Forget an MBA: The $12 billion maker of Monopoly makes workers play a literal leadership board game to see if they're fit for the C-suite | Fortune

"The company's rising stars first undergo a two-day crash course in business fundamentals and the inner workings of the toy industry, taught by senior executives including CEO Chris Cocks himself. The curriculum spans strategy, capital allocation, and real-world case studies. Then comes the final test. On day three, participants are dropped into Toy Tycoon, an immersive, role-playing strategy game designed to simulate the pressures of running a toy company. Cocks has described it as "Monopoly meets a crash course MBA meets startup hustle, Hasbro-style.""

"Players are grouped into teams and named co-CEOs of companies armed with existing Hasbro brands. Each round represents a year in business. As the game progresses, the decisions grow more complex-and the consequences more severe. Players must decide when to hire, where to invest, and how to scale operations, all while balancing sales, supply chain constraints, and human resources."

""As a company built on play, it makes sense for us to use a strategy game to develop future leaders," Brian Baker, Hasbro's senior vice president of board games, Play-Doh, and Nerf told Fortune. "Toy Tycoon helps our rising talent think like owners, work across teams, and build confidence making decisions, all while staying true to who we are as a company.""

Hasbro trains rising leaders with a two-day crash course taught by senior executives, including the CEO, covering business fundamentals, strategy, capital allocation, and case studies. On day three, participants play Toy Tycoon, an immersive role-playing strategy game that simulates the pressures of running a toy company. Players act as co-CEOs of teams managing existing Hasbro brands across annual rounds. The game forces decisions about hiring, investment, scaling, sales, supply chain constraints, and human resources. Hasbro frames the program to develop ownership thinking, cross-team collaboration, and decision-making confidence, with leadership likened to complex grand strategy gameplay.

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