For Beer Game fans
An online alternative to the Beer Game
The Beer Game, created at MIT in the 1960s, is the classic supply chain classroom exercise: four players, one chain, long delays, and a bullwhip that surprises everyone. Cargo & Consequence teaches the same core lesson (decisions take time to come back) inside one whole company you run on your own.
Play free in your browserNo download · no sign-up · 3-minute shifts
How they compare
| The Beer Game | Cargo & Consequence | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | Teams of four, one per stage | One player, or pairs; a class plays the same code |
| What you decide | How many cases to order | Suppliers, forecasts, production, quality, freight, allocation, cash |
| Core lesson | Bullwhip effect from delays and local decisions | Delayed consequences across a whole company |
| Setup | Facilitator, boards or an online host | Open a web page; no accounts |
| Length | About an hour | Challenges of 12–15 short shifts; a 60-shift career |
| Cost | Varies by version | Free |
When to use which
- Use the Beer Game when you want a live group experience of the bullwhip effect between four companies.
- Use Cargo & Consequence when you want people to see how buying, planning, quality, freight and customer service affect each other inside one company, or when students need to play alone or remotely.
- Use both: the Beer Game for the chain between companies, Cargo & Consequence for the chain inside one.
What carries over
Both games are about delay. An order placed today arrives weeks later; a quality shortcut shows up as returns long after the saving was booked. In both, the players who do best stop reacting to the last number and start thinking about what is already in the pipeline.
Questions
Can I play the Beer Game online for free?
Several hosted versions exist. If you want a free browser game with no accounts that teaches the same delay and feedback lessons, Cargo & Consequence runs instantly and works for solo play or a whole class.
Is Cargo & Consequence a version of the Beer Game?
No. It is a separate game. Instead of four players ordering beer, one player runs a headphone company across buying, planning, production, quality, logistics and customer care.
Can a whole class play together?
Yes. Everyone enters the same class code, so all teams face the same events and the results can be compared on a class board without any accounts.