Monopoly is a staple part of Christmas for many families, but did you know you’ve been playing it incorrectly this whole time? It turns out most of us use made-up rules
Christmas is finally here – and that means it’s time to dust off the Monopoly board.
Board games are a staple part of many family Christmas celebrations, especially if you’ve run out of things to watch on TV and you need a way to keep the younger kids entertained. One of the most popular games to play at the festive period is the timeless classic, Monopoly. Or at least, it’s popular for 10 minutes before everyone starts arguing over who owns what.
Many disagreements families have over the game stem from conflicts over the rules, as you might argue about whether you’re allowed to collect payments when you’re in jail or if landing on Free Parking nets you all the tax money. However, according to one board game expert, we have these disagreements because none of us are actually following the rules as laid out in the instructions that come with the game.
It comes after one TikTok user revealed a hack to win Monopoly in 60 seconds in a clip which garnered hundreds of likes. But of course, if you want to play the long game then you can really benefit from the correct rules.
Amber Crook, Editorial Chief and board games expert at Game Rules, has debunked a number of the “made up” rules many of us use when playing Monopoly so you can hopefully avoid a family fallout this Christmas.
You should not receive money for landing on Free Parking
Many families play Monopoly with a rule in place that whenever you pay taxes or fines, you put the money into the centre of the board. Then, when someone lands on the Free Parking square, they get a nice bonus and can pick up all the money that has been collected in the middle.
According to Amber, however, that is not an official rule. She said: “Many think that any in-game fines and taxes are paid to the Free Parking square for players to collect if they roll and land on it. While it may add an exciting element of luck to the game, this is, unfortunately, not an official rule. Instead, any in-game fines should be paid directly to the bank, and the Free Parking square should serve only as a ‘resting place’ if a player lands on it, according to the rule book.”
You can collect rent while in jail
Going to jail as a property owner in the game can cause a whole host of arguments, as some will tell you that you cannot collect rent if people land on properties you own while you’re sitting in jail. But Amber states you can continue to manage your properties while in jail – but you have to pay attention.
She explained: “It’s a common misconception that when a player is in jail, they can’t collect rent if another player lands on a property they own. Again, not true! You can collect rent or buy and sell properties or houses, as you normally would while in jail. Regardless of whether you are in jail or not, if you fail to notice a player has landed on your property, you cannot then ask them for rent once the next player has already rolled the dice.”
Getting out of jail comes with a price
We all know getting out of jail requires you to roll a double with your dice. However, most people will play the game with the rule that if you fail to get a double roll three times, you can automatically move yourself out of jail for free. This isn’t true, though, and the rules state if you can’t roll a double, you must pay the bank M50 to get out.
You don’t need to wait until your turn to buy houses
You might think you need to wait until it’s your turn to start building on your properties once you own a full-colour set, but this isn’t true. Amber stated: “You can build houses and hotels at any point during your turn or between other players’ turns. You can’t, however, build houses on one of your properties if a player has already landed on it.”
You must evenly space out your houses
Once you own all the properties in a colour group it’s time to start building houses and hotels, but the official rules state you must do this evenly. That means you can’t buy four houses for one property and none for the others in the colour group. Instead, you must purchase one house at a time for each property and build it up from there.
The game only ends when only one player is not bankrupt
Monopoly games can last a long time, and it could be tempting to call an end to the game once one person declares bankruptcy. That isn’t the right way to play the game, though, as you should continue until there is only one player left who isn’t bankrupt.
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