When we hear the term monopoly, we can assume that the game is related to some process with cash. Exactly! It is. Monopoly is an ideal game for everyone who love to deal with real estates.
Lizzie Magie, an American game designer, introduced the monopoly game idea. She invented it as Landlord’s game, which later advanced to Monopoly. Charles Darrow, also an American board game designer, designed Monopoly. The first Monopoly was published in 1935.
This board game can have two to eight players at a time. Monopoly helps us develop our strategy, negotiation, and financial and resource management skills.
The game aims to lead the opponent to bankruptcy by buying and developing their properties, and the winner remains financially stable. Monopoly is a best-selling privately patent game that is popular globally. This game became popular in the US after the “great depression.”
What are the Components of the Game?
Contents
Monopoly has included the following components in the game. It will be interesting to know more about these, and that will help you know the game better.
- A board – this is where you play the game. Each side of this board has been divided into ten small rectangles representing properties, utilities, railways, a jail, and various other places.
- Two dice – a pair of six-sided dice is available. You need to start the game by rolling the dice first.
- Tokens – each player has to have a token that is made of plastic or metal. This is used to move along the rectangles while playing the game after the dice are rolled out.
The following are the tokens that are available in the Monopoly.
- Battleship
- Race car
- Hat
- Boot
- Cat
- Scottie dog
- Thimble
- Wheelbarrow
- Iron
- Horse and rider
- Money bag
- Title deeds – a title deed for each property is available. It has its purchase value and mortgage value. It also has the values of houses and hotels built on that particular property. It also has various rent rates depending on the availability of properties on that when another player lands on it.
For example, it has a nominal value if it is a bare property. If it has hotels and houses, the rent value varies depending on the number of buildings.
There are,
- Four railway stations. Each on every side. If a player owns one railway, he can collect a rent of $25 from the player who lands on it. The value increases if the same player has two railways, three and four. This is much fun to collect so much of rentals.
- Twenty-two streets. These streets are divided into eight colors. Two colors on a side and one-color group have two or three streets. One player must own all the deeds of a particular color group to build properties on it.
- Two utilities. That is water and electricity. The rent value for utility will be four times the dice value for someone who owns them. It will be ten times the dice value if the same person owns both utilities.
Properties cannot be built on utilities and railway stations. Hence, only the rent is collected. The value of property deeds starts from a lover value to a higher value. The lowest is $60, and the highest is $400. These pricings and a few rules differ for different country versions.
- Houses and hotels – there are 12 hotels and 32 houses in one monopoly game set. It’s mostly made of plastic. But in some special editions, we can see them made of wood. Since there is a limited number of houses and properties available, once they are over, they cannot be replaced or purchased further.
- Money – the newer US game version has a total money value of $ 20,580.
- They are as $ 500 – 30 notes (orange)
- $ 100 – 30 notes (beige)
- $ 50 – 30 notes (purple)
- $ 20 – 30 notes (dark green)
- $ 10 – 30 notes (blue)
- $ 5 – 30 notes (pink)
- $ 1 – 30 notes (white)
Each player should begin the game with a certain sum of money. It is a total amount of $ 1500. It is divided as follows.
- $ 500 – 2 notes
- $ 100 – 4 notes
- $ 50 – 1 note
- $ 20 – 1 note
- $ 10 – 2 notes
- $ 5 – 1 note
- $ 1 – 5 notes
If this amount is to be distributed among eight players, there can be shortages in a specific currency. So few adjustments have to be made in the distribution of currency. Anyways, the publishers of Monopoly say if the bank runs of no money, they can either get more prints or write on paper and get.
There are online platforms where we can get samples of the monopoly currency to get prints.
- Cards – there are two types of cards ‘chance’ and ‘chest.’ Sixteen cards of each deck are available. If a player lands on a square correspondence to the card, they can draw the related one and follow its instructions. There are both favorable and unfavorable writings on them. It is all about luck.
How to Play?
Before you play Monopoly, you need to set up the space for the game. Place the board in the desired place. Take the sets of chance and chest cards. Shuffle them separately and place them face down on the allotted space on the board.
Each player needs to select a token for them and keep them ready on the ‘Go’ space on the board. They then divided the currency in the process.
