Fantasy Trading League

Gameplay Design Document

Version 2.0 | April 2026 | Status: Production Live

1 Executive Summary

Vision

Create a free-to-play fantasy trading game where players build virtual portfolios of stocks and cryptocurrencies, competing on weekly leaderboards based on a points system - not just raw returns.

Key Differentiators

Business Model

Revenue Stream Description % of Revenue
Broker Advertising Primary revenue - ads from trading platforms 50%
Subscriptions Premium features ($9.99-24.99/month) 30%
Cosmetic IAPs Themes, badges, avatars 15%
Other Creator packs, API access 5%

Revenue Breakdown

Broker Ads 50%
Subscriptions 30%
Cosmetics 15%
Other 5%

Platform

PWA
Web App (Mobile Ready)
1
Region (Initially)
$0-50
Monthly Launch Cost

2 Game Overview

Fantasy Trading League adapts the popular fantasy sports format for financial markets. Instead of picking athletes, users build portfolios of stocks and cryptocurrencies. Instead of goals and assists, points are awarded for price performance, dividends, and smart picks.

Fantasy Sports vs Fantasy Trading

Fantasy Sports Element Fantasy Trading Equivalent
15 players 10 instruments
GK, DEF, MID, FWD positions Stocks, Crypto, Commodities, ETFs
Max 3 per club Max per sector/exchange/asset class
Goals = points Price gains = points
Assists Dividends
Clean sheets Low volatility bonus
Bonus points (BPS) Top performer of the week bonus
Power Play (2x) Power Play (3x points)

Weekly Game Cycle

WEEKLY CYCLE:

Monday 00:00 UTC ─────────────────────► Friday 18:00 UTC
        │                                       │
        │     TRADING WINDOW OPEN               │
        │     • Make trades (1 free/day)        │
        │     • Set Power Play                     │
        │     • Adjust bench order              │
        │     • Use chips                       │
        └───────────────────────────────────────┘
                                                │
                                    DEADLINE: Friday 18:00 UTC
                                                │
                                                ▼
Friday 18:00 UTC ─────────────────────► Sunday 23:59 UTC
        │                                       │
        │     SCORING PERIOD                    │
        │     • Portfolio locked                │
        │     • Watch prices move               │
        │     • Points accumulate               │
        └───────────────────────────────────────┘
                                                │
                                    SCORING SNAPSHOT: Sunday Midnight UTC

3 Target Audience

Primary Segments

Casual Learners

Age: 18-30

Motivation: Learn about markets through play

When: Weekends, evenings

Market Enthusiasts

Age: 25-45

Motivation: Feel connected to markets

When: Morning, lunch breaks

Competitive Gamers

Age: 20-40

Motivation: Competition, bragging rights

When: Deadline rushes

Crypto-Native

Age: 18-35

Motivation: Volatility, quick action

When: 24/7, often late night

Geographic Distribution

Region % of Users Key Markets
Americas 40% US stocks, major cryptos
Europe 30% UK/EU stocks, crypto
Asia-Pacific 25% Crypto-heavy
Other 5% -

5 Portfolio Construction Rules

Composition Requirements

Asset Class Min Max Notes
Stocks 4 6 Core of portfolio
Crypto 1 3 Forces engagement with volatility
Commodities 0 1 Optional hedge
ETFs 0 2 Diversification option
TOTAL 10 All 10 score every week

Diversification Limits

By Sector (Stocks)

Max 3 per sector (Tech, Finance, Healthcare, etc.)

By Exchange

Max 4 US, Max 3 UK/EU, Max 3 Asia

By Crypto Market Cap

Max 3 Large Cap (BTC, ETH), Max 1 Altcoin

Single Instrument Cap

Max 15% of portfolio in any single instrument

6 Points & Scoring System

Price Performance Points

Weekly Gain Stocks Crypto ETFs
+1% to +3% +2 pts +2 pts +2 pts
+3% to +5% +4 pts +3 pts +3 pts
+5% to +10% +7 pts +5 pts +5 pts
+10% to +20% +12 pts +8 pts +8 pts
+20%+ +20 pts +12 pts +12 pts

Bonus Points

+1
Holding (per active)
+3
Dividend Capture
+3
Stability Bonus
+4-8
Recovery Bonus
+5
Top Performer #1
2x
Power Play Multiplier

Penalties

Event Penalty
Extra trade (beyond free) -10 pts each
Single-day drop >15% -3 pts
Asset delisted -10 pts

8 Chips & Power-ups

Chip Rules

1. All chips must be activated before Sunday 00:00 UTC for the following week.

2. Only ONE chip can be used per week - no combining chips!

Chip Effect Uses/Season
Wildcard Change all 10 instruments in one day 2
Power Play Power Play scores 3x 1
Stop-Loss Shield Biggest loser for the week doesn't count 1
Leverage Boost One asset scores 2x (cannot be combined with power play for ) 1

10 Monetization Strategy

Fair Play Principle

All monetization is designed to avoid "pay-to-win" mechanics. Free players must be able to win. Paying players get convenience and style, not victories.

