Redartz: Greetings and salutations, fellow players! As we find ourselves deep in the middle of the holiday season, we often consider family traditions and pastimes. One activity found in many families is game playing: nothing like a hearty board game on a cold wintry night (as long as snacks and refreshing drinks are part of the mix). And one of the most perennially popular games, certainly at our house, is Monopoly.
Most of us probably learned to play Monopoly years ago. As youth we perhaps missed the socio-political themes inherent in the game (all I knew is I wanted the railroads) - we just tried to knock everyone else out. Truth be told, Monopoly was my favorite board game for years. I was so enamored of the game that I bought a book : "1000 Ways to Win at Monopoly". There probably weren't that many winning tips in the book, but it was intriguing nonetheless. Among the advice I recall learning:
The Orange properties are the odds-on spaces most likely to be landed upon, followed by the Red properties.
Buying Boardwalk and Park Place aren't the best investments (although my wife often seems to win and she ruthlessly pursues those spaces).
There are many ways to make deals with opposing players, which aren't prohibited in the rules (and are thus allowed). For instance, offering a 'free land', or 'permanent free lands' on one of your spaces in exchange for cash or property.
There were many more, but you get the idea. In college, I was notorious for Monopoly marathons. Our game group, when not playing Dungeons and Dragons, would often go for a round of Monopoly (and that real estate game can be just as lengthy as a D&D episode). When our own family began, I made a point of teaching our boys the game early. Perhaps too well; they beat me frequently (which I will blame on luck; don't you hate when your first rounding of the board results in Chance, Jail, and Income Tax while netting you zilch in the way of properties?).
We were such a Monopoly family that we had multiple sets. As you all are probably aware, Parker Bros. never fails to miss an opportunity to tie their game to any popular bandwagon. Our sons had Star Wars Monopoly. I had the Golden Anniversary Edition, and also Spider-Man Monopoly (released in 2002).
. The Spidey version remains a favorite; it's cool to see the Webslinger's rogues gallery spread out for convenient purchase! And obviously I have to identify the artist responsible for each given space. Aaaaand, I either have to use the Spider-Man piece or the Green Goblin piece...
So who else among you are Monopoly mavens? Do you have a particular edition you enjoy? Are you a relaxed player or a murderous mogul? What properties are your 'must haves'? Roll the dice and take a turn. Just remember the Railroads are mine...
