Stock Market Crash 2

Stock Market Crash 2 is a stock trading game developed by solo developer CartoonDan, released as their first title on Steam. Players buy and sell stocks with the aim of making money, while watching for stocks that are about to explode and selling them beforehand. Each stock behaves differently and reacts to changes in the weather, to the actions of a Bull and a Bear, and to other stocks blowing up nearby. The game is built around rapid trading rather than long-term investment.

The Bull raises the price of a stock it kisses, although certain stocks such as missiles react badly and may crash as a result; clicking the Bull makes him run off. The Bear throws bombs at stocks and can be clicked to stop him, or directed towards a chosen stock by clicking its bar, which is one way of clearing out poor performers. Some hardier stocks benefit from the Bear’s explosions. An IRS man also appears and will take a portion of the player’s cash if he reaches it unless clicked away. Weather acts as an indicator of how stocks will move: ice cream rises in warm weather, skis do better in the cold, and wartime stocks such as bullets and spam gain during thunderstorms.

Four modes are included. Career gives the player two years to build a day trading career, with three goals each month that award star points used to upgrade the player’s lifestyle, progressing from a closet and a diet of oatmeal to a private island with a personal chef. Quick Money asks for as much profit as possible within five minutes, Race to a Million times how quickly the player can reach one million dollars, and Free Play has no limits. Each mode has its own Steam high score list. There are 28 achievements, seven per mode, plus several hidden ones, and the developer has stated an intention to release frequent updates.