Het Beursspel

Het Beursspel, published by N.V. Staco in 1941, emerged during a period of significant geopolitical instability in the Netherlands. Created by Jacobus Hendrik Schoonderbeek, the game was designed to simulate the mechanics of the stock exchange for a domestic audience, offering an escapist intellectual pursuit during the occupation years. As a parlor game of that era, it reflected a growing interest in economic strategy and professional simulations within Dutch middle-class households.

The game is characterized by its stark, functional design typical of early-to-mid-20th-century European board games. Schoonderbeek leaned into a minimalist aesthetic, prioritizing the mathematical logic of the simulated market over elaborate narrative or illustrative flare. While not widely documented in mainstream gaming archives, it remains a notable example of the Staco imprint's contribution to Dutch gaming culture, preserved today primarily by specialized collectors of period-specific tabletop history.