Free · browser · single player
A free supply chain simulation game you play in your browser
Cargo & Consequence puts you inside a small headphone company, one desk at a time. You buy the parts, plan the factory, check quality and ship to retailers across Europe. Then the night runs the whole chain, and your decisions from days ago arrive as costs, returns and angry buyers.
Play free in your browserNo download · no sign-up · 3-minute shifts
What you actually do
- Buy: compare three battery suppliers on price, lead time and quality, then place real purchase orders.
- Plan: commit a forecast. Staff build to it, so a wrong number becomes wrong stock.
- Build and test: schedule batches on two lines, sample units in the lab, hold or rework bad lots.
- Ship: choose ocean, rail and road, or air, and decide which market gets stock when there is not enough.
- Serve: trace customer complaints back to the order that caused them.
Why it feels different
Most supply chain games show you a number going up or down. This one keeps a record. Every purchase order, batch and shipment belongs to the same company, so a cheap order on day 1 can show up as returns on day 22. The shift report says so, with the saving next to the bill.
That delay is the lesson. In a real supply chain, cause and effect are far apart, and the people who make a decision rarely see what it did downstream.
Who it is for
- Students in supply chain, operations, logistics and business courses.
- New hires in procurement, planning or quality who want the whole picture in an afternoon.
- Teams and trainers: same class code, same surprises, then compare decisions.
- Anyone who enjoys a management game with real trade-offs instead of unlimited money.
How long it takes
A shift lasts about three minutes, and you can pause at any time. Seven short challenges (a holiday rush, a supplier collapse, a bad batch of battery cells and more) take 12 to 15 shifts each. The full career runs 60 shifts and then continues in endless mode. Your company saves automatically in your browser, or in the cloud with a free account.
Questions
Is Cargo & Consequence really free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no download, no sign-up and no ads. A free account is optional and only adds a cloud save.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It works on phones, tablets and computers. A larger screen makes the factory and map easier to read.
What supply chain topics does it cover?
Supplier selection and total cost of ownership, forecasting, capacity, quality and inspection, inventory and allocation, freight modes, on-time-in-full service, cash flow and root cause analysis.
Is it good for a class?
Yes. Every team can play the same challenge with the same class code, so differences come from decisions. See the page for teachers.