A brief history of Monopoly is a property development game that is held dear in the hearts of many families and board game enthusiasts. Chances are you’re already somewhat aware of this classic game but we know you may be looking for some answers to understand the game better. Therefore, we created this article to answer some common questions like when was Monopoly invented, who invented Monopoly and Monopoly money rules. By the end of it, you should have a decent grasp on the game and be ready to attack your family and peers with a full-fledged strategy for winning. Let’s dive in.

This epic game can be traced all the way back to 1903 when a political figure tried to explain the single tax theory in simple terms. It was originally called the Landlord’s Game and was officially published in 1906. Ironically enough, the game was intended to show the negative impact of concentrating land in private monopolies. 

It became known as Monopoly in 1991 when Hasbro acquired ownership.

Rules of the game

Although there are several different versions of the game, the rules remain mostly the same. The objective of Monopoly is to acquire the most wealth by owning streets, properties, hotels, and cold hard cash while simultaneously attempting to deprive your opponent of these opportunities at the same time. You can play Monopoly until everyone except one has gone bankrupt, or simply set a time limit and see who has the most funds at the end of it.

Equipment

The game comes with a board, 2 dice, player tokens, 32 houses and 12 Hotels. There are 16 Chance and 16 Community Chest cards, 28 Title Deed cards and Monopoly play money.

Getting Started

Lay out the board and place the Chance and Community Chest cards face down on the board in the designated spot. Each player will then select a token to represent them throughout the game and move along the board. We recommend the shoe. Each player will be given $1500 in Monopoly money to begin with.

The Banker

At this stage, a Banker needs to be selected to give out funds and property whenever necessary. If the Banker is also a player in the game, they must keep their funds separate from the bank money at all times.

Playing the game

To decide who goes first, each player rolls the dice. Whoever gets the highest roll start first. All players start from the GO square located at the corner of the board. Roll your dice and move your token according to the number on the dice. If your token has landed on a street with a property, you can buy it, granted you have enough money. After the first go, the player to your left rolls, and so on. 

If you land on a property that someone else has bought, you might have to pay them rent. You can also land on Chance cards and Community Chest cards which hold surprises for you. Or, you could land on a square that sends you straight to jail. And of course, if someone else lands on a property you own, check your Title Deed card to see how much they owe you.

GO

Every time you complete a cycle of the board and pass the GO square, the Banker must give you a $200 reward. However, if a player passing GO on the throw of the dice lands 2 spaces beyond it on Community Chest, or 7 spaces beyond it on Chance, and draws the “Advance to GO” card, they collect $200 for passing GO the first time, and another $200 for advancing to it the second time due to the card.

Buying property

As you roll and land on color-coded streets, you have the opportunity to buy properties at the price indicated on the board. When you pay the Banker, they will give you a Title Deed Card as proof of ownership, that will also display the rent you are owed when other players land on your property. Place your Title Deed Card face up.

Paying rent

If you land on a property owned by someone else, you will have to pay rent to them according to the information on their Title Deed Card for that property. If you hold all the properties in the same color group, you will be at an advantage as you can charge more rent. It’s even better to have houses or hotels built on the property if you want to make serious dollars in rent.

Chance and Community cards

If you land on one of these spaces, pick up the top card from the deck. Read it and simply follow the instructions given on the card then place it face down at the bottom of the deck.

Going to jail

There are a few ways you can land yourself in jail in Monopoly. The first is by landing on a Go To Jail space. The second is by drawing a Go To Jail card from the Chance deck. The third is by rolling double numbers three times in a row. Place your token directly in jail and end your turn. 

Luckily, security isn’t so tight in Monopoly jail, so there’s plenty of opportunities to make your escape. You can escape by throwing doubles on your next turn, using a Get Out Of Jail Free Card that you picked up earlier or by paying a fine of $50 before you roll the dice on either of your next two turns. If you do not throw doubles by your third turn, you must pay the $50 fine. From jail, you can still collect rent and buy houses for your properties. 

Buying Houses and Hotels

When a player owns all the properties in a color-group, they may buy houses from the Bank

and erect them on those properties. When you have four houses on any given property, you can replace the four houses with a hotel bought from the bank and charge even more rent.

Selling property

If the property you own is unimproved, meaning you haven’t built houses or hotels on it, you can sell it to other players or even trade. This is a goods time to negotiate and leverage properties to your advantage if someone else needs them to complete a color set.

Going bankrupt

Much like going bankrupt in real life, if you run out of Monopoly money you must sell your property back to the bank or another player. When you go bankrupt, you must retire and ultimately leave the game. All you can do from here is watch.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has given you some insight into understanding Monopoly money rules and how to play. So get out there and dominate the world of property investment and be prepared to get into some heated exchanges with friends and family along the way in classic Monopoly style. After all, you wouldn’t have it any other way.