That last line is the rub here. I used to play Monopoly as if my life depended on it. Now I don't, because no one will play Monopoly against me anymore.
Monopoly requires player elimination. That's seen as "mean", whereas winning isn't seen as mean. That's the main reason Monopoly isn't a good game. The other reason is that people have house rules, which often have the effect of reducing the risk of player elimination, which then increases the playtime to stupid lengths.
There are a bunch of great, easy to understand, easy to play games that are much better.
(HN search might find a few, there have been several threads before. Board Game Geek tends to skew toward the more complex end, but there's probably good lists of great family games.)
Absolutely. I love Monopoly, and when I mention this, people always say "but it lasts so long!" It only lasts so long because just as someone is about to get knocked out, someone else loans them money to stay in the game...
> There are a bunch of great, easy to understand, easy to play games
> that are much better.
My favorite with family is either Carcassonne (I even have a tattoo) or Ticket to Ride.
There are some interesting variations of the game, using a standard Monopoly set. One I've seen allowed things like Lynch Mobs - if enough of the players agree, they can send someone to prison, remove their assets, or even eject them from the game. You could also institute a rule like "90% tax on cash holdings" or "those with assets under $200 receive an extra $1000 when they pass Go". It sort of combined Werewolf with Monopoly, because it required more skill at the human level to persuade your fellow players to vote with you.
I'd utterly forgotten about house rules, but you're right, they're infuriating. The combination of not auctioning off properties when passed up and free parking make games go on forever.
Those are the two house rules that drive me nuts too. To the point I insisted when I started playing again that those can't be in play. Once the few people I started playing with realized how much it changed the game from a 4 hour marathon into something far better balanced in an hour they've not brought it up again.
It's been a long time since I played, but I can't remember "mandatory auction" was part of the core rules. Then again, who knows what changes may have been made to the Norwegian version.
This one really gets me, because no on ever believes its in the rules until I get them out and point it out.
> Whenever you land on an unowned property you may buy that property from the Bank at its printed price. You receive the Title Deed card showing ownership. Place the title deed card face up in front of you. If you do not wish to buy the property, the Bank sells it at through an auction to the highest bidder. The high bidder pays the Bank the amount of the bid in cash and receives the Title Deed card for that property.
> Any player, including the one who declined the option to buy it at the printed price, may bid. Bidding may start at any price.
That rule alone completely changes the dynamic of Monopoly, transforming it from a dirge like plod around the board desperately hoping you'll roll the right number for the property you want, into a game in which people will near bankrupt themselves to buy a property they don't want an opponent to pick up.
To be clear, I certainly didn't doubt you were right -- I can barely remember the last time I played. We had an old busted up version at our cabin. I certainly can't remember the last time I read through the rules booklet.
Agreed. I've found the best way to play games against friends is to disconnect my competitive spirit and anlytical mind and just sit back and enjoy the conversation. I have fun, and those folks who are hyper-competitive get another "victim", so it's good for everybody.
Really? Maybe a couple of hours. I just buy whatever I land on. Others usually follow suit and fairly quickly the board is divvied up. Then it's horse-trading and luck.
I think that with a few simple heuristics the game moves along quickly enough. I have family members who are so nice they try to prevent doing things the other players don't like. These games take forever. Geesh.
I haven't played in quite a while, so I may be remembering the game moving along faster than it actually does.
Side note: we've been playing Machi Koro at home over the last few weeks. Very simple concept, mostly luck, and interesting enough for a somewhat fun 30 minutes or so.
