Computer games are usually built around an overarching goal: Kill the zombies, win World War II, rescue Princess Zelda. Now gamers have a new mission: Keep Social Security solvent.
"The Social Security Challenge" is an online, interactive experience created by the
Linda Stone, a senior pension fellow at the Academy, said the purpose of the initiative is to educate the public about the funding shortfall bearing down on the New Deal-era program — and the many ways Congress could solve it.
"There are a lot of misconceptions about Social Security," Stone said. "And as Social Security reform has become more of a topic of conversation lately … I think it's important for the public to understand what the options are so they can evaluate what they're hearing."
Social Security is America's largest entitlement program. This year, it will pay out more than $1 trillion in benefits to
But this lifeline is rapidly approaching insolvency. According to last year's
But that's only if Congress does nothing — something that's unlikely to happen, given that
That's where you, Player 1, come in. In the Social Security Challenge, you begin by exploring "Townsville," a SimCity-looking community of average Americans. Right away, it becomes clear this is not like other video games. As you visit Townsville's stores and offices, you are armed not with a bazooka but with a journal. And as animated citizens pop up and speak to you, your task is not to blow their brains out, but to take notes on their concerns.
"Hello, I'm Vince," says the owner of Mom and Pop's Grocery Store. "When my dear Phyllis was still alive, we were both receiving about the same Social Security benefit every month. But since she died, I only get my checks, meaning I have to get by on half the income every month — but it's not as though my bills have been cut in half!"
You can also visit "Sweat It Off," a gym where Linh and Amira are debating
At the end of all this wandering, you level up to Town Hall. Here you battle the final boss: insolvency.
Nine categories of policy changes appear before you, from payroll taxes to "changing the benefit formula" to the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which accounts for the impact of inflation. As you click each category, new policy options emerge. Do you want to raise payroll taxes from 6.2% to 8%? Raise the "normal retirement age" from 67 to 68? Reduce future benefits by 5%? Choose your weapon.
And here's where the game has something special: The American Academy of Actuaries has used
Financial Planning asked two retirement policy experts to try out the Challenge, and both gave it rave reviews. Mary Johnson is the Social Security and Medicare analyst at the
"Discussion of Social Security policy fixes will make anyone's eyes glaze over," she said. "That's why I think this is great."
Johnson praised the game's "great animation" and the user-friendly experience of strolling through Townsville.
"That's a great way to get today's Gen X and younger crowd engaged, format-wise, while this is simple enough for any non-gamer like me to still have fun and learn something," she said.
Another fan was Ron Mastrogiovanni, the CEO of
"I think it's an excellent idea," said Mastrogiovanni. "What I like about it is you can clearly see how many opportunities there are to actually resolve the issue … I also think they should send this out to all the elected officials in Washington."
Johnson echoed that sentiment.
"Engagement is a key element that this format encourages," she said. "It's also the element that Congress currently lacks the most."
So what scores did these experts rack up? Mastrogiovanni said that by focusing only on revenue-boosting measures and leaving benefits alone, he was able to oversolve the funding gap by 347% — meaning he created buckets of new cash for the program. Johnson, meanwhile, solved it by 99%, using her two preferred policy solutions — which she would not reveal.
"I don't want to say what they are," she said. "I don't want to spoil the game for those who play it."
