Monopoly

Monopoly is the absolute timeless family game. It's a game about strategy, chance, luck and ultimately about greed.

Invented during the Great Depression in 1934, Monopoly has since been translated into 26 different languages and has sold over 200 million sets worldwide. It's a small wonder that most people have grown up with Monopoly.

Monopoly, with its thrilling property-owning rules and objectives, is highly educational. For early Monopoly beginners of seven years, it encourages arithmetic skills. At the same time it teaches older players about money management, property management, basic economics, the art of negotiation and compromise (just how much are you prepared to trade for Mayfair). In many ways Monopoly also mirrors the lessons of life--chance and luck can throw even the best-laid plans astray, and if you 're not prepared to take the big risks you're unlikely to be life's big winner.

Yet Monopoly is also great fun and for some reason its simple rules don't tire or become dull from repetition--truly the mark of a timeless classic.

The only significant downside to Monopoly is that the full game can be a very lengthy event easily lasting hours.

Monopoly can be enjoyed by children as young as seven years old and will still thrill a 97-year-old; it is suitable for 2-8 players.

A perfect game of family fun on a rainy day, a long holiday or a cold winter night, Monopoly will probably be the most played board game your you will ever own. --Victoria Mackenzie

Monopoly is a very easy game to play really. You pick one of the metal counters to play with, which include a car, a boat, an old shoe, an iron, and a top hat, to name but a few. Then you role the dice and move your counter. You can buy properties and charge anyone else who lands on them rent. If you land on a 'Community Chest' or a 'Chance' square then you must take one of the appropriate cards and follow the instructions on it. The rules are slightly more complicated, but thats the basic outline of the game.

Monopoly is also a very educational game, in several different ways. It teaches the younger players about adding up money, and the correct change to give, and it aslo teaches them the value of money, i.e how important money is and how not to waste it. For the older players it teaches them about 'money managment' and property. But perhaps the best lession to be learned from Monopoly is that life is one big risk and the people who take those risks, usually come out the other end a whole lot richer.

So here we have an all time classic game which will go on for ever and ever. If you are just looking for a nice 'money-hungry' game then this should be top of the list because there really is nothing else quite like it on the market.


People miss the point. This isn't your average 'board game'   November 24, 2006
T. Clarke (UK)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

Its a shame to see the negative reviews of this game. Afterall, if its the educational value thats being questioned, this game was made over 70 years ago! So it doesn't incorparate the modern educational values. Instead, it is indeed a game of luck, but also stratergy,
It takes a mature person to last out an hour or 2 to play Monopoly. Its not for the people (or children) that find they get bored after 5 minutes and say "This is rubbish". Its not like other board games, because it requires you to build your way up to winning through fortune - not through simply making small descions while cruising around a colourful snazzy board. The reason people love the game is because it actually links to real life - theirs the water works, electric company, real roads and streets, railway stations - not fictional characters with wierd names, that makes you wonder "whats the point?". The great thing aobut Monopoly, is that it does feel real. And thats why I could never take losing!
Unlike other games too, you learn techniques and stratergies over many years. My dad's been playing Monopoly on and off for over 40 years, and I can see a deifnate pattern in the way he plays, that can only be brought on over time. As a mature person, who's been playing the game for many years, I'm still only learning new things each time. But the only time I play the game is in lazy summer nights, whic I think suits the time scale - you'll be playing the game for at leats 45 minutes/ an hour if you play properly.
The playing 'pieces' are now all too familiar, and most older gamers have a favourite. They are well made, and they'll never break thankfuklly! (seems like one of the few toys thats not built with cheap plastic). I'm sure most people have played the game, but for those who haven't, its a simple idea - the objective is to force the opposing players into debt, so that he/she has no money left, and cannot pay up any charges you have. The fun comes in the building up to this... You may want to buy a 'house' and place it on cheaper property, like The Angel Islington (this was actually a pub - the men who went around collecting street names went to a pub, not knowing what last street name to get - hence the pub Angel Isslington was used) therefore not using lots cash, or you could try being really harsh and buy Mayfair, whilst placing many houses on it, though this costs mega money.
Along the way around the board, you'll come across other features - Chance and Community Chest cards provide additonal luck in your money spending/gaining, while placing a wrong move could send you to Jail! The railway stations on each board side can be bought too, and the utilities (water and electricity) add more variety, but you rarely land on them!
I think this game proves something very special - its timeless. It doesnt focus on something that is era-based, or any techno-babble. It focuses on tactics and right descions. And their values that surely won't fade away?


Hall of fame game!!   April 10, 2006
Mark O'Brien (Australia)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

This game without a doubt is truly one of the greats.Nothing would please me more than to have a few family members around to play with and to have some fun. This game is truly a classic. With all the new technology around that could go into making fantastic board games, this game is still leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. The duarability of this game through the ages is phenominal.
Hall of fame game, Period.


Worst game ever?   January 29, 2006
Roger McBain
8 out of 42 found this review helpful

*shakes dice*
*rolls dice*
"Oh, I've rolled a four. I lose."

Had I rolled a five, I'd still be playing. In fact, there's every chance we could still be playing next week.

When you think about Monopoly, what is the game play? *roll dice*, *move counter* *pay money*. On your next go, what do you do different? How much thought must go into your actions? None? I thought so.

OK, I'll admit that is can help children count - "One plus three is four. I owe you five hundred pounds." *counts money* "I don't have enough. Oh I lose."

Instead, buy “Ticket to Ride” (available here on Amazon), it does not have dice, has easier to learn rules, a definite end point to the game, and most importantly, is actually good fun to play. My eleven year old nephew and sixty eight year old mother agree.

Do not buy Monopoly. Never Monopoly.