PACKAGED PLAY | Americas MONOPOLY Game

PACKAGED PLAY | Americas MONOPOLY Game is a thoughtworthy site, exploring the game of Monopoly, not so much as a fun thing, but as a high-fidelity simulation of the American way. I can do little more than quote:

"Appearing in the game rules included in a standard set of Monopoly, the object states the 'plot' of the game. Yet it does not clearly establish the objective of the game. For that, consider this redefinition provided by Alan Axelrod in Everything I Know about Business I Learned from Monopoly:

"So here is your #1 rule. Under the heading 'Object': 'The object of the game is to buy, rent and sell property with sufficiently focused and ruthless skill to bankrupt the other players and thereby force them out of the game.' (117)

"So defined, the nature and goal of the game are unmistakable: to be the last one standing.

"Consider the monopoly giants of the Gilded Age, whose names continue to stand as formidable pillars in the industrial world, Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller. Their domination of steel and oil, respectively, provoked an outcry against laissez-faire practices of the time. These men conquered not by amassing wealth but by being the ones standing on top. As such, it would only seem logical that a game dedicated to the art of monopoly would proclaim the winner as one who solely dominated the board.

"Further evidence of the ruthless nature of the game may be discovered in a closer reading of the rules.

"Ever wonder why there were only 32 houses and 12 hotels? Well, the answer is provided under the section of frequently asked questions:

"To maintain a balance in the game, there have always been exactly 32 houses and 12 hotels in the Monopoly game. If it were possible to improve all the properties, it would be difficult to force opponents into bankruptcy.

"Building shortages are not merely a realistic aspect of the game, but also one intended to perpetuate the game's underlying, ruthless nature. A smart player will scramble to develop their properties, hiking up rents, and thus stripping their 'opponents' of the capital needed to develop their own color group. Camaraderie among players is further discouraged by the prohibition of favors.

May these reflections and profundities make your next game of Monopoly even more fun.

Thanks for the find go, as you might have guessed, to Pat Kane