Ho boy. This is one of those games that the mere mention of gives some a physical response. Some people love Monopoly. I haven’t met many of these people. Some people hate Monopoly. That isn’t me either. Most people are in the middle.
However, if you were asked on family fortunes/ family feud to name a board game, you can guarantee Monopoly would be at the top of the survey. Everyone knows Monopoly, everyone has played Monopoly.
I do wonder if Monopoly would be so successful if it were first released today, and didn’t have time to… urr… become the monopoly in board games, and it wasn’t co-opted from its lefty feminist creator to be capitalist propaganda? Anyway, I digress.
There are many house rules for Monopoly out there to try and counter some of the common complaints against the games. I don’t think I’ve ever 100% played with the rules in the box (or read the rules in the box).
My version is not a laundry list of minor rule tweaks to optimise the game.
No, I’m not going to make the game more strategic.
No, I’m not gonna remove the randomness of dice rolls.
My change isn’t even going to fix the insane, sometimes multi-day spanning play times.
These are fools errands, Monopoly was made in 1904, it is what it is.
This is simply a variation I came up with one Christmas when Monopoly was suggested, and I realised with 3 generations waiting their turn for the dice, it would be a slog to get through (and monopoly is a chore at the best of times)
I’ve been stalling, because this is a short one.
Monopoly doesn’t need more order
Monopoly needs more chaos...
So what is my grand, sweeping 'fix'?
2 boards...
"Madness!" You say. That will make the game even slower, and twice as long!
I’m not finished. Let me explain:
The game starts as usual, on one board, on Go. Perhaps players begin the game with slightly more money, you will see why in a minute.
The first player rolls their dice, moves their character, maybe buys a property. So far so Monopoly.
But then one player lands on a corner square…and teleports to the other board!
That’s it. That’s the rule change.
If you land on ‘Go’, ‘Just Visiting’, or ‘Free Parking’, you teleport to the respective corner on the other board. If you land on ‘go to jail’, you go to jail… on the other board.
And in this alternate monopoly dimension, another set of dice await you.
Suddenly, the player who teleported can have infinite turns, while everyone else has to wait in line on the original board.
But then another player teleports, then another, then another, and now the alternate dimension has the traffic jam!
Then a player in the alternate dimension lands on Go, and they return to the original board!
You can see how this adds a layer of chaos and confusion, as two games are simultaneously being played at once, overlapping and constantly changing.
If you thought keeping track of who owes you rent was already difficult, imagine having properties on two boards with two players having their turn at the same time. And, of course, if you don’t notice, they don’t have to pay up!
All this combined pumps adrenaline into a game usually defined by it’s inertia.
Of course, this wouldn’t work if you are playing with only 2 or 3 people (though I don’t understand why you would, each to their own) you should probably still set a time limit (unless you're into long Monopoly games), this is just a starting point to make the game a bit more exciting!
Experiment by applying your own house rules, and embrace the ensuing chaos as arguments and trades take place over time and space in... Monopoly squared!
And if you are feeling very adventurous, you could even add a third board…
...no. No don’t do that. That’s a terrible idea.
DISCLAIMER: I hold no responsibility for any family feuds this version might create.
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