This forgotten Monopoly rule dramatically alters the game

2022-12-21

This forgotten Monopoly rule dramatically alters the game – and fans say it makes play even better (but do YOU use it?)

Forgotten Monopoly rule which dramatically alters the game has resurfaced
Ruben, from Los Angeles, took to his Twitter with the revelation back in 2017
Saying the rules state if you land on a property and don’t buy it goes to auction
However many people still continue to play the game wrong over the years

A forgotten Monopoly rule which dramatically alters the game has resurfaced online and fans have admitted it makes the game even better.

Fan of the game Ruben, from Los Angeles, took to his Twitter with the revelation back in 2017 and it quickly went viral, although many players still play the game incorrectly.

On his page @RubenFanDuelTV he exaplined that if you land on a property that you don’t buy, it goes to auction.

But it seems that people weren’t paying attention because the debate resufaced on Twitter again today when British podcaster Jon Jackson tweeted about his children ‘remortgaging everything’ during the game.

A forgotten Monopoly rule which dramatically alters the game has resurfaced online and many admitted it makes the game even better

In his original tweet, Ruben explained: ‘When someone lands on a property in Monopoly & they don’t buy it, IT GOES TO AUCTION for any player to buy. IT. IS. IN. THE. RULES.’

The Tweet received nearly 2,000 likes, and many people couldn’t believe they’d been playing the classic game wrong their whole lives.

Some people where shocked by the rule and admitted they never knew about it until now.

One person said:’Literally no one plays it like this. Surely?!’ Another wrote: ‘Wait, what!?!?!omg’

Some people where shocked by the rule and admitted they never knew about it until then but it is indeed in the original rule book

While someone else said: ‘Wow never knew this. Never too old to learn, thanks!’

However others were aware of the rule and had always played the game that way.

One person wrote: ‘Always amazed by the amount of people that don’t know this. HOW CAN YOU BUY A GAME AND NOT READ THE RULES?’

Someone else wrote: ‘I have always played it this way since i was a kid in the 80s.

‘This is old news. Also I put tax money in the center and whoever lands on free parking gets the loot. Not sure if that is a rule but i use it lol’

Fan of the game Ruben, from Los Angeles, took to his Twitter with the revelation back in 2017 and it quickly went viral, although many players still play the game incorrectly

The Tweet received nearly 2,000 likes, and many people couldn’t believe they’d been playing the classic game wrong their whole lives

While someone else wrote: ‘I learned Monopoly from my Grandfather. This was ALWAYS part of the game. Anyone who actually reads the rules — and plays by the real rules — knows that.’

The debate started up again today when Jon Jackson wrote: ‘The 8yo and 5yo are playing Monopoly against each other and it’s pure pure chaos. They keep on remortgaging everything and I think they’re about to invent quantitative easing.’

However, another user replied to point out that it’s in the rules, saying: ‘It greatly speeds up the game. And some people don’t pay large amounts to buy properties from other players to get a set.’

Monopoly was originally designed to warn players about the dangers of capitalism – but it ended up celebrating getting rich.

The debate resufaced on Twitter again today when British podcaster Jon Jackson tweeted about his children ‘remortgaging everything’ during the game.

The first version of the board game was called ‘The Landlord’s Game’ and was supposed to show the unfairness of private property ownership.

It was created in 1902 by Elizabeth Magie who believed in fairer taxation and wanted a single tax on land ownership to replace all other taxes.

She thought it was grossly unfair that landlords raked in profits by passively owning land and wanted to change it.

The board game she called ‘The Landlord’s Game’ was essentially a satire and she thought that when people played it they would ‘see clearly the gross injustice of our present land system’. How wrong she was.

In her original version players used paper money to buy utilities and property, just like the modern game.

But instead of passing ‘Go’ and collecting $200, you passed a square marked ‘Labor upon Mother Earth produces wages’ and got $100.

One corner of the board was marked ‘No Trespassing. Go to Jail’ which she said was owned by a British lord and was to signify ‘foreign ownership of American soil’.

Monopoly was originally designed to warn players about the dangers of capitalism – but it ended up celebrating getting rich

Magie patented The Landlord’s Game in 1904 and approached board game makersed Parker Bros., but they passed, saying it was too complicated.

Meanwhile the game spread around the country – people made their own versions with paper – until it found its way to Charles Darrow in Philadelphia in 1933.

He was shown the game by his friend Charles Todd and promptly stole the idea and passed it off as his own, adding some more color to the board and suggesting people use small household objects as playing tokens.

During the 1930s it began to sell steadily at stores like F.A.O. Schwarz until in 1935 Parker Brothers decided to buy it from Darrow for $7,000, around $121,000 in current dollars.

Parker Brothers added playing pieces like a shoe, a top hat and an iron, the Chance and Community Chest cards and a cartoon character who was called Mr Monopoly, which spawned the game’s new name.

Parker Brothers tried to patent the game but realized that Darrow did not actually own it.

They had to pay $10,000 to Daniel Lyman who had patented his own version called Finance.

They also tracked down Magie, who was living in Arlington, Virginia and paid her $500 with a commitment that they would make a version of the Landlord’s Game.

Darrow meanwhile made millions, even after Parker Brothers reduced his royalties.

In 1939 when Parker Brothers eventually made The Landlord’s Game it bombed and most of the 10,000 copies were returned. Magie would no doubt have been heartbroken.