For many of us Monopoly is the reason we got into hobby board games, not because it’s a great gateway game, but almost the exact opposite. While Monopoly has some elements of good design, it has some fatal flaws that just wont fly in today’s games market, like player elimination, or the massive elements of luck in what properties you land on and purchase.
To combat these issues, most of us turn to hobby games, like Settlers of Catan or Carcassonne and while these new designs were setting the standard for board games the world over, Hasbro simply continued to retheme monopoly over and over again. However, in recent times Hasbro has begun to change its ways, introducing new ways to play their old classic.
In this weeks guest post, Dan from Fire Spin wanted to let you know about 4 new ways to play monopoly that might just solve some of the problems that gamers have noted over the years.
4 Monopoly Versions for 2012
Who could have predicted the enduring popularity of Monopoly? Part of the secret of its continuing success is the ability of the game to constantly update itself to attract new players. Of course there will always be fans of the original and unaltered version of the game, but here are four new versions that may reignite your interest in this classic board game:
1. Monopoly Here and Now
This version is all about updating the original by imagining what the game could be like were it invented now instead of the 1930's. The biggest change is inflation, with costs of the famous monopoly properties soaring into more real world prices like hundreds of thousands of dollars. The scale is also expanded beyond just Atlantic City to include the entire United States. Names of properties are also updated to names of real landmarks like Texas Stadium and JFK airport. Even the game pieces have been changed to include a cell phone and a hybrid car. The game rules are the same, although now the winner ends up as a billionaire instead of just a lowly millionaire.
2. Monopoly City
This is a more radical remake of the game, where the players act less like tycoons and more like property developers. The goal is to build profitable residential housing culminating in the ownership of the prestigious Monopoly Tower. Dirty deeds are useful in attempts to lower your competitor's property values, with enhanced opportunities for the kind of wheeling and dealing that has always made this game so popular.
3. Monopoly Tropical Tycoon
Leave the urban Wall Street environment behind as you invest, develop and ruthlessly compete for real estate dominance in the tropics! Everything is altered to reflect a tropical theme, with beach front property at a premium. New tokens added include a parrot and a sail boat, and an accompanying DVD enhances the story line. The perfect Monopoly game version for Jimmy Buffett fans!
4. Monopoly Electronic Banking
Among the most innovative of the new versions is this Monopoly Electronic Banking adaptation. The biggest change is that it includes an electronic banking device that makes the traditional Monopoly money unnecessary. This eliminates some of the hassles for the less mathematically skilled while at the same time reducing the opportunities for cheating. It also makes it less of a chore when the game ends and it is time to clean up. Otherwise the Electronic Banking edition is not significantly different from the the original, making this the perfect version for those who want to update the game while still preserving its traditional elements.
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