A guy from Astana created a game where children learn to earn, invest, and manage money

How the idea came about, who is already using the product, and why the team needed a digital version — we tell you in this article.
Zhandos Batyrkhanov, city — Astana, co-founder of HasQR Group LLP, co-founder of the startup project Smile Race, Instagram

How it all started

I am the author and leader of the Smile Race project. The project originated in 2022 within the student organization Enactus Astana Medical University. We studied the problem of financial literacy and concluded that traditional lectures are not always able to engage schoolchildren. Therefore, we decided to use a game format.

Thus, Smile Race was born — a simulator of financial life in which the participant receives education, chooses a profession, starts a business, uses banking products, invests, acquires property, and faces life situations.

The key uniqueness of the project is the introduction into financial literacy education of the concept of “happiness level”, linked to a new direction in economic science — the economics of happiness. We believe that financial literacy cannot be considered exclusively through money. It is necessary to take into account a person's needs and desires, their time, quality of life, and subjective well-being. Therefore, the winner is not the richest player, but the one who achieves a high level of happiness, maintains a balance between income and expenses, and makes sustainable financial decisions.

Initially, Smile Race was a board game, and now we are developing mobile and web versions. Thus, the project is gradually transforming from a board educational product into a scalable EdTech solution.

Startup Launch

The first prototype appeared in late 2022. After that, we began testing the game with schoolchildren and students. Feedback helped refine the design, rules, game cards, and difficulty levels. The initial research involved 160 students in grades 5–11 and 20 students.

In April 2023, a certificate of authorship was obtained for the board game. After the first successful results, the project began to develop with the support of KMF Bank and the KMF-Demeu Fund. We organized the production of kits, educational sessions, and financial literacy tournaments.

Later, I, together with my former colleague Shakirim Nursilenov, opened HasQR Group LLP. I am responsible for product development, educational methodology, and project development, while Shakirim Nursilenov handles marketing and promotion. Around Smile Race, a team of volunteer game facilitators also formed, who learned the rules, conducted sessions, and helped organize events.

Target Audience

The main audience for Smile Race is schoolchildren from 12 years old, students, and youth. The game can also be useful for adults who want to understand personal finance management in a practical and clear format.

Participants learn about personal and family budgeting, loans, deposits, insurance, taxes, entrepreneurship, investments, property management, and financial risks. They can safely make a mistake within the game and immediately see its consequences. For example, buying an expensive item on credit increases the happiness level but simultaneously creates regular payments and increases expenses.

During its operation, the project has reached more than 1,500 schoolchildren. Sessions were held in schools, universities, educational projects, and tournaments. Currently, Smile Race is regularly used in the Nova You educational center and in several schools in Astana.

For schools and educational centers, Smile Race is a ready-made tool for financial literacy lessons. For companies and funds, the project can serve as a platform for implementing social and educational programs.

Incubation Programs

Smile Race developed on the platform of Enactus Kazakhstan. In 2023, the project took first place in the Financial Literacy Special Competition and received a prize of 1 million tenge. Later, KMF and the corporate fund KMF-Demeu provided an additional 3 million tenge in the form of sponsorship for the game launch. The funds were directed toward refining the product, producing kits, and conducting educational events.

The game was presented at the UNESCO conference and at the international children's scientific camp Teenager Maker Camp in China, and through this event, it also reached Tunisia and Egypt. Among the project's results are the release of 60 kits, translation of the game into Kazakh and English, and the conduct of financial literacy tournaments.

In the first stage, the project was funded primarily through competitive grants and sponsorship support. In the future, we plan to develop a commercial model through digital subscriptions, licenses for schools and educational centers, conducting sessions, tournaments, and partnership programs.

Challenges

One of the main difficulties was the complexity of the board version. Smile Race covers a large number of financial topics and contains many rules. Research showed that younger schoolchildren find it easier to play the game with the support of a mentor. Among fifth- and sixth-grade students, the share of participants who completed the game and mastered the material increased from 30% in the independent format to 80% with mentor support.

Another problem is the limitations of the physical product. Kits need to be produced, stored, and delivered. The game requires space, time for preparation, and a facilitator to explain the rules.

Translating Smile Race into a digital format should solve a significant part of these problems. The system will be able to automatically calculate income, expenses, loans, and assets, explain rules step by step, and provide hints. Thanks to this, a child will be able to figure out the game independently without constant participation from a teacher or mentor.

The main advice for beginner startups is to test the product on real users as early as possible. The first prototype does not have to be perfect. It is more important to see where people face difficulties and improve the product based on feedback. It is also important to form a team and divide responsibilities, rather than trying to do everything alone.

Achievements

Smile Race has come a long way from a student idea to an educational product that is applied in practice. Among the main achievements:

— release and implementation of 60 kits
— reaching more than 1,500 schoolchildren and conducting regular sessions in schools and educational centers
— victories in competitions and recognition by private companies and funds
— collaboration with the International Center for Scientific Collaborations (ICSC)
— expansion of the project into foreign markets
— beginning of development for mobile and web versions.

One of the important events was the First Republican Financial Literacy Tournament, held on April 25, 2024, at the Enactus Kazakhstan National Expo venue in Astana.

We consider the creation of an educational mechanic that combines money, time, and happiness level as a separate result, showing financial well-being more broadly than just the size of accumulated capital.

Plans

Our main priority until the end of the year is to continue developing the mobile and web versions of Smile Race, transfer the main mechanics of the board game into a digital format, and conduct user testing.

The digital version will automatically perform calculations, teach rules during the game, provide hints, and save progress. The web platform will be oriented toward schools and educational centers: a teacher will be able to create a game room, invite students, and track their results. At the same time, an independent mode without a facilitator will be provided.

In the future, we plan to develop online tournaments, add new financial scenarios, and create programs for different age groups. Our long-term goal is to transform Smile Race from a board game into an EdTech platform that will combine a financial simulator, educational materials, analytics, and competitions. We are open to collaboration and new ideas.