Economy & PricingMembership tiers, contracts, market rates, and the P&L
Membership Tiers
| Tier | Price Multiplier | Default (base $250) | Capacity Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Desk | ×1.0 | $250/mo | 1 open desk → 3 members (hot-desking) |
| Dedicated Desk | ×1.7 | $430/mo | Capped at 50% of open desks |
| Private Office | ×2.4 | $600/mo | 1 desk in Private Office room = 1 seat |
You can set each tier's price independently. The default is calculated from the base hot-desk fee using the multiplier above.
Market Rates
Each scenario defines a market fee — the baseline hot-desk price in the local area. Members judge your prices against this rate, adjusted by the market drift.
- Market drift fluctuates between 0.72× and 1.4× over time, with occasional multi-month booms and downturns.
- Tolerated price = market rate × (0.8 + satisfaction / 150). A premium space (high satisfaction) justifies premium prices.
Price Perception
The satisfaction model includes a "Price perception" factor. Each member compares their tier's price to what they'd tolerate. The formula accounts for both the market rate and the quality of your space — meaning a high-quality, high-price business model genuinely works.
The price score per member: clamp((tolerated - tierPrice) / (12 × tierMul), -12, +8), averaged across all members.
Contracts
| Term | Discount | Sign-up Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | 0% | 50% |
| 6-month | 10% | 30% |
| Annual | 15% | 20% |
Higher satisfaction shifts new sign-ups toward longer contracts (up to +25% boost for long-term). Contract members can't cancel mid-term. Monthly members can leave any day.
VIP Members
About 6% of solo sign-ups are VIPs (local celebrities). VIPs pay a 1.5× premium on their tier price and generate organic leads while happy (6% daily chance of a referral when happiness ≥70).
Revenue Streams
| Source | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Memberships | Monthly fee per member (tier price × discount × VIP multiplier). The main revenue. |
| Day Passes | $30 each. Leads who don't sign up sometimes buy a day pass instead (35% chance, needs receptionist + reception desk). |
| Meeting Rooms | $60-$120 per external booking. Booking requests scale with member count and management software (1.8× with software). |
| Coffee & Snacks | $3 per coffee machine drink, $6 per espresso bar drink, $4 per vending snack. Cash lands instantly. Doubled in the Co-Living scenario. |
| Events | Ticket and bar revenue from weekly community events and player-scheduled special events. |
Expense Categories
| Expense | Details |
|---|---|
| Rent | Scenario base × wing multiplier × difficulty × Iron Lease mod × landlord hikes. Hikes cap at 2× original. |
| Utilities | $0.80 per floor tile per month. Solar Panels upgrade cuts this by 40%. |
| Salaries | Each staff member's monthly pay. Night shift costs 10% extra (unless Night Owl trait). |
| Services | Sum of all active vendor subscriptions. |
| Marketing | Sum of active ad channel costs + referral bounties ($100 per signed referral). |
| Events | $150 per weekly community event + special event costs. |
| Loan Interest | 12% APR on outstanding loan balance, charged monthly. |
Billing Losses
Without management software, ~3% of membership revenue is lost to billing errors and admin chaos. Any software vendor eliminates this.
Corporate Tax
At every year-end close (every 12 months), 15% corporate tax is charged on positive annual profit. The year-end review shows revenue, expenses, net, and the tax bill.
Landlord Rent Hikes
After a profitable year, the landlord proposes a rent increase. The hike percentage is: 4 + min(11, round(annualNet / 25000)), so 4%-15% depending on how profitable you were. You have two choices:
- Sign the new lease: rent goes up by the full percentage.
- Negotiate ($2,000 lawyer fees): 35% chance the hike is blocked entirely; otherwise it's halved.
Hikes are multiplicative and cap at 2× the original lease.
Seasonal Demand
All scenarios have gentle seasonal swings:
- January & September: +20% leads (new-year resolutions, back-to-work)
- July & August: -15% leads (summer slump)
The Beach scenario has extreme swings: +60% in summer (months 6-8), -50% in winter (months 0-2, 12).
Bankruptcy
If your bank balance drops below the scenario's bankruptcy limit at month close, the game ends. The limit varies by scenario (e.g., -$30,000 for Suburb, -$5,000 for Shoestring).