Monopoly: A Fun Board Game or an Argument Waiting to Happen?

Monopoly always seems like a good idea in theory until you've been playing for three hours and everyone is mad at each other. In a way, the game is a great simulation of real-world economy and business.

As one of the most famous board games in the world, it has a simple concept. Players compete to monopolize the board. Everyone starts out with the same amount of money and players go around and around the board buying properties. It's basically dumb luck where you land, and if you can afford the good properties and you have them, you will make more money when people land on your properties. That is how most people start to go bankrupt in Monopoly. If they keep landing on others' property, they have to pay a specified amount. This amount goes up if someone has all the same color properties or if they have build on these properties. In an average game, you usually don't get around to building until an hour or two has passed. That is because you usually must circle the board a few times to land on adjacent properties.

Sometimes you everyone is stuck not being able to build because the properties are divided up among players. Since you need all the adjacent properties to start building on them, people usually trade. You might have the piece someone else is missing and vice versa. With a simple trade or a trade and some money depending on what your properties are worth, you start to grow your empire.

Many debate how to end the game, since regular rules can keep you playing for hours. Some people place a time cap on the game and then see who is richest when the time runs out. If you decide to try to play until one person has a monopoly over everything and everyone else is out of the game, you better clear your schedule for the next ten hours.

There are usually two consequences of playing Monopoly. Either people become bored or fatigued and give up, or you see the game to the bitter end, and end up annoyed at your friends.

Like in real business situations, when all the players are really into the game, greed takes over. Some people play with immunity rules. This means that if you have a property someone else needs, they can buy it from you and grant you immunity so you don't have to pay them when you land on their properties. This could lead to bitter fights. Also not unlike in the real world, desire to win at Monopoly can lead to cheating. Some people will skim some money off the banker or overcharge rent. This is another way in which your fun game night can go sour if a cheater is caught.

The fake money and the false illusion of wealth is probably what makes this game so popular and at the same time what sucks the fun out of the games.