Subscription Tiers

Tier Price Features Competitive Advantage?
Free $0 Full gameplay, ads, 1 league None - full access
Pro $9.99/mo Ad-free, 5 leagues, analytics None - convenience only
Elite $24.99/mo Unlimited leagues, historical scenarios None - features only

In-App Purchases (Cosmetics Shop)

Available Items (No Advantage)

  • Portfolio themes ($0.99-2.99)
  • Profile frames ($1.99-3.99)
  • Leaderboard flair ($1.99)
  • Starter Bundle ($2.99)
  • Pro Bundle ($5.99)
  • Legend Bundle ($8.99)
  • Full Flex Bundle ($11.99)

Not Allowed (Pay-to-Win)

  • Extra V$ for advantage
  • Unlimited Wildcards
  • Better AI recommendations
  • Entry to cash prize pools

10b Affiliate Program

Overview

Affiliates earn 20% lifetime commission on all payments made by users they refer. Referrals are tracked via unique referral codes embedded in signup URLs.

Program Structure

Feature Details
Commission Rate 20% lifetime on all referred user payments
Minimum Payout $50.00
Commission Hold Period 30 days (chargeback protection window)
Payout Method Stripe Connect (auto) or Manual
Admin Approval Required before any payout is processed

Stripe Connect Integration

Affiliates can connect their Stripe account for automated payouts:

Express Accounts

Stripe handles KYC/identity verification for affiliates. One-click onboarding flow. Affiliates can access their Stripe Express dashboard to view transfer history.

Fraud Protection

30-day hold: Commissions are held for 30 days before becoming available.

Chargeback clawback: If a referred user's payment is charged back, the affiliate's commission is automatically reversed.

Admin gate: All payouts require manual admin approval.

Payout Flow

AFFILIATE PAYOUT FLOW:

User signs up via ?ref=CODE
    ├── Referral tracked in database
    └── User upgrades to Pro ($9.99/mo)
            ├── Commission calculated: $9.99 x 20% = $2.00
            ├── Commission HELD for 30 days
            └── After 30 days → Available for payout
                    ├── Affiliate requests payout (min $50)
                    ├── Admin reviews and approves
                    └── If Stripe Connect → Auto-transfer
                        If Manual → Admin processes manually

13 Infrastructure & Costs

Cost by Scale

Scale Users Monthly Cost
MVP 0-1,000 $0-10
Launch 1,000-5,000 $50-100
Growth 5,000-20,000 $150-300
Scale 20,000-100,000 $500-1,000

Recommended Stack

React
Frontend
Python
Backend
MongoDB
Database

15 Roadmap

Phase 1: MVP (Weeks 1-4)

Core portfolio builder, basic points, weekly scoring, user registration, global leaderboard

Goal: Playable game with core loop

Phase 2: Launch (Weeks 5-8)

Power Play system, bench & auto-substitution, private leagues, basic chips, dividend tracking

Goal: Feature-complete for public launch

Phase 3: Growth (Weeks 9-12)

Full chip system, achievements, subscriptions, API export, referral system, broker ads

Goal: Monetization enabled

Phase 4: Scale (Weeks 13-16)

Historical scenarios, advanced analytics, push notifications, multiple seasons

Goal: Sustainable growth

Appendix B: Virtual Users Policy

Overview

To enhance gameplay experience, especially during early growth phases, the game may include simulated players (AI opponents) in leaderboards and leagues.

Transparency Requirements

Requirement Implementation
Labeling Virtual users marked with [AI] tag
Disclosure Mentioned in Terms of Service
Fair Play Cannot win sponsored prizes
Beatable Programmed to be competitive but not unbeatable

Phase-Out Plan

Phase 1 (0-1k users)

Up to 500 virtual users

Phase 2 (1k-10k users)

Reduce to 100-200

Phase 3 (10k+ users)

Minimal (0-50)

Appendix C: Fair Play Monetization Policy

Golden Rule

Free players must be able to win. Paying players get convenience and style, not victories.

