A Timeless Classic To Make You Feel Rich During The Crunch (Monopoly)

Member Name: GramiWay

Product:	Monopoly
Date:	29/06/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great rules and idea, lots to do, enjoyable for all ages

Disadvantages: Sometimes the games can go on for too long

OK first attempt at reviewing a board game - so here's hoping it goes alright!

Monopoly is a timeless classic that has captured people's imaginations for decades. It can be frustrating, exciting, hilarious or the biggest ego boost of your life and the game can go on for so long that sometimes it really does have a realistic element to it.


- History -

Monopoly first hit shop shelves in 1935 and has been hailed as the most successful, commercial board game of all time. Published by the Parker Brothers and also belonging to the Hasbro family, the name of the game comes from the world 'monopoly' - an economic concept which involves one single entity or person dominating an entire market. That is the aim of the game. There is a standard American and English game board [the English one I shall refer to here], which are played with each country's respective currency. However, there are various other special edition Monopoly games out there such as Star Wars, Disney, The Simpsons and even Pokemon. As well as this there is a simplified version for younger children aptly titled Monopoly Junior, which enables a younger audience to grasp the main game's concept with smaller sums of money and a less confusing game board. The game's mascot is Uncle Pennybags, a rather upper class looking individual dressed in black and white with a posh suit, hat and a monocle.


- Playing The Game -

Monopoly is a fast paced and exciting game that can be played by 2-6 players. The set up is a bit tricky but is fairly simple once you get used to it. The box consists of the game board, two dice, figures that will be moved around the board in the shape of objects like a hat or a dog for example. As well as this there is also all the money, the houses and hotels and three different sets of cards that will be crucial to the game playing element. These are Chance card and Community Chest cards that are lifted and contain various instructions when a player lands on the relevant space and the other pack are the title deeds for each of the properties on the board. The outcome of these cards can be positive or negative and are designed to shake up aspects of the game and are particularly good at doing so when the game has been in play for quite some time.

The board itself consists of 22 different streets that are banded together into eight different groups and are related by colour. There are also 4 railway stations, 2 utilities and various Chance card and Community Chest card spaces. As well as this each corner of the board has a significant role in the game, whether it's the 'GO' Space where all players start and receive 200 quid every time they pass it, the 'go to jail' space and the jail space itself or the 'free parking' space that usually entitles whoever lands upon it to all the money that has been placed in the middle of the board by various Chance cards and such. I sometimes find the 'Go' space very frustrating. Whilst, it is good to have that money to depend upon everytime you make a complete lap of the board, it feels as if by offering such a prize, the game process is just being dragged out more and more.

Whilst the concept of the game may be confusing and complicated at first, once you ease into it it is a very straight forward and very competitive game. Your goal is to purchase as many of the properties as you can and place houses and hotels upon them. Doing this earns you more money when other players land on your properties. The properties become more and more expensive as you progress around the board with the final two Park Lane and Mayfair demanding the most money for the unfortunate souls that land upon them. It's a good idea to try and claim all of the properties in a certain group as you can charge people even more money.
With the basics explained the simple outcome of the game is to be the last one standing. In short - your goal is to bankrupt as many of your fellow players as you can whilst avoiding the humiliating process yourself.

Taking it in turns, each player roles both the dice and moves the required number of spaces around the board [either 1 or 12]. The game can sometimes continue for a very long time though the more players that are included the less competitive and interesting it can sometimes be as the game playing experience is dragged out a lot longer. As well as all this one of the players must be assigned to the role of 'banker'. This person is responsible for looking after the money. Each player begins the game with a certain amount of money and can use this to buy properties and such. You earn more money if people land on your properties and every time you pass the 'go' space. The banker also keeps hold of all the 'deed' cards and plastic buildings and distributes them when a player wishes to purchase one. The game currency includes 1,5,10,20,50,100 and 500 pound notes.

- Conclusion/Opinion -

I'd recommend introducing children under 12 to the game slowly as some of the rules are very frustrating and hard to grasp at first. Monopoly can be a valuable learning resource just as much as it is fun. It teaches a lot of simple maths as players are forced to deal with money when buying properties or handing over their cash to other players. I think that the rules of the game are very simple though at times it does seem like the creators could possibly add a few more interesting twists and turns to perhaps not make the game last so long. Things can also get complicated when somebody can't afford to pay another player for landing on one of their properties. In the past, we've used rules such as being in debt or re-mortgaging properties but it would work a lot better if the player could instantly become bankrupt and leave the game.


There aren't really any disadvantages to the gaming experience that stand out, other than the fact that if you hate long, dragged out games then this really isn't for you. I've never been involved in a game of Monopoly that hasn't lasted more than three hours and sometimes we've had to forfeit just because the game has reached a stale situation. It's a unique and interesting game with the outcomes always being down to random chance so you never really know what is going to happen. With so many properties to purchase and so many different ways for each player to claim more money the possibilities and outcomes are endless and this is a great game for any family occasion.

Summary: If you haven't played it before, where have you been?