Monopoly: A Fun Board Game for the Whole Family

It is not always easy to find a family game to play that appeals to everyone. One of the most popular is the classic board game that has is a very addicting. It’s called Monopoly—a family favourite—that has stood the test of time and can be played by young and old, male and female. Why is the game such a long-lasting success?

The Basis of the Game

Monopoly is described as a fast-dealing, property trading game. When it was first thought up by an American woman in the early 1900s, the home-made game was intended as an educational tool to teach about economics. It is still a great way to teach children math and help them understand concepts like rent and mortgages.

How Does the Game Work?

The game is played on a board with forty spaces around the edges. Some are London streets, divided into groups of different colours. The four, large corner squares are marked Jail, Go to Jail, Just park and go. Other spaces around the board include railway stations and utility companies, or offer random rewards or penalties. Up to eight players choose a metal token, and throw two dice to move round the board. Each player is given the same amount of pretend money to use in the game. When they land on a space, they can choose to buy the deeds. Then, if anyone else lands on that space, they will be charged rent. As the game progresses, players can buy houses and hotels to increase their rental income. There are many other rules, including auctioning off property and raising mortgages.

Variations of the Game

In the 1990s, games appeared that were based on other locations than London, and now there are games for virtually every big city in the UK. There are also many variations designed to appeal to younger children, which are often based on films or TV series and use a simplified board layout.

The game brings out the competitive streak in all of us. Trying to bid for the most lucrative properties and profit from the other players is always exciting, and everyone develops their own strategy. As with all board games, luck plays a large part, though, and part of Monopoly’s appeal is that a random role of the dice may win or lose huge amounts of money.