Monopoly through the ages

Monopoly is, according the Guinness book of World records, the most played commercial game ever, with a reported 750 Million people having played the game. First patented in 1935 the game has survived over 70 years, court cases over ownership and even helped British POWs escape the Nazis during the second Word war.

The most important thing in all of this however is that the game is damn good fun, and shouldn’t be played against any family members who don’t like to lose. This last tip is vital. I used to play this game against my nephew and two nieces years ago and it would always, without exception, result in arguments.

Nobody likes to lose, but when losing means that one of your own family members has forcibly made you bankrupt it can be hard to take.

The game hasn’t changed much in all of this time, except for recent years where merchandising has reared its ugly and cynical head causing countless branded versions such as Football teams, Simpsons, Star Wars… even Transformers.

If it’s likely to sell to fans, it’s been stamped on a version of Monopoly. Even Wales has its own version, for the love of Brains SA boyo, why?

All of this cheap cash in nonsense aside, the game Monopoly remains one of the most engaging and entertaining games ever devised. Just be careful who you play it with, it can cause massive tear ups!

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