There are two types of Monopoly players. There are purists, who believe the game should be played strictly by the book. Then there are those like me, who didn’t read the official Monopoly game rules until I’d been playing for five years and was bored during a game in college. My friends were all astounded to learn how many of the original rules morphed over time into accepted rules of play throughout the country.
I’d learned from my older brothers, and my best friends and their older siblings. I’d inherited a version of the game that consisted mostly of a game purchased in 1963- before I was born! Then I got to college, and learned even more rules from around the country, and probably the world.
The most common unofficial rules center around the use of the free parking space. In the original rules Free Parking was just that. Nothing happened. You didn’t have to pay any bills, but then again, you didn’t get any money either.
In most unofficial rules, there’s always a certain amount of money resting in the middle of the board for the person who lands on free parking. Usually, the banker expropriated the money from the bank, in amounts ranging between $100 and $500. In our version all the money for free parking came from paying whatever money came from the Community Chest and Chance cards, so sometimes there was no money in it.
It was a great way to get back at the rich players who owned lots of property and then got socked with a massive property bill, to win that money a few turns later, thus dramatically turning the tide of the game. It was like winning the lottery, and all the money coming from someone you intensely disliked.
The bank was also a little generous with cash. In some parts of the country, a player gets an extra $200 for landing directly on Go. My friends and I would usually include an extra $500 in the original amount of money doled out. That helped get the game moving a little faster.
We had very few rules regarding hushed negotiations regarding free passes and future discounts. Who could forget the relentless deal making that went on when a player was desperate to stay in a game? I once bargained away the amount of money I’d win if I landed on free parking.
If these rules look familiar to you, or you grew up with some very different monopoly variations, please let me know. I’d love to hear rules from all over the world. You send ‘em – I’ll post ‘em!
Also, I’d love to hear about your most intense Monopoly Game ever. My experience will be hitting your screen shortly.