Market Hours

About the Game

Market Hours is an 8-bit career simulation where you build a premier trading firm from the ground up. Start as a solo operator in your cramped studio apartment, master the markets, hire a world-class team, and build a technological empire. Do you have the edge to become the Trading Firm of the Year, or will you end up in bankruptcy?

Research & Trade

Begin your journey by researching basic asset classes like Equities and manual strategies. Watch the news, monitor market trends, and time your entries perfectly. As you gain experience, you’ll unlock advanced strategies and higher capital ceilings, turning modest gains into a massive credit line.

Automate & Optimize

Leave human intuition behind and enter the high-stakes world of Systematic Trading. Rent server racks in the Data Center and optimize your infrastructure by completing engineering projects from the rich technology tree. Keep your system health high and your latency low to stay ahead of the competition and squeeze every cent of edge out of the market.

Manage & Navigate

A firm is only as good as its people. Recruit Traders, Researchers, Engineers, and Compliance Officers to handle the complexity of a global operation. Balance your firm’s Culture to increase productivity and prevent turnover, while managing your Reputation to keep regulators at bay. Handle formal inquiries and audits with grace—or face the sting of a regulatory trading lockout.

Scale to Institutional Heights

Grow your influence by signing lucrative PFOF (Payment for Order Flow) deals with major Banks and Brokers. Build long-term relationships with counterparties to unlock exclusive market intelligence and reduce market pressure. From a bedroom "prop shop" to a registered Market Maker, the path to the top is paved with risk, reward, and relentless execution.

FEATURES

• Deep Progression: Advance through 5 distinct levels of firm growth, each unlocking new mechanics, larger offices, and more PnL opportunities.

• The Latency Arms Race: Optimize your infrastructure and hardware to beat the market benchmark in a high-tech battle for execution speed.

• Diverse Workforce: Hire and train five specialized employee types, each with unique skills and specialties.

• Living Markets: React to dynamic news events that shift Volatility, Trend, and Liquidity across multiple asset classes.

• Risk & Regulation: Manage your firm's reputation and navigate complex regulatory inquiries to avoid fines and lockouts.

• Office Customization: Use "Build Mode" to design and optimize your office layout for maximum efficiency.

• Authentic Mechanics: Strategies, infrastructure, and regulatory dynamics drawn from real-world proprietary trading — designed by an industry veteran.