Digger Cook
United States
Topeka
Kansas
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This morning my son (2 1/2) asked if we could play Monopoly. I asked if he would rather play something else (I know I would!) but he was insistent, so I agreed. We have played Monopoly a couple times in the past, but we have never finished a game. The kid has an amazing attention span for games, usually finishing anything else we play, but after two hours? Many adults can't play Monopoly that long.
I had recently read this thread and so I decided to try playing strictly by the rules for a change. In the past we have always played that house rule where you put all money for taxes and penalties but not properties or houses into the middle of the board. We usually even seeded the pot with a hundred or five. Landing on Free Parking wins you the pot, and we always thought this made the game more fun. In fact this makes the game less fun, as a scarcity of resources is necessary for finishing the game. Extra cash just draws the game out into a hotel-fest that never ends.
Another rule I have played wrong for years was only buying houses on my turn. In the actual rules you can buy them any time, and both of us used this rule to time our house buying as the other was approaching. This helped him more than me, but that is mostly because the dice love this kid.
We only made one trade, and it too helped him more than me. To be fair, I had my wife approve the trade for him, as he surely would take anything I offered. Trading is an aspect of the game he will not master for several years I expect. My wife was willing to participate only this much as she hates Monopoly. She claims every game she has ever played has ended with someone flipping the table over, and that probably is not too much exaggerated.
After 90 minutes he was starting to get a little distracted and it was getting close to lunch time. It was all over in two rolls though as I hit Marvin Gardens and Park Place, bankrupting me.
My opinion of Monopoly has changed a bit. I still don't prefer it, but playing by the actual rules does shorten the game enough to make it through. Also I can see that for young kids it teaches some good gaming skills.
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George Husted
United States
Connecticut
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That's pretty cool. Good write up.
Question: Did you guys ever auction a property?
Sometimes, I won't "straight buy" a property that I land on (if I am flush with cash and others are poor). Since I didn't buy it, it immediately gets auctioned by the bank. I then bid $1. A bidding war may or may not ensue, but I have the cash to outbid my opponents...yet the price I pay is less than the printed value of the property...or, I let another player pay more than s/he can afford and then they get bankrupted a few turns later.
Bidding on properties is an often overlooked component of the game and it really changes how it plays. You can either bid on someone else's passed up property, or initiate it yourself as explained above.
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Jordan Robbins
United States
California
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I think the auction aspect is particularly important in a game with only 2 (maybe 3) players, because cash is so scarce. With more players is it almost always a good idea to buy a property you land on because you may not have as many opportunities to get your hands on properties. If I land on a green space my first time around the board I’ll probably put it up for auction in a 2 player game, put never with more players.
Playing monopoly by the rules does make it a lot more fun.
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Digger Cook
United States
Topeka
Kansas
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I do play with the auction rule, and I think it's a fun part of the game. It didn't happen this time but I bet it will next time. I am sure he would love bidding.
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Scott Wheelock
Canada
Woodstock
New Brunswick
"Nope... back to a good year like 1626 when a good Manhattan cost a mere 24-bucks."
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Your 2 & 1/2 year-old played Monopoly with you for 90 minutes?! That seems well outside the bounds of a typical kid's attention span. You must be a really engaging parent to keep him in it that long.
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Los 28
United States
California
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BGDigger wrote: ... my son (2 1/2) asked if we could play Monopoly.
2-1/2 years old !!
Playing Monopoly !
You must be mistaken ... 2-1/2 !!
Could it be that you are one of those Dads who just forgets your child's true age ? (Maybe he's 4-1/2)
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