The most popular board game in the world is, of course, chess. Or maybe checkers, dominoes, or poker. But there are board games, and there are board games. The former is somewhat abstract, based on one or two kinds of elements (e.g., field and chips), have a long history, and, as a consequence, many fans. The latter is more complex in structure (for example, they can simultaneously use cards, chips, a field, and dice), have a simple but straightforward plot, and usually come from the foreseeable past. The difference is the same between folk tales and the author’s prose. Among board games of the second kind (and hereafter we, when we say “board games,” will mean only such “author’s” works), there are also record-breakers. And if the second, fifth, and nineteenth places in sales, popularity, or longevity are still a struggle, the palm of priority here has been taken long ago and, by all appearances, for a long time. The absolute leader of board games and the subject of this little excursion is Monopoly, a board game with a century of history.
November 19 is National Monopoly Day in the United States, a holiday dedicated to one of the most famous and beloved board games. It first went on sale in 1935, and by 2022 “Monopoly” had been licensed in more than 114 countries and published in 47 languages. Official championships are regularly held on the game, enterprising craftsmen create new rules for it and independent thematic versions, and the famous box with the image of a round-faced mustached “monopolist” now and then flashes in the most discussed movies and TV series of our time. This game even has a reasonably popular slot, which is not inferior to the popular game 3 Patti online in 2022.
The ancestor of “Monopoly”: a female perspective, political jokes, and a critique of capitalism
The Landlord’s Game was the prototype of the modern version. It was developed in 1903 by the American Elizabeth Magee, inspired by the ideas of the political economist and publicist Henry George. She was convinced that all the problems of American society resulted from the landowners’ greed and the lack of a single land tax. Reading George’s writings, Elizabeth paid particular attention to the thought: “The equal rights of all men to use land are as evident as the right to breathe; they are rights affirmed by the fact of our existence. And she decided to reflect this thought in an understandable, entertaining form – in the form of a game.
The most exciting thing is that the original educational “Landowner’s Game” had two rules: anti-monopolistic and monopolistic. The first (primary) rewarded all players during the game and allowed them to share the victory. And the second one made the opponents survive and increase their wealth – this set of rules was created purely as a criticism of monopolies and was not intended as something the players could enjoy.
“The Landowner’s Game” was rife with political jokes, satire, and numerous references to the then-current political situation in the United States. Elizabeth released the unusual development with her own money but still tried to sell it to Parker Brothers – it didn’t work. The company representatives didn’t appreciate her subtle and politically charged humor and feared that such a game wouldn’t sell well and probably bring them many problems. However, “Landowner’s Game” became quite popular even without commercial success. It was actively played by students of leading economics departments and members of the Quaker movement (the “Religious Society of Friends”). Some professors even used it as a visual aid for their lectures.
“Gaming Retribution” for the Great Depression – Monopoly Conquers the Market
One of the keen players was heating equipment salesman Charles Darrow. During the Great Depression, he lost his job and worked as a dog walker, hatching a plan to recapture his former wealth. Darrow took a prototype of one of the variations of The Landowner’s Game (at that time, it already had several different versions), stripped it of all political jokes, and made a monopolistic set of rules the only one available, thus reducing the essence of the game to a simple but brilliant one: “Become rich and make everyone else bankrupt.
After that, like Elizabeth Magee, he went to a business meeting with Parker Brothers – and was also turned down. The company’s representatives counted 52 design mistakes in his prototype and disowned the project, assuring the author that it would never be a hit. But they were very much mistaken.
In the end, Charles Darrow single-handedly brought the prototype to fruition – his family and friends acted as testers, and the chips he assembled from the materials at hand. Then, in 1935, he produced the first five thousand copies with his own money. They instantly sold out. Then Darrow and Parker Brothers still managed to agree on a partnership, and by 1936 their “Monopoly” was the best-selling game in the United States.
The game was updated, the rules and features were added and later began to travel the world.
Since 1991, the rights to “Monopoly” have been owned by Hasbro.
What is the right way to celebrate Monopoly Day?
National Monopoly Game Day has been celebrated since 2000, not only honoring the history of the main board game of the century and just getting together to have a good time with loved ones. The essence of the celebration can be summed up in just a few points:
- Buy/borrow “Monopoly” (or run one of the many online versions).
- Stock up on snacks and drinks.
- Invite your friends or family over.
- Have a great time at the game.
- Tell about your social networking events using the hashtag #PlayMonopolyDay.
You can play one long game or several short ones. The main thing to remember is that you can never have too many Monopoly games: the longest game of this game lasted as long as 70 days.
Different and strange Monopoly
Over the years, we knew the original “Monopoly” managed to change dozens of images and get unusual and even strange rules. Here are a few prevalent variations sure to surprise or significantly diversify the usual experience of the game.
On November 23, 2022, “Monopoly: Yellowstone ” went on sale, a version of the game inspired by the most popular TV movie of the decade. Dutton family homes, cow-shaped chips, and hats-what else do a modern cowboy need to be happy?
There are also dozens of other variations of Monopoly based on popular franchises (like Stranger Things and Fortnite), unusual computer adaptations, and versions for people with disabilities, such as Monopoly in Braille.
