20 US-$. However, schools can obtain 40 licenses for free for three years and purchase the game at a reduced price afterwards. Capitalism Lab only has a single player mode. With the older software Capitalism 2, which can be purchased very cheaply in a bundle with Capitalism Lab, multiplayer games are also possible. However, Capitalism 2 does not have all the features and does not run stable on modern operating systems and higher resolution settings. Both versions are only available for Windows and have only low hardware requirements.

Life situations
As with other business simulation games, Capitalism Lab can be used to improve especially economic skills that are relevant to the living situation of employed persons. By taking on the role and perspective of an entrepreneur, the game can make a significant contribution to entrepreneurship education. The corresponding content is very comprehensive, including for example location selection, pricing, the importance of marketing and research and development, the optimization of value chains and cost accounting.
In addition, however, aspects of financial education that are important for consumers and investors are also addressed. This primarily concerns the possibility available in Capitalism Lab to analyse a large number of companies in detail and to trade their shares.
Through its macroeconomic elements, the game also relates to the life situations of citizens. Thus the functioning of markets, the importance of competition or the influence of interest-level on economic development is addressed.

Competencies
A - Decision and rationality
In Capitalism Lab there are many decisions to be made, whose effects are (critically) observed and which can be revised if necessary. This concerns, for example, the choice of products to be manufactured or sold, location decisions on pricing considerations, marketing expenditures or investments in research and development. The large number of decisions and the feedback that players receive in the form of cost, sales and profit development can promote the ability to make rational decisions.
B - Relationship and interaction
Relationship and interaction is represented in the game on the one hand by customer-supplier relationships in which the business partners can cooperate with each other for mutual benefit. This can be better experienced in real multiplayer games, as they are possible in Capitalism 2, than in the computer-played companies in Capitalism Lab. Another dimension of this area of expertise results
This area of competence is supported to a much lesser extent by Democracy 3. After all, it is reflected in the fact that different constellations of interests must be taken into account in the game. For example, wealthy citizens are much more critical of an increase in inheritance tax than is the case with poorer sections of the population.
C - Order and system
This area of expertise is enhanced by Capitalism Lab primarily through a better understanding of market processes and the influence of macroeconomic factors such as purchasing power, real wage levels or interest rates.

Categories

• Division of labour takes place both between different companies (supplier-customer relationships) and within the own company (different departments for purchasing, production, research etc.). It is clear that the division of labour is accompanied by efficiency advantages.
• Efficiency must also be considered with regard to the utilization of available resources. For example, not only should production facilities be well used, but also the purchasing units at stores. Thus, it is also advisable to have two sales units for each purchasing unit, since the sales units are more quickly utilized.
• Customer needs are reflected in the demand for products. For different products, it is important to pay attention to specific preferences with regard to brand, quality and price. For example, the criteria of quality and price are more important for food products, while brand is more important for clothing.
• Scarcity is not only of financial resources, but also of shops in attractive locations or of intermediate products that are occasionally needed for purchasing.
• Cost-benefit thinking is necessary, for example, when it comes to the question of whether products should be manufactured in-house or bought from other companies. The same can be said for the purchase of technology or their own research. Decisions regarding marketing investments or training measures should also be made on the basis of their cost-benefit ratio.
• Many decisions are subject to a certain risk. For example, before a factory is built, it is not certain that the products can be sold at a sufficient profit. This could result in sales difficulties due to a worsening economic situation or new competitors.
• An essential element of Capitalism Lab is the growth of the company, as this is the only way to achieve higher profits. In addition, as the size of the company increases, there are more opportunities and synergy effects. Thus, research and marketing are more profitable for larger companies. Sufficient size and financial resources are also needed to put pressure on competitors or force them out of the market.
• Conflicting goals arise in several places, for example in the question of increasing market share, which can lead to falling margins due to lower prices.
• Capitalism Lab raises the understanding of networking and mutual dependencies by mapping numerous and complex relationships between customers and suppliers. This becomes clear no later than when a supplier is no longer able or willing to provide the required pre-products and its own production comes to a standstill.
• An understanding of rationality is almost always promoted by the game, which is implicitly achieved through categories such as efficiency and cost-benefit thinking, but also through confrontations with situations that may lead to irrational behavior. For example, a player may feel challenged by new competitors and get involved in ruinous competition, although switching to a more promising market may be the better or more rational alternative.

Content
Capitalism Lab covers numerous aspects of the management of a company or group of companies: Location selection taking into account numerous criteria, cost accounting, structuring customer-supplier relationships or value chains, product range design, product positioning depending on customer preferences, pricing, effects of competition and dealing with competitors, investment in shares. In addition, awareness is raised of the importance of a number of other aspects, albeit on a somewhat more abstract level, for example with regard to research & development, advertising or employee qualifications.

Technical errors
In terms of content, Capitalism Lab is hardly objectionable. Only in the German version, some terms have been translated somewhat clumsily and misunderstandably.

Given its complexity and scope, it takes time to learn Capitalism Lab. However, due to its clear focus on economic issues and comparatively few distracting elements, it has a comparatively good ratio of time required and learning effects. In this respect, the use of Capitalism Lab in the classroom is quite appropriate and could take place in these steps:

1. Play all or selected tutorials with reflection after each tutorial. The tutorials allow a structured introduction to the most important game mechanisms without the teacher having to be the main focus. Nevertheless, reflection is always a good idea, in which problems and questions that have arisen should be discussed. Furthermore, it is important to talk about the content aspects and to deepen them if necessary. Depending on the wish to deepen and the learning objectives, the reflection can become quite comprehensive and also take on the character of "normal" teaching.
2. After the students are familiar with the playful and content-related aspects of the game (or the founding and management of companies), they should be given the opportunity to play the game over a certain period of time. Depending on the framework conditions and learning objectives, a custom or challenge game is usually the best option for this purpose, in which the degree of macroeconomic realism can also be set to a high level, allowing for interesting analyses. In individual cases, playing a selected scenario may also be appropriate.
   In this phase, too, occasional intermediate reflections are advisable, so that the students can exchange their strategies, experiences and problems. The teacher can also give helpful impulses and thus prevent possible frustration and support the learning effects of the game. In order to be able to discuss sufficiently substantive issues both in the intermediate reflections and in the following final reflection, the players should be encouraged to take notes during the game. Suitable guiding questions for this could be
   - Why did you make a particular decision? Did it have the expected effect? If not, why not?
   - What difficulties did you experience? What did you learn?
   - In which product groups and which economic sectors (sales, production, agriculture, mineral extraction) do you specialise? Why? How did you find it?
   - What is the importance of marketing, research and development, the
   - What factors influenced your decisions regarding the location of your company?
   - On the basis of which information or considerations did you purchase shares in companies? How have your share investments progressed?
   - How important was cost accounting for your decisions?
3. At the end of the course, it is necessary to put a reflection in order to secure the learning effects and to deepen what you have learned or to link it with other elements of knowledge. This can be based on the guiding questions listed above. It also makes sense to question the model on which the game is based and to establish a relationship to the economic thought patterns or categories.

As a social form, group work is a good option. In addition to the advantages of social learning, the learners can support each other when problems arise and bring in several perspectives when decisions are more difficult. Furthermore, fewer computers are needed.

• Manual of Capitalism 2; there is no manual available for Capitalism Lab, but the games are very similar:

• Forum
• Website of the manufacturer