How to Play Real Estate Boom
Real Estate Boom is a fast real-time economic strategy game. You play against two AI opponents for a single 200-second match — about 3 to 4 minutes — buying and flipping land plots, upgrading them for rental income, and surfing shifting bull and bear markets. This guide covers the complete ruleset.
The Goal
When the 200-second timer runs out, the player with the highest total net worth wins. Net worth is your cash on hand plus the current market value of every plot and building you own.
The Board
The game is played on a 3×5 grid of 15 land plots (5×3 in landscape). Each plot belongs to one of three cities and has a base price:
Las Vegas
$350K base price
Plots: A1, A2, A3, A4, B3
Los Angeles
$450K base price
Plots: B1, B2, C1, C2, C3
Phoenix
$250K base price
Plots: A5, B4, B5, C4, C5
Starting Cash
You and the two bots each start with $500,000.
Gradual Land Release
Not all plots are buyable at the start. Only 5 are available immediately. The rest unlock over time as the game progresses — each locked plot has a small chance every second to become available. Watch the board: a freshly released plot is up for grabs by whoever clicks first.
Buying Plots
Click any available, unowned plot to buy it. Money is deducted immediately — there is no confirmation step. You can buy as many plots as you can afford at any moment.
Upgrading: Houses and Metropolis
Plots you own can be upgraded in two tiers:
- Houses — cost $100,000 to build. Collect rent equal to 5% of the plot's current market value every 5 seconds.
- Metropolis — costs another $500,000 to upgrade from Houses. Collects 10% rent every 5 seconds — double the yield.
Rent scales with the plot's current price, so a well-timed upgrade during a bull market compounds quickly.
Selling Plots
You can sell any plot you own at its current market price at any time. Selling during a bull spike is one of the fastest ways to grow your cash.
The Market: Bull, Bear, and Normal Regimes
Plot prices move in real time. The market cycles through three regimes:
- Normal — the default. Prices drift gently in either direction. Most of the game is spent here.
- Bull — a city-wide rally. Most price moves are upward, some aggressively. Good time to sell or to buy early for speculation.
- Bear — a crash. Most price moves are downward. Good time to buy the dip on high-base-price plots.
When a bull or bear regime starts, the game pauses and announces it. Bull and bear regimes last roughly 10 to 20 seconds before reverting to normal. Bears happen more often than bulls.
Winning Tips
- Buy the dip, sell the rip. Watch the market regime — load up during a bear, cash out during a bull.
- Phoenix is the fastest snowball. At $250K base, cheaper plots mean more volume.
- Metropolis on an expensive plot prints money. 10% rent every 5 seconds on a $500K+ plot compounds into a large rent stream across a 200-second match.
- Snap freshly released plots. If a locked plot unlocks during a bull market, grab it before a bot does.
- Keep cash ready. You can't buy the dip or grab a newly released plot if every dollar is locked up in upgrades.