How It Works
Life Lab helps students practice real-life thinking through gameplay.
Students choose a path, manage five life levers, respond to real-life events, and make strategic decisions over 12 rounds. The goal is not just to win. The goal is to learn how decisions shape outcomes.
The Five Life Levers
Every round affects one or more parts of your life score.
Money
Build financial awareness and real-world tradeoffs.
Time
Understand freedom, pressure, and commitments.
Skill
Learn why growth compounds over time.
Stability
See how decisions affect resilience.
Trust
Experience the value of relationships and reputation.
12-Round Structure
The game moves through three phases of life.
Rounds 1–4
Phase 1: Foundation
Choose your path, start earning, and build your first strategy.
Rounds 5–8
Phase 2: Build
Pressure increases, skill starts compounding, and your decisions matter more.
Rounds 9–12
Phase 3: Established
Big outcomes show up. Stability, trust, and long-term thinking matter most.
Round Flow
Each round follows the same decision-making cycle.
1. Payday
Add income from your current career path.
2. Lifestyle
Apply lifestyle and children costs.
3. Real-Life Event
Draw volatility and respond to what happens.
4. Opportunity
Choose one strategic move from the open board.
5. Update Score
Track your levers and total Life Lab score.
The D.A.T.A. Method
Students learn how to think before they react.
When students hit a difficult point in the game, they use the D.A.T.A. method to reflect and make better decisions.
Define
What is the real problem? Which lever is weakest?
Assess
What caused it? What is this costing right now?
Think Ahead
If nothing changes, what happens next?
Accept Risk
What tradeoff are you willing to make now?