The first decision in Market Mayhem happens before candle one. A new player can begin with Practice, enter the full Tape, or choose Doubles Mode, and each route changes what kind of session comes next.
That gives the game a useful entry structure without making new players work through a fixed sequence. You can spend 14 candles learning the controls, move straight into the complete on-record run, or make a computer rival the focus of a full-length session.
Three Entry Points Serve Three Different Purposes
Market Mayhem currently offers three ways to begin. They share the same core decision system, but each mode gives the next run a different job.
| Mode | Length | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Practice | 14 candles | Learn the controls in a manual, off-record run |
| Enter the Tape | 39 candles | Complete the main on-record session |
| Doubles Mode | 39 candles | Face a computer rival with field rank off |
You do not have to unlock one mode before trying another. The choice comes down to whether you want orientation, the main recorded experience, or a direct head-to-head contest.
Practice Gives You Room to Learn the Interface
Practice is the lightest place to start. It runs for 14 candles, uses a manual format, and stays off the record so you can focus on how Market Mayhem works.
That shorter run gives you time to use Buy, Sell, Hold, and Mayhem while watching the rest of the interface respond. Position information, buying power, the crowd read, and the movement of the Tape begin to make sense through use rather than through memorization.
The value of Practice is not simply that it is shorter. It separates learning the controls from completing the main session, which makes those first few decisions easier to treat as orientation rather than performance.
A first-time player can spend several candles understanding what a control does or how information changes on screen. Practice gives that learning curve a place of its own.
