Monopoly

Players: 2-4
Duration: 60-180 min
Difficulty: Medium
Age: 8+

Video by Watch It Played

Overview

Monopoly is the exciting real estate trading game originally created in 1935 and published by Hasbro. Players move around the board buying properties, building houses and hotels, and collecting rent from other players. The goal is to be the last player with money while driving opponents into bankruptcy.

Game Components

  • Game board with 40 spaces
  • 8 player tokens
  • 28 Title Deed cards
  • 16 Chance cards
  • 16 Community Chest cards
  • 32 green houses
  • 12 red hotels
  • 2 dice
  • Money pack in different denominations

Game Objective

Move around the board buying as many properties as you can. The more you own, the more rent you can collect from other players. If you’re the last player remaining with money when everyone else is bankrupt, you win the game!

Setup

  1. Choose someone to be the Banker who is in charge of:
    • The Bank’s money
    • The houses and hotels
    • The Title Deed cards
    • The auctions
    • The Banker can also play, but must keep their money separate from the Bank’s
  2. Each player chooses a token and places it on GO
  3. The Banker gives $1,500 to each player:
    • 2 × $500 bills
    • 4 × $100 bills
    • 1 × $50 bill
    • 1 × $20 bill
    • 2 × $10 bills
    • 1 × $5 bill
    • 5 × $1 bills
  4. Shuffle the Chance and Community Chest cards and place them face down on their spaces
  5. Place the dice next to the board
  6. Determine who starts by rolling dice (highest number starts, and play continues to the left)

How to Play

On Your Turn

  1. Roll both dice
  2. Move your token that number of spaces in the direction of the arrow
  3. Where did you land? Do what the space indicates (see Board Spaces)
  4. Did you roll doubles? Roll again and take another turn. Watch out! If you roll doubles 3 times in a row, you must go to jail immediately! You don’t complete your third turn.
  5. Your turn ends. Pass the dice to the player on your left.

Board Spaces

Properties

There are three types of properties: streets (presented in color groups), railroads, and utilities.

Unowned Properties

When you land on a street, railroad, or utility that has no owner, you must buy it or auction it.

  • Want to buy it? Pay the price shown on the board space and take its Title Deed card from the Bank.
  • Don’t want to buy it? Then the Banker must auction it. Bidding starts at $10, and anyone can increase the bid by a minimum of $1. Turn order doesn’t matter, and the Banker ends the auction when no player wants to increase the bid. The highest bidder wins and pays the Bank. If nobody wants to bid, nothing happens. No one pays and the Title Deed stays with the Bank.
Get Color Groups

When you own all streets in a color group:

  • You can double the rent on those streets!
  • You can build houses and hotels and charge even higher rent!
Owned Properties

When you land on another player’s property, they must ask you to pay rent. If they do, you must pay them. If they don’t ask you to pay before the next player has rolled the dice, you don’t have to pay!

  • Streets: Pay the rent shown on the street’s Title Deed card.
  • Railroads: Pay rent based on how many railroads the owner has (1 railroad = $25, 2 = $50, 3 = $100, 4 = $200).
  • Utilities: Roll the dice to determine rent. If the owner has 1 utility, rent is 4 times the amount shown on the dice. If the owner has 2 utilities, rent is 10 times the amount shown on the dice.

Action Spaces

  • GO: When you land on or pass GO, collect $200 from the Bank.
  • Just Visiting: Don’t worry. If you land here, place your token in the “Just Visiting” section.
  • Chance and Community Chest: Take the top card from the corresponding pile and follow the instructions immediately. Then return the card to the bottom of the pile.
  • Go to Jail: Move your token to Jail immediately! If you pass GO, don’t collect $200. Your turn ends. While in jail, you can still collect rent, participate in auctions, buy houses and hotels, mortgage, and make deals.
  • Income Tax and Luxury Tax: Pay the Bank the amount shown on the space.
  • Free Parking: Relax! Nothing happens.

Buildings

Building Houses

As soon as you get a complete color group, you can start building houses (you don’t have to wait for your turn). Pay the Bank the house price shown on the Title Deed card and place the house on the corresponding street.

You must build evenly. You cannot build a second house on a street until you have built one house on each street in the group. You can have a maximum of 4 houses on a street.

Building Hotels

When you have 4 houses on all streets of a color group, you can pay to upgrade to a hotel. Pay the Bank the hotel price shown on the Title Deed card, return the 4 houses to the Bank, and place a hotel on the corresponding street. You can only have 1 hotel per street. You cannot add more houses.

