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Joys of a Big Game of Monopoly
Monopoly is a board game created by Parker Brothers over seventy years ago, yet it still manages to maintain popularity throughout the United States. Parker Brothers has celebrated the anniversaries of this successful board game by releasing various editions of the game, engulfing genres from Star Wars to The Simpsons. The popularity of this game is nothing short of remarkable.

Unfortunately, some people have found a great dislike of the game in recent days. Some feel the game takes too long, while others dislike constantly looking up various numbers. Boredom is another common accusation of the game of Monopoly, given by people who find that the length of the game causes too much monotony; however, many of these people have never experienced this game to its fullest potential.
There are many different aspects to Monopoly that can make it seem to be a very complex game. Various different playing pieces and colored pieces of paper could be overwhelming. Add to this the possible variations of the game created by how many people play, and you have quite a mess on your hands. The best way to start is by reading the rule book, which, naturally, contains all of the functions of each game piece. Once someone gets past all of the complexities and becomes more familiar with the game, the fun can begin, and even if some of the rules are still a little hazy, the beauty of Monopoly is the players ability to manipulate the rules to fit their needs.
Many people have different opinions for the way a game of Monopoly can be best enjoyed. I believe having a large group of people, at least four or five, is the best way to enjoy the game. With a large group of people, a fair amount of chaos can ensue in the flurry of trades and arguing over whose turn it is, but through all this chaos comes a great deal of fun as jokes are thrown across the table and absurd propositions are made. The players grow bonds, though they may not realize it. All of the interplay between players in the game, whether friendly or cut-throat, bring the players closer together. Negotiation skills, as well as careful thought processing abilities, can also be developed in a player as he tries to acquire the last property to fulfill a monopoly. Most of this learning is well-masked under a cloak of great enjoyment for everyone involved.
To prove these assertions, I observed a game of Monopoly played by six people. Age groups of the players ranged from sixth grade to a father of

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