Why monopoly is the greatest game of all time

 

Why monopoly is the greatest game of all time

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Webster's dictionary defines sarcasm as "a way of satirical wit, depending on its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language."

Monopoly is probably the most flammable game of all time. Undoubtedly a classic and household staple, nonetheless, more hatred is poured into this game than Sauron in One Ring. So how come we can despise the game altogether, but it’s on the shelves of millions of homes?

Let’s dive in and see what makes Monopoly a strong soul, a vampire nightmare that drains you of the will to live.

At the heart of his gameplay is Monopoly random.

There is a certain strategy in all games, but strategy means nothing if you are still one hundred percent addicted to dice to land on the qualities you need. The most iron-clad strategy falls apart if you can’t land on an open property to buy, so you won’t sacrifice yourself to the gods of RNG (random number generator), so you only have to rely on luck.

Maps of common chests and coincidences are also very random. Landing in any place could put you in hot water and long enough pretty quickly, so there is no guarantee that it will definitely be good or bad for you.

The game is very unfair and that is by design. The first player to get the full set of features and set up the first houses is likely to win the game. Of course you can trade, but for the most part trading always gives preference to one side over the other. The rule is supply and demand and if one player has all the supply and you are the only one demanding, then it will be quite expensive. Trading then becomes an exercise in which you can blame your friends and family the hardest to give you what you want.

Life is unfair. Get used to it.

So why does a game that obviously favors one or two players and is very unfair even exist?

Well, the short answer is to learn that this is unfair.

There is much controversy about where the game was first conceived and who owns the patent for what, but if you look back in history, it was based on Landlord’s Game, conceived and created in 1902 by Elizabeth Magie. economic philosophy of the time, namely that the rental housing system was designed to keep rich landowners rich and tenants poor and at their mercy. Sounds familiar?

Charles Darrow turned it into a Monopoly and in 1935 sold it to the Parker Brothers. (Parker Brothers actually bought the rights from Magie as well, while Darrow claimed the game was his own invention.) In the end, Hasbro bought Parker Brothers, and the rest is history.

In addition to political dogma, the play nicely highlights Magie’s point. The first person to own a colored block of land is usually the supreme superior in the game. With such a large imbalance, many players tried to equalize the odds with house rules trying to equalize the playing field. Things like the jackpot for free parking have never been true. Concerned parents would sometimes give bank loans and IOUs or erase debts for communal property trade altogether. This never really leveled the playing conditions, but only extended the playing time for the inevitable conclusion when you owed your older brother a small fortune (I’m not bitter).

Maybe I'll actually die of old age before this game ends ...

This leads us to one of the most common complaints about monopoly: games take a long time. Well, you don’t have to if you play by the rules. Playing by the rules, however, negatively affects the nature of most people. If you sit down to play a game with a group of people, of course they will be your close friends or family.

Few people are draconian enough to demand harsh punishments against those they love - unless we are talking about the most competitive people. This leads to deals, resilience and debt forgiveness, which makes the game seemingly go on and on indefinitely. But to win at Monopoly, you have to be bloodthirsty. There is no room for mercy or charity - just ruthlessness.

A game we like to hate

Almost everyone has played Monopoly and depending on your gaming personality you will have a different experience.

During one particular game, several members of Kendra’s family (I won’t name names, but you know who you are) actually stopped talking to each other because of the Monopoly game. This is unfortunately a very common scenario, and this by design.

I love games. For me, it’s a shared social experience I have with my fellow players at the table. Competitiveness and victory are of secondary importance to me. When I was in the Navy, I played Monopoly almost every day. With colleagues from the ships, they would leave work and head home to play an electronic version of the Monopoly credit card ( math is hard) with one of their wives and some friends almost every day. We had an explosion. We played the games in quick succession with a pile of empty beer cans that we loaded up and would eventually yell and threaten each other with physical violence until the start of the next game.

Why is he still so popular after all this?

• It is designed to be dishonest.
• It depends heavily on random mechanics.
• Playing lasts forever
• The player has nothing to do when he drops out
• It takes forever to get your turn

Most players on board have a copy of Monopoly where they collect dust on a shelf somewhere, but they rarely pull it out, if at all. It’s usually one of the first board games we’ve introduced ourselves to, and that’s why I think it’s still nearby. Something needs to be said that we are the first and for most of us this is usually one of the first board games we play as children. I think the only reason he sticks is because of the nostalgic factor.

No one is asking for the midnight edition of Game of Thrones Monopoly, but I’m sure when you see Goldenopoly, a version of Monopoly based on Golden Retrievers, you’ll laugh and some highly censored, nostalgic memory will emerge the last time you played Monopoly. Of course it will end in tears and on the board you will be staring at a lovely golden retriever while someone smugly demands (demands) you to pay the rent.

Versions in abundance ...

It’s a scary game, but it has sold over 250 million copies. You (the reader) probably hate Monopoly, but what are the chances that you have a hidden, dusty version somewhere in the house?

Perhaps the reason for its popularity and commercial success is the variety of “-poles” out there. Only Kendra has the Lord of the Rings Monopoly, Christmas Monopoly, Pirates of the Caribbean Monopoly, Klingon Monopoly, Goldenopoly, Wineopoly, Philadelphia Monopoly, New York City Monopoly and Medical Monopoly. I don’t even think some of it took place. They look so much fun with all their themes, but they’re still just a monopoly ...

Too soon?

For me, Monopoly is too close to home. This is real life that presents itself as a game. This is debt, rent, jail and bills. Who likes any of this? I love playing games for imagination, creative experience, imagination - and yes, who am I kidding? Escapism, of course. Monopoly is the opposite. It’s like going to the office all day and then coming home to the office during the day.

After reviewing dozens of articles and forums that have tried to find out why this game is generally hostile, but still exists, I still have no answer - but I have a suggestion. Take out your dusty old Monopoly board and read the rules. Get rid of all the house rules and play as planned. Play with the understanding that this was a learning game designed to show the political philosophy that landowners keep tenants poor. The game won’t drag on and you may have a different experience.

If all else fails and the table turns, play Wineopoly and open the bottle that matches the space where you are landing. I guarantee you will have fun with this. However, you can simply play Catan Island instead.

I almost hesitate to write this, but I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about Monopoly.