You cannot build on a street if another street in the same color group is mortgaged.

Building Shortage

If several players want to buy the last house or hotel, the Banker must auction it. Bidding starts at $10, and anyone can increase the bid by a minimum of $1. If there are no buildings left, you cannot buy any until another player sells theirs.

Getting Out of Jail

You have 3 options:

  1. Pay $50 at the start of your next turn, then roll the dice and move as normal.
  2. Use a “Get Out of Jail Free” card at the start of your next turn, if you have one (or buy one from another player). Place the card at the bottom of the corresponding pile, then roll the dice and move as normal.
  3. Roll doubles on your next turn. If you do, you’re free! Use the number shown on the dice to move, and your turn ends there. You can try to roll doubles for 3 turns. If after waiting three turns you haven’t rolled doubles, pay $50, and move your token according to your last roll.

Deals and Trades

  • You can buy, sell, or trade properties with other players at any time.
  • You must sell all buildings in a color group to the Bank before selling or trading a street.
  • You cannot sell or trade buildings to another player.
  • Properties can be traded for money, other properties, or “Get Out of Jail Free” cards. The amount is decided between the players making the deal.
  • Mortgaged properties can be traded at any agreed price. The new owner must immediately: lift the mortgage (paying the Bank the unmortgage price) OR keep the mortgage (paying the Bank only 10% of the mortgage value).

Help, I Cannot Pay

If you owe money and cannot pay, try to get money by selling buildings to the Bank or mortgaging properties.

Selling Buildings

  • Sell hotels to the Bank for half their price and receive 4 houses in return immediately.
  • Sell houses to the Bank for half their price. Houses must be sold evenly in a color group.

Mortgaging Properties

  • To mortgage a property, you must first sell all buildings in that color group to the Bank for half their price.
  • To mortgage, turn its Title Deed card face down and receive the mortgage value shown on the back of the card from the Bank.
  • To lift a mortgage, pay the unmortgage price to the Bank (mortgage value +10%), and then turn the Title Deed card face up.
  • Rent cannot be collected on mortgaged properties. However, increased rent can still be collected on unmortgaged streets in the color group.

Bankruptcy

If you still have debts, you’re bankrupt and eliminated from the game!

You Owe Another Player

Give them all your mortgaged properties and “Get Out of Jail Free” cards. The new owner must do the following immediately: lift the mortgage (paying the Bank the unmortgage price) OR keep the mortgage (paying the Bank only 10% of the mortgage value).

You Owe the Bank

Return all your properties to the Bank. All mortgages are cancelled. All your properties must be auctioned immediately. Return your “Get Out of Jail Free” cards to the bottom of the pile.

Game End

The remaining players continue playing until only one remains in the game. That player is the winner!

For the Player

  • Buy properties early to generate income and prevent others from getting them
  • Focus on completing color groups so you can build houses and hotels
  • Orange and red properties are statistically landed on most often
  • Keep cash reserves for unexpected rent payments and auction participation
  • Control the railroads for consistent income ($200 if you own all 4)
  • Create housing shortages - if you have 4 houses on each property and don’t build hotels, other players won’t be able to build
  • Negotiate wisely to complete color groups
  • Remember to ask for rent before the next player rolls the dice

Property Groups by Priority

  1. Orange (most likely to be landed on after leaving jail)
  2. Red (high probability and good return)
  3. Yellow (good return on investment)
  4. Green (expensive but very profitable with hotels)

Official Hasbro Tips

For a short and fun game:

  • Don’t use house rules - they unnecessarily extend the game
  • Always hold an auction when someone doesn’t want to buy the property they landed on
  • Never lend money to other players, or make deals to not collect rent from each other
  • Never place money in the center of the board - you don’t get a bonus for landing on Free Parking!

Tips for Beginners

  1. Buy properties early - it’s better to have them than leave them for others
  2. Learn dice probabilities (6, 7, 8 are the most common results)
  3. Actively participate in auctions - you can get properties for less than their value
  4. Manage your money well - don’t spend everything building if you can’t pay rent
  5. Watch other players and their strategies to anticipate their moves

History and Fun Facts

  • First published by Parker Brothers in 1935
  • Based on “The Landlord’s Game” by Lizzie Magie (1903)
  • Currently published by Hasbro
  • Over 275 million games sold worldwide
  • Available in more than 114 countries and 47 languages
  • Longest recorded game lasted 70 consecutive days
  • Themed versions exist for cities, movies, TV series, and much more
  • The name “Monopoly” refers to the economic concept of monopoly (exclusive control of a market)