Monopoly Board Games

What Is Monopoly?

The first Monopoly board game was invented in 1935 by the toy and game manufacturer Parker Brothers. It is said to have been inspired by The Landlord’s Game (1906), which was conceptualised by Lizzie Magie, an American anti-monopolist who wanted to demonstrate the harmful effects of monopolisation. Like its successor, this game focuses on the buying of land and property development, with rent prices increasing as more cardboard houses are added.

Parker Brothers got the idea for the Monopoly board game from an American inventor by the name of Charles Darrow, who repackaged The Landlord’s Game and sold the copyrights to the company. Upon learning that Darrow was not the sole creator, Parker Brothers similarly bought Magie’s patent.

In 1991, Parker Brothers became a subsidiary of Hasbro, thereby making Monopoly a brand under the umbrella of its parent company. Prior to this acquisition, the board game was available in only two versions: regular and deluxe. Habro expanded this focus by licensing different renditions, such as the San Diego Edition.

What Is the Name of the Monopoly Man?

Designed by artist Daniel Fox, the mascot of the Monopoly board game is the aptly named Mr. Monopoly (or Rich Uncle Pennybags), an elderly man who has a thick white moustache, a morning suit, a bowtie, and a top hat. He first appeared on the Community Chest and Chance cards included in the US versions of the game released in 1936; however, his official title was not decided until 1946, at which point Mr. Monopoly’s likeness was featured in the game Rich Uncle.

How to Play Monopoly

Each rendition of the game includes a standard set of Monopoly pieces: two six-sided dice, cards (a deck containing 32 Chance and Community Chest cards), deeds (for 22 streets, four railroads, and two utilities), 32 houses and 12 hotels (made from wood or plastic), player tokens (in the shape of different objects, like the Boot and Racecar), and money (distinguished by bills of different colours).

At the beginning of every game, players (of which there can be two to eight) have $1,500 in their personal bank. They each roll the dice and move their selected token clockwise around the board, which is sectioned by squares. On these squares, there are colours that represent spaces where property can be purchases. They can be developed by adding houses, but this can only be done when the owner possesses every property in a colour set. If an opposing player lands on one of these properties, they are obligated to pay a fee reflecting the current value of the property, which depends on its position and the number of properties that have been added.

What has been mentioned is only the basics of the game, with there being several other rules that change the dynamic. For example, players receive $200 every time they pass go, and the included cards (drawn when a player lands on a specified square) detail instructions that must be followed, such as going to jail (which requires a fine of $50 or a specific card to be released) or paying money to the bank.

It is well known that a session of Monopoly can last for several hours, and the winner is announced at the point when only a single player remains. This happens if each member of the opposition declares bankruptcy, which means that they are eliminated.

How Many Versions of Monopoly Are There?

Since Hasbro acquired Parker Brothers, there have been hundreds of versions of Monopoly. The classic Monopoly board game is still very popular, but it has been joined by editions tailored to juniors, residents of different cities (including London and Liverpool), and fans of pop culture (movies, TV series, and video games), and even cheaters.

Some prominent franchises that have been given the board-game treatment are as follows: Elf, Harry Potter, Animal Crossing, Fortnite, Pokémon, Friends, Star Wars, Peppa Pig, Disney, Game of Thrones, Jurassic Park, Mario, Marvel, Only Fools and Horses, Stranger Things, and The Lord of the Rings. The prices of these usually range from £10 to £30.