The official site of Italy's central bank

Teaching and information resources

In this section you can find three educational games dealing with central banking and economics, which have been published by the European Central Bank and the Eurosystem national central banks. Targeted mainly at 18-25 year olds, the games explain monetary policy and the effects of inflation on society. They are informal and self-teaching in style.

In '€conomia - the Monetary Policy Game' players take interest rate decisions every quarter over an eight-year timeline and try to keep inflation below, but close to, 2%. They are assisted by a team of advisers and an indicators page. They also receive feedback in the form of press headlines. The game becomes more challenging as it progresses, since players need to react to a number of unpredictable events (e.g. an oil crisis) which affect inflation and the economy. €conomia explains, in a simplified way, how monetary policy works and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ECB or any other central bank in the euro area.

In 'Inflation Island' players learn about the benefits of price stability and the adverse effects of deflation, high inflation and hyperinflation on individuals and society. They do so via an 'Explore' mode, observing how the 'Island' and the actions of its inhabitants change, or via a 'Test yourself' mode, where players have to match statements made by individuals to the different inflation scenarios. A cinema offers some real-world examples of inflation and deflation.

In "Top Floor - make your way up!" the player must provide the Board with information on economic developments needed to determine the decision to increase, reduce or leave unchanged the benchmark interest rates. The game brings into focus on the skills of the Governing Council, which is the main decision-making body of the ECB which is responsible to adopt the guidelines and decisions necessary for the Eurosystem's tasks. The Governing Council meets twice a month and is composed of six members of the Executive Board of the ECB and the 17 governors of the national central banks of the euro area. The game shows, in a simplified manner, a wide range of issues related to the organization and tasks of the ECB, the Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks. The game does not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of the ECB or national central banks of the euro area countries.