This isn't one of those simple games where you deal casually in oil, gold, gems and missiles and make a few billion pounds overnight. It's a full blown simulation of dealing in the stock market! I can see the pound signs glinting in your eyes already, you greedy bunch of capitalists. Just remember: it's a game and the real thing is always more unpredictable than a simulation - otherwise you could seriously damage your wealth.

One to three players can take part on one of four different levels, from an idle dabbler with an inheritance of £10,000 to play with to a pension fund manager who has to manage a portfolio of £5 million. On each level you begin with a different amount of cash and shares to handle and a frequency of dealing with them from twice a day to once a month. The game always begins on 13th January 1986 and could go on for months and years, particularly since you can save the game.

The players deal in the shares of 48 companies, ail of them real and each with a write-up on their background at the back of the instruction booklet. Initially the list of options is horribly daunting but with a little patience they can be worked through, particularly if you go through the main menu step by step. This has six choices on it: examine portfolio, company list, stockbroker, details, get news and done, the last of these ending the current game turn.

The portfolio is your collection of shares and, when examined, it will reveal how your shares have changed after the last turn. The company list will show the fortunes of all the other companies as well so that the fast movers and big losers can be identified. The next option is your stockbroker and he can provide lots more interesting information.

The broker will give details on orders you have placed for shares in the current turn and past ones, advice on what company results are expected and how they will affect the share price, a portfolio summary to show your overall position, a performance rating on a graph against the FT index and percentage performance against the building societies and finally an analysis of the performance of particular groups of companies. The most valuable of these each time is the advice, most of the others only being referred to occasionally.

The 'get news' option gives you the latest news from the Financial Crimes paper but this isn't usually as up to date as the broker's advice. At nearly any stage in these menus you can access the details section where an individual company information screen can be brought on screen and shares bought and sold.

The menus and text are presented in a businesslike way but this was never meant to appeal on its looks or sound. The game is very involved and takes some while to get into and play but provides a good simulation. The main problem is of course that there's no risk, which has always been the fascination of gambling, and like all computer games can be very predictable once you're familiar with it. Budding capitalists and money hoarders should give it a look.

It's hard to comment on a game like this without playing it for days on end. But here goes, anyway. It's certainly very cleverly designed, and can become engrossing if you stick at it. It's nice to see that the companies are real ones, instead of a load of fictitious nonsense. Playing the game could be good training for the real thing.

P. A realistic and involved simulation.
P. Plenty to occupy your mind with lots of options and figures to handle.
P. Well packaged and good instructions to guide through the jargon.

N. The real thing isn't as predictable as the game.
N. May be too heavy and complicated for many.