Journal Detective
How to play Journal Detective
- 1
Open a case
Each case is a 20-trade journal of a made-up trader: times, markets, setups, risk, planned reward, result in R, P/L and their own notes, with the key statistics and an equity curve.
- 2
Diagnose the leak
One habit is costing the trader money. Pick it from four: revenge trading, moving stops, cutting winners, inconsistent sizing, overtrading and five more.
- 3
Find the evidence
Mark the trades in the journal that prove it. Find most of them without picking trades that don't belong.
- 4
Put a number on it
Work out the metric that shows the damage: the cost of the bad trades, the average loss, the expectancy, the drawdown or a win rate.
- 5
Prescribe the fix
Choose the rule that stops the habit, then see the same journal replayed with the fix in place.
What you'll practise
- JournalingWhat to record for every trade, and how to review it.
- Trading PsychologyRevenge trading, FOMO and the habits that follow losses.
- Stop-LossWhy moving or skipping a stop turns small losses into big ones.
- Position SizingKeeping the risk the same on every trade.
- R-MultipleMeasuring every result in units of the risk taken.
- Profit FactorGross profit against gross loss, and what it says about an edge.
Frequently asked questions
What is a trading journal?
A record of every trade: when and what you traded, why, how much you risked, where the stop and target were, the result and how you felt. Reviewed regularly, it shows the habits that help and the ones that cost you money.
What are the most common trading journal mistakes to look for?
Revenge trading after a loss, moving or skipping stops, closing winners too early, risking different amounts on each trade, overtrading, trading at bad times of day, fighting the trend, chasing entries and sticking with a market that doesn't work for you. The game covers all of these.
How do I spot revenge trading in my journal?
Look at the trades opened shortly after a loss. If they come within minutes, are bigger than usual and lose more often, that is revenge trading. A cooling-off rule after a loss is the usual fix.
Which metrics matter most when reviewing a journal?
Expectancy (average R per trade), win rate together with average win and average loss, profit factor and maximum drawdown. Each case asks you to work out the one that shows its leak.
Are the traders real?
No. The journals are made up for practice, each built so one habit shows clearly while everything else stays disciplined. Real journals can hide more than one.
Is the game free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no account, and your closed cases are saved in your browser.