Revival Pack Policy

FAIR REVIVAL SYSTEM:

Free Player Bankruptcy:
├── Wait until next Monday
├── Restart with V$75,000 (reduced from V$100k)
└── No cost

Paid Revival ($1.99):
├── Instant restart (skip wait)
├── Restart with V$75,000 (SAME as free)
└── Pays for convenience, not advantage

Both options = same V$. Paying only saves TIME.

Wildcard Purchase Limits

Type Amount Notes
Free Wildcards 2 per season Everyone gets these
Purchasable Max 1 per season $4.99 - hard cap
Total Possible 3 per season Strategy still matters

Appendix F: Revenue Forecast

Overview

Revenue projections at four user scales based on industry benchmarks for freemium gaming and fintech applications.

Key Assumptions

Metric Assumption Industry Benchmark
Subscription Conversion 3-5% of MAU 2-7% for freemium games
IAP Conversion 1-2% of MAU 1-3% for casual games
Ad Revenue (CPM) $15-30 $10-50 for finance audience
Broker Lead Value $75-150/signup $50-200 industry range

Revenue Summary by Scale

1,000 MAU
$1,500/month
$18,000/year
96% margin
10,000 MAU
$30,147/month
$361,764/year
90% margin
100,000 MAU
$382,955/month
$4,595,460/year
80% margin
1,000,000 MAU
$4,784,500/month
$57,414,000/year
86% margin

Detailed Forecast: 1,000 MAU (Early Stage)

Revenue Stream Calculation Monthly Revenue
Subscriptions 30 × $9.99 avg $300
In-App Purchases 15 × $5 $75
Display Ads 50K impressions × $15 CPM $750
Broker Affiliates 5 signups × $75 $375
TOTAL $1,500/month

Detailed Forecast: 10,000 MAU (Growth Stage)

Revenue Stream Calculation Monthly Revenue
Subscriptions 350 Pro + 50 Elite $4,747
In-App Purchases 150 × $6 $900
Display Ads 600K × $20 CPM $12,000
Sponsored Challenges 1 × $5,000 $5,000
Broker Affiliates 75 × $100 $7,500
TOTAL $30,147/month

Detailed Forecast: 100,000 MAU (Scale Stage)

Revenue Stream Calculation Monthly Revenue
Subscriptions 4,000 Pro + 500 Elite $52,455
In-App Purchases 2,000 × $7 $14,000
Display Ads 7M × $25 CPM $175,000
Sponsored Challenges 4 × $10,000 $40,000
Broker Affiliates 800 × $125 $100,000
API Access 50 × $29.99 $1,500
TOTAL $382,955/month

Detailed Forecast: 1,000,000 MAU (Mature Stage)

Revenue Stream Calculation Monthly Revenue
Subscriptions 42K Pro + 8K Elite $619,500
In-App Purchases 25,000 × $8 $200,000
Display Ads 80M × $28 CPM $2,240,000
Sponsored Challenges 10 × $20,000 $200,000
Broker Affiliates 10,000 × $150 $1,500,000
API + Creator Packs 500 × $29.99 + 100 × $99.99 $25,000
TOTAL $4,784,500/month

Revenue Per User (RPU)

Scale Monthly Revenue RPU/Month RPU/Year
1K MAU $1,500 $1.50 $18.00
10K MAU $30,147 $3.01 $36.18
100K MAU $382,955 $3.83 $45.95
1M MAU $4,784,500 $4.78 $57.41

RPU increases with scale due to higher ad rates, better broker deals, and improved conversion from brand recognition.