The game begins with each player throwing the dice. The player with the highest total starts the game. Then the other players, in turns, throw the dice and move the tokens from the ‘Go’ position. They move the tokens for the total number they got from the dice. In this run, two or more players may stay in one slot at a time.
Depending on where you are, you can buy the property, pay bills, pay taxes, pay rent, or go to jail.
‘Go’ Slot
Every time you pass the ‘go’ or you land there; the bank pays you a salary of $ 200. In your community chest and chance cards, you may see notes as ‘advance to go and collect $ 200,’ which is for your luck. On the other hand, you may also see ‘pass go without collecting $ 200,’ which I said could also be unfavorable writing.
Go to Jail
Why would someone go to jail in Monopoly? There are three instances where one may go to jail. They are,
When they land on the ‘go to jail’ slot on the board.
When the pick ‘go to jail’ card from chance or community chest.
When one rolls doubles three times.
One player who is in jail needs to pay a fine of $50 to release from it. Or the player can roll two doubles and release them from jail. Or if they had the “get out of jail free” card with them, they could come out. If these instances fail, they need to pay the acceptable amount. After that, the player on their first round after release, when they pass ‘go,’ cannot collect the salary of $200.
Even though you are in jail, you may collect rent for your properties.
Free Parking
This is an area where you can either relax and be free from all the payments like rent, tax and other payments. It is better you do not spend time in this slot at the beginning of the game. But it may be useful during the heated play as you can gently escape the payments for others.
Properties
When you land on an unowned property, you can buy them at the printed price. If not, the bank will auction the property and ask for bidding. It will be sold to the highest bidder.
If you land on a property owned by someone, you need to pay them the rent mentioned on the title deed. But if the player mortgages the property, you are free not to pay. If the property has buildings on it, then the rent varies according to the number of buildings on it.
The players can mutually sell the properties between them to have a property card of the same color to build on them. Even if a player holds all the group cards, they can collect double the rent from others.
If the owner forgets to ask for rent before the next player throws dice, the player who landed there is getting exempted from paying it.
Mortgage
You can mortgage your property when you run low on your currency and for any urgent needs. You need to sell all the buildings on the property before your mortgage or sell them. The bank pays half of the property value while it is mortgaged, and to clear it; the player needs to pay the amount with 10% interest. A mortgaged property can be sold, and the buyer needs to pay the value and interest to the bank.
Houses and Hotels
When a player has all the deeds of the same color group, he may build properties on them. You need to begin with one house first. The house value for that land will be mentioned on the deed. To move to the second house, you must have all the properties of that color.
Later, you can go to a hotel on that land when you have four houses in one. But remember, you must have four houses in all the other slots. As you build evenly, you should also sell them evenly.
Bankruptcy
If a player is bankrupt and owes more than others to the bank and other players, he will be eliminated from the game. If the lost player owes the bank, the bank turns over all their assets and auctions them.
Finally, the winner will be who remains after every other player goes bankrupt.
How Long Does the Game Take?
There isn’t a standard game time mentioned for Monopoly. It depends on the players and how they play it. It may take less than 45 minutes or more than six plus hours.
What Are the Other Similar Games?
The official publishers of Monopoly, the parker brothers, have launched a few other similar games. The following are some of them.
- Monopoly town
- The mad magazine game
- Monopoly junior board game
- Monopoly city
- Free parking card game
- Express monopoly card game
- Don’t go to jail
- Advance to boardwalk
Monopoly Online
Besides the traditional monopoly board game, there are many online versions. There are also video games for those who love playing them on the screen.
Monopoly Championship
Hasbro, a publisher of the game Monopoly, conducts the world championship. It first started in New York in 1973. Until 1975, no competitors out of the US were allowed. It happens once in four years period. The latest game that happened was in 2015. The one after that couldn’t happen because of the global pandemic, covid-19. Even the games scheduled for 2021/22 couldn’t happen because of the pandemic.
Summary
We have wrapped up all the important details and information about Monopoly. We have got you covered if you are interested in the game and want to learn more about it. Are you also looking for games to occupy your spare time? Chess is another best option. It boosts your mind and refreshes you.
Here‘s our latest guide on best strategies to win monopoly.
