For some time I’ve been working off and on with my old friends at Iron Crown Enterprises on a new online game written for Facebook users.

The game is called Hot Money and it is “a challenging game of corporate and political intrigue and the pursuit of fame, riches and glory.” It is also highly satirical and perhaps a bit cynical, since it sort of assumes that once you get past a certain threshold of wealth, power, and fame, no matter what outrages you commit, the worst that is likely to happen is a bit of bad press.

Screen Capture of a page from Hot Money.

Facebook users can play the game by going to http://apps.facebook.com/hotmoney/

Back during the Great Depression (the first one), a board game called Monopoly took the country by storm when it let ordinary people play the part of ruthless landlords and financiers seeking to dominate their markets.  Perhaps Hot Money will tap into a similar zeitgeist.

Putting this game together was a lot of fun.  My job was to come up with “actions” (things you do in order to accumulate points), perks, and lackeys (things you acquire to improve your game character’s ability to advance and fight with other players).  Material was easy to find; just a glance at the headlines provided all kinds of grist to work with.  In fact, there were quite a few times when our cynicism just couldn’t keep up with reality (as some are pleased to call it).

Anyway, if you have a Facebook account, I invite you to give Hot Money a try.  I offer it to you as an anodyne to these ridiculous, maddening times.