Read on if you are looking for step by step instructions on how to play Monopoly, the classic family board game. Originally released in 1933 and brought to you by Hasbro, this is pretty much the most popular board game of all time. Chances are you grew up with this or knew someone who had, and you already know how to play this farely easy game.
Well this is a great refresher and will hopefully help you achieve victory. Much has changed in the board game world since Monopoly came out, leading to some polarizing opinions on if Monopoly is any good, but no one can deny its popularity and iconic status. This is our guide to how to play Monopoly.
HOW TO PLAY MONOPOLY – WHAT IS IT?
You are a fat cat tycoon and you want to invest in as much property as possible on your journey around the board. You roll a die to move and go on an ever looping forward-moving track to hopefully land on the right spot to get you a grouping of properties known as a Monopoly.
Compete and trade with others to try and secure your area of the board that is going to stop players and make them pay you big sums in rent. You will learn in this how to play Monopoly guide that it is about strategically being the right amount of aggressive to go for gold.
HOW TO PLAY MONOPOLY – STEP BY STEP
Time Needed: Approximately 60 – 180 minutes.
This is a step by step guide for how to play Monopoly the popular family tycoon board game. Additional notions and special rules can be found below the list. These will be referenced for your convenience.
1. SETUP | Put Out Game Board
To kick off this how to play Monopoly quest, unfold the game board and put it in the center of everyone.
2. SETUP | Put Out Community Chest / Chance
Take the two separate stacks of cards marked “community chest” and “Chance” respectively, shuffle them and put them on each corresponding black space on the game board.
3. SETUP | Select Player Token
There are different player pieces to choose from. Each player takes their piece of choice, fighting with other players as necessary, and places it on the “Go” space.
4. SETUP | Determine Banker and Hand Out Starting Cash
One player needs take the “banker” role, the person responsible for handling the cash. Give this person the tray of money. The banker then gives each player $1500 in starting cash (2x $500, 2x $100, 2x $50, 6x $20, 5x $10, 5x $5, 5x $1).
5. SETUP | Roll For First Player
The last how to play Monopoly step before gameplay is determining the first player. Everyone rolls the dice. High number wins and then it proceeds clockwise around the circle.
6. GAMEPLAY | Active Player Rolls Dice
One player at a time, 2x 6-sided dice are rolled and then that player moves around the board that number of spaces. You can only move in one direction and you must move the spaces rolled. This only happens once unless you roll “doubles” (the two dice have the same number on them) and then you would go again. This can keep happening until you do it three times in a row, which sends you to jail to end the streak.
7. GAMEPLAY | Dice Roll | Choose To Buy Property
After rolling, if you land on a property (either a color group, utility or railroad) that is unowned by any other player, then you have the option to buy it. To do this, you need to pay the cost shown on the board space to the bank from your money supply. You get that property card and now own this and can collect rent on it.
8. GAMEPLAY | Dice Roll | Pay Rent
After rolling, if you land on a property (either a color group, utility or railroad) that is owned by any other player, then you have to pay them rent. The rent you owe is shown on the property card and has to do with what from that group they own and if there are any improvements on it. You pay that player from your money stash.
9. GAMEPLAY | Dice Roll | Specialty Space
After rolling, if you land on a space that is not a property, that is because you are on one of the 11 specialty spaces that do not have a price tag. See the full list at Specialty Spaces below.
10. GAMEPLAY | Trading
At any point, players can make trades. With any combination of properties and/or money you can make an exchange with another player. You can not trade in immunities or other metaphorical ideas.
11. GAMEPLAY | Mortgaging
On your turn, you may mortgage or unmortgage any properties that you own. To mortgage, flip it over and collect the mortgage value from the bank. When mortgaged, you cannot build on or collect rent. To unmortgage, you have to pay that value back + 10%. Flip it back over and treat it like normal again. You can remortgage if you want.
12. GAMEPLAY | Monopolies and Building
The key to the game is to get a Monopoly. That is where you own all three (or two in a few cases) properties in one color group. When you have a monopoly, that is when you are able to build and collect the big rent. Once you have one, you build by paying the house cost. You can only add a 2nd house when you have evenly bought houses on the other properties in the group. And you cannot build a hotel unless you have four houses in that space.
13. GAMEPLAY | Pass Dice and Repeat
After a player has rolled and their turn has completed, they pass the dice to the player on their left. That is now the active player and they repeat everything.
14. WINNING | Last Player Standing
Once a player cannot pay someone, they are out and all their property and remaining wealth are surrendered to the owed player. The game ends when only one player remains and all others have been eliminated. Learning how to play Monopoly is easy!
HOW TO PLAY MONOPOLY – KEY INFORMATION
SPECIALTY SPACES
Community Chest (x2) – Take a card from the community chest card pile, do what it says.
Chance (x2) – Take a card from the chance card pile, do what it says.
Go (x1) – Either Landing on or passing the Go space earns you $200 to add to your money stash.
Free Parking (x1) – Nothing happens. Some people play by the house rule of adding money here, but do not do that, it is what makes the game last long.
Income Tax (x1) – Pay either $200 or 10% of your value (includes property). Pay this to the bank.
Luxury Tax (x1) – Pay $75 to the bank.
Jail (x1) – If you land here, nothing happens, you are passing through. If you are sent here (3x doubles, wild card, go to jail space), you stay until you pay $50 or roll doubles.
Go To Jail (x1) – If you land here, you immediately are sent to jail and move to the jail space.
HOW TO PLAY MONOPOLY – IN CLOSING
We hope you can now say you know how to play Monopoly. No one can deny what this 1933 board game has achieved. With all the 1000s of board games in the world, hundreds outstanding, it is funny to think that this light family dice rolling and economic game is the most sold board game of all time. They do not really make moving around a track games anymore, but Monopoly continues to be a staple in that field in more ways than one.
