For parents & educators
Free life skills games for teens — ready to use in class or at home
Local Connections USA games are free, browser-based, and built around the decisions real teenagers face. No login required. No downloads. Just open a link and play.
Why decision-making skills matter more than ever
Research consistently shows that teenagers who practice structured decision-making are better equipped to handle peer pressure, financial choices, and long-term planning. Yet most schools don't have dedicated time for it.
Local Connections USA fills that gap with games that feel like entertainment but teach like a lesson plan. Students encounter realistic scenarios — budgets, scams, career paths, consequences — and learn by doing, not by reading.
Where these games fit
Core curriculum supplement for decision-making, financial literacy, and independent living units.
Would You Rather and What Happens Next? are built for SEL — empathy, consequence awareness, values clarification.
Survive the Month and Money Challenge cover budgeting, credit, loans, taxes, and investing in an engaging format.
Scam or Legit? is one of the most practical fraud awareness tools available — free, current, and scenario-based.
Career Match and Business Challenge are natural fits for CTE, DECA, and college and career readiness programs.
Parents can play alongside their teens. Would You Rather and This or That are great dinner table conversation starters.
All 11 games — free, no login required
Click any game to open it. Share the URL with your class.
Would You Rather
Grades 6–12Values clarification through tough choices
Students choose between two difficult options across 7 life categories. No right answer — the discussion afterward is the lesson.
Best for: Group discussion, values clarification, opening a unit on decision-making
The Choice Challenge
Grades 7–12Real scenarios, four options, real consequences
34 scenarios drawn from real life — each with four choices and point-weighted outcomes. Students see that some decisions are better than others, even when none are perfect.
Best for: Life skills class, advisory period, character education
What Happens Next?
Grades 6–12Predict the consequence before it happens
A situation is presented — students predict what happens next. Builds cause-and-effect thinking and consequence awareness before real-life situations arise.
Best for: Social-emotional learning, consequence mapping, pre-discussion warm-up
Scam or Legit?
Grades 7–12Fraud awareness and critical thinking
41 real-world scenarios — job offers, texts, emails, social media posts. Students decide: scam or legit? Builds the skepticism that protects them for life.
Best for: Digital literacy, consumer education, fraud awareness lesson
True or False
Grades 6–1264 cited statements across 13 life categories
Every statement is sourced. Students test their knowledge on money, health, law, relationships, and more — and get the real answer with a citation they can look up.
Best for: Research skills, fact-checking, any subject area with a life skills connection
Career Match Game
Grades 8–1240 questions, 8 career clusters, personalized results
Students answer 40 questions about their interests and strengths. The game maps them to one of 8 career clusters with a detailed results chart — a great conversation starter for career planning.
Best for: Career exploration, counseling, college and career readiness
Can You Survive the Month?
Grades 9–12Budget simulation — $1,800 and 15 real decisions
Students start with a paycheck and navigate rent, food, car expenses, and emergencies. Every choice affects the balance. A visceral introduction to personal finance.
Best for: Personal finance class, economics, financial literacy unit
Money Challenge
Grades 8–12Financial IQ quiz — credit, loans, taxes, investing
10 questions per round across credit cards, loans, budgeting, taxes, savings, and investing. Every answer is explained. Students leave knowing more than when they started.
Best for: Financial literacy, economics, personal finance review
Life Skills Trivia
Grades 9–12The stuff they should have taught in school
Cooking, cars, banking, renting, employment, safety, health, and legal basics. 8 categories, every answer explained. A great diagnostic for what students actually know.
Best for: Life skills class, advisory, transition programs, independent living
Business Challenge
Grades 9–12You are the owner — real small business decisions
Students step into the role of a small business owner facing customer complaints, cash flow problems, hiring decisions, and marketing choices. Builds entrepreneurial thinking.
Best for: Business class, entrepreneurship, DECA prep, career and technical education
This or That
Grades 6–1268 topics, 8 categories, see how you compare
Quick-fire preference choices across 8 life categories. Students see real-time vote splits — how their peers answered. Great for sparking conversation about values and priorities.
Best for: Icebreaker, advisory, opening discussion, community building
Classroom tips from educators
Use games as discussion launchers
The game itself takes 10–15 minutes. The real learning happens in the 10 minutes after — ask students why they chose what they chose, and what they'd do differently.
No login, no setup
Every game works on any device with a browser. Students can play on phones, tablets, or school computers. Just share the link and go.
Pair with real scenarios
After Scam or Legit?, show students a real phishing email. After Survive the Month, have them build an actual budget. The game creates the hook; you provide the depth.
Use the leaderboard intentionally
Games with leaderboards (True or False, Money Challenge, Life Skills Trivia) can be used competitively or anonymously. Have students enter a class code as their name to keep it fun without pressure.
Career Match works great in counseling
The Career Match results chart is a natural conversation starter for one-on-one counseling sessions. Students often share results they wouldn't bring up on their own.
Common questions
Are these games free?
Yes — completely free. No login, no subscription, no ads. Every game on Local Connections USA is free to play.
Do students need to create an account?
No. All games work without any account. Students can optionally enter a name for the leaderboard, but it's never required.
What grade levels are these appropriate for?
Most games work best for grades 7–12. Some (Would You Rather, This or That) work well starting in grade 6. Career Match and Survive the Month are most impactful for grades 9–12.
Can I use these in a classroom without internet?
The games require an internet connection — they're browser-based and pull questions from a live database. A school Wi-Fi connection is all that's needed.
Is there a lesson plan or curriculum guide?
Not yet — but each game page includes a 'Best for' description and skill tags that map to common curriculum areas. We're working on printable discussion guides.
How do I share a game with my class?
Just copy the URL from your browser and share it — via Google Classroom, email, a QR code, or projecting the link on a screen. No special sharing tools needed.
Ready to bring real-world decision-making into your classroom?
All 11 games are live, free, and ready to play right now. No setup required.
Browse all games