Board game Monopoly has been long established, but house rules may have overtaken the official rules, with a games enthusiast taking to TikTok and revealing how you should be playing
The beloved board game Monopoly has an end to it – despite what you may think.
It does not involve inevitable rows over who the banker is, or how much rent you should be paying after landing on a player’s space, but occurs in rare circumstances. While Monopoly has spun-off into a variety of versions including The Simpsons, Fortnite and even a Bass Fishing-themed edition, the major rules stay the same.
Official rules dictate what to do when the bank runs out of money, as well as whether you can earn while in jail. Age-old spats between loved ones have been put to bed by a TikTok board games fan who has revealed there are a few hidden rules to be aware of which should replace your house rules. And National Play Monopoly Day (November 19), is the perfect time to brush up on the official rules.
A user named Tanner took to the app and has since gone viral for his breakdown of official Monopoly rules, with some never realising the game was meant to be played this way. He said: “Over the Christmas period, it’s likely you’ll bust out the Monopoly board at least once. But you’ve probably been playing by house rules instead of the official ones.”
A small list of the official instructions soon followed and people were left stunned by some of the game’s longstanding rules which they had snubbed in favour of their own. Tanner revealed a major rule many may not be aware of about when you can start purchasing properties. He revealed: “You can start buying property straight away. You don’t have to go around the board once beforehand.”
Another rule finally revealed the point of Free Parking. Tanner explained that many people think “all the taxes go in the middle, and the person who lands on Free Parking gets it all,” but that’s not the case. “Free Parking is just a normal square that doesn’t do anything,” he added.
According to another official rule, when someone doesn’t want to buy a property, it goes to an auction where players can bid to buy it. He explained: “According to the official rules, when a property is landed on, and nobody wants to buy it, that property goes to auction.”
A fourth official rule has confirmed you can make money while in prison. He explained: “You can earn money while in jail: In the official rules, you simply can’t go around the board or buy anything.”
Some players may assume there is an incentive for landing on “Go” such as more money, but this is not featured in the official rules, Tanner revealed. Another contentious rule comes over what a player must do when bankrupt. It is not the bank who receive their property and leftover cash but the player they owe money to.