Break-Even Analysis

Milestone Users Needed Timeline Est.
Cover infrastructure ~500 MAU Month 1-2
$100K ARR ~6,000 MAU Month 6-9
$1M ARR ~30,000 MAU Year 1-2
$10M ARR ~250,000 MAU Year 2-3

Risk Scenarios

Downside Scenario (-30%)

1K MAU$1,050/mo
10K MAU$21,103/mo
100K MAU$268,069/mo
1M MAU$3,349,150/mo

Upside Scenario (+40%)

1K MAU$2,100/mo
10K MAU$42,206/mo
100K MAU$536,137/mo
1M MAU$6,698,300/mo

Key Risk Factors

Risk Impact Mitigation
Lower subscription conversion -20% revenue A/B test pricing, value props
Broker ad market downturn -30% ad revenue Diversify ad partners
API cost increases +$5K-50K/mo Cache aggressively, negotiate
User churn spike -40% users Engagement features, retention

Investor Metrics

$50B
Serviceable Market
80-90%
Gross Margin
3:1
Target LTV:CAC

Appendix G: Implementation Status

Last Updated: April 2026

Core Game Mechanics

Feature Status Notes
User Authentication Complete JWT-based registration, login, password reset
Instrument Database Complete 267 assets (stocks, crypto, commodities, ETFs) with admin seed
Live Market Data Complete Finnhub, CoinGecko, Yahoo Finance integrations with cron pricing
Portfolio Management Complete Buy, sell (full/partial), auto-pick, 10-instrument rule enforced
Power Play System Complete 3x multiplier on selected asset
Scoring Engine Complete Automated weekly scoring with tiered dividend system, cron-based
Leaderboard System Complete Global and weekly rankings, clickable player profiles
Chips System Complete Wildcard, Stop-Loss Shield, Leverage Boost, Power Play
Bot Management Complete Automated trading bots with randomized strategies for leaderboard population

League System

Feature Status Notes
System Leagues Complete Rookie, Season, Major leagues with auto-enrollment
Mini Leagues Complete User-created custom leagues with invite codes
League of the Week Complete Spotlight featured league
Pro League Limits Complete Free: 1 mini league/20 max players. Pro: unlimited/500 max

Monetization

Feature Status Notes
Pro Subscription Complete $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr via Stripe (LIVE)
Stripe Checkout Complete Live hosted checkout with payment tracking and webhook handling
Cosmetics Shop Complete Themes, frames, bundles (Starter $2.99, Pro $5.99, Legend $8.99, Full Flex $11.99), live preview
Affiliate Program Complete 20% lifetime commission, referral tracking, affiliate dashboard
Stripe Connect Complete Automated affiliate payouts via Express accounts, $50 minimum, 30-day hold, chargeback clawback

User Engagement

Feature Status Notes
Public Player Profiles Complete /player/:id - displays stats, portfolio, equipped cosmetic skins
Pro Portfolio Privacy Complete Pro users can toggle portfolio visibility; private profiles show blurred holdings
In-App Notifications Complete Automated triggers: rank change, power play, season ending, league joins
Notification Preferences Complete Toggle categories: league, achievement, portfolio, social, system, pro
Educational Tooltips Complete 16 financial terms explained across Dashboard, Scorecard, Portfolio, Leaderboard
How Scoring Works Tutorial Complete 5-step animated /how-it-works page (formula, tiers, bonuses, power play, tips)
Onboarding Flow Complete Guided setup for new users with auto-pick and tutorial links
PWA Support Complete Service worker, iOS safe-area support, add-to-homescreen
Email Notifications Complete SendGrid integration for reminders and alerts

Platform & Architecture

Feature Status Notes
Multi-Tenant Architecture Complete White-label support for broker instances with custom branding
Super Admin Dashboard Complete 8 sub-components: Users, Bots, Tenants, Prices, Leagues, Affiliates, etc.
Creator Hub & AI Studio Complete AI-powered content generation for creators (GPT-4o)
Price Alerts Complete Pro feature: set price alerts on instruments
Developer API Complete Data export endpoints for external analysis

Upcoming / Backlog

Tech Stack

FastAPI
Backend (Python)
React
Frontend (Shadcn UI)
MongoDB
Database

Key API Endpoints

Category Endpoints
Auth /api/auth/register, /api/auth/login, /api/auth/me
Portfolio /api/portfolio/, /api/portfolio/holdings/add, /api/portfolio/auto-pick
Instruments /api/instruments/, /api/instruments/search?q={term}
Scoring /api/scoring/my-score, /api/scoring/calculate
Leagues /api/system-leagues/overview, /api/mini-leagues/create
Subscription /api/subscription/checkout, /api/subscription/checkout/status/{id}
Cosmetics /api/cosmetics/bundles, /api/cosmetics/purchase/bundle
Affiliate /api/affiliate/stats, /api/affiliate/connect/onboard, /api/affiliate/connect/status
Profile /api/profile/{user_id}
Notifications /api/notifications, /api/notifications/preferences
rong>Password: password

Starting Balance: V$100,000