Filing your taxes might not be the most exciting part of adulting, but one innovative startup is changing that by turning tax season into a Pokémon-style showdown. Meet PokéTax, an interactive tax-filing game developed by Open Ledger that transforms the normally tedious process into an engaging battle against “Tax Trainers.”
How Does PokéTax Work?
Instead of wading through endless tax forms, PokéTax lets users challenge different Tax Trainers—each one representing a key aspect of tax filing, such as income, deductions, and tax credits. Every Tax Trainer presents questions designed to guide players through their tax preparation. Answer correctly, and you unlock new deductions, level up your financial knowledge, and inch closer to completing your tax return.
Once players finish their PokéTax adventure, they are directed to the IRS Direct File site to officially submit their return.
“This is not an April Fool’s joke—this is real, and it works,” said Open Ledger co-founder Pryce Adade-Yebesi in an interview with Wp-dd.com. “Tax fraud isn’t funny—and neither is the IRS.”
The Origins of PokéTax
Adade-Yebesi, alongside co-founder Ashtyn Bell, started Open Ledger earlier this year and secured $3 million in funding, backed by Kindred Ventures and Black Ventures. Originally, the idea for PokéTax was meant as a lighthearted experiment.
“Could we actually pull this off?” the team wondered. Turns out, they could—and they did.
PokéTax is built on Pokémon Showdown, an open-source battle simulator, but instead of training digital monsters, users master their tax filings. The game even includes an AI-powered assistant that helps players organize responses and maximize deductions.
Gamifying Taxes—A Growing Trend?
While PokéTax is a unique spin on tax preparation, it’s not the first attempt to inject fun into financial responsibilities. In 2023, a game called Tax Heaven 3000 allowed users to “date” an AI character named Iris, who asked questions to help them complete their tax forms. However, that game was limited to the 2022 tax year.
Adade-Yebesi believes that by making taxes more interactive and rewarding, Open Ledger can turn a typically soul-crushing process into something far more engaging.
With the April 15 tax deadline approaching, PokéTax might just be the game-changer (literally) that makes filing your taxes a little less painful—and maybe even fun.
Filing Taxes Just Got a Pokémon-Inspired Makeover—Here’s How It Works
