by Kayla Weller

Created on: September 27, 2010

Monopoly is probably the most famous board game created so far. Nearly everybody in the world has heard of or played it at some point in their life. Every video gaming console has a version. Numerous downloadable games for the PC and Mac exist. Every few years, the Monopoly World Tournament is held at various locations throughout the world and crowns a new champion. Collectors from around the world collect both rare and common versions of the game.

The basic goal of Monopoly is simple. Bankrupt the other players by buying out the properties on the board and charging rent to whoever lands on the property. This is almost always done by buying and trading with other players to gain control of one or more monopolies. On the board, you'll see colored groups of properties for sale. Once you own the full set of these properties, you'll have a monopoly and can begin to build houses and hotels. These houses and hotels significantly raise the rent that the other players will have to pay you if they roll the dice and land on your property. 

The game does have a few flaws. When played using the official rules, one game of Monopoly can take hours. For this reason, many people choose to play variations that shorten the time needed to play. Some simply set a time limit while others choose to end the game after a certain number of players have gone bankrupt. 

One other thing that might be a problem is how many pieces it has. Beyond the board itself, there are tokens, dice, property cards, and the slips of paper that pass for money. Lose enough of these pieces, particularly the property cards, and you'll have to buy a whole new game.

Monopoly can be difficult for very young children to play. It has a complex list of rules that, even for adults who are playing their first game, can be difficult to memorize until you've played it through a few times. Children may also need help with the math involved and the need to trade and negotiate with others could be difficult for him or her to handle. But, on the bright side, it reinforces these same skills in slightly older children.

Overall, I'd say its advantages outweigh its flaws. It's a highly competitive game that can bring out strong emotion as you work to defeat the other players. Unlike simpler games, such as Sorry! or Candy Land, it's complex enough that you can employ different strategies which gives it an excellent replay value.

Monopoly can be found at almost any toy store or at the larger box stores like Target or Walmart. And, if you prefer shopping over the internet, Hasbro has an online store that sells a number of versions.

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