Monopoly game play -Players start with an alloted amount of money set by the rules. All players start on the "Go" space on the board. Players move pieces that represent themselves around the board the number of spaces that they rolled on the dice. The spaces are properties, utilities, fines or action spaces such as community chest and chance. If you land on a property or utility and it is still available then you may buy it. If it is owned then you pay rent to the owner. The action spaces can either be a positive or negative action. For example you can inherit money or pay a school tax. There is a spot that will send you to jail and a free parking spot which is a space no one owns.
Here is the original game board.
The goal of the game is to be the last person with property/money. You win! This game combines skill and chance to make fun game play and a challenge worthy of hours of undivided attention. My family owns the traditional board game, the electronic banking version and we have it for the Wii too.
This is what the Wii version of Monopoly looks like.
I also played online for the comparison at http://board-games.pogo.com/games/monopoly .
This is a screen shot of the pogo game of Monopoly.
Game Components from my definition are bound by rules, has a clear purpose, amusing or fun, challenging, can be either real or make believe, uses skill or chance and game play is done safely.
From my definition I can say that both games have a clear purpose. They both were fun and challenging and game play is done safely. There are elements to Monopoly that is realistic such as land marks or items in the game play but it is mostly make believe as you have millions of dollars to play with and you earn money by passing go. This game uses chance as you have to roll the dice to move but skill is necessary when you are making trades and putting houses on property. You take calculated chances given the events you forsee might happen so that you can make the most money and eventually win the game.
The format in regards to actually playing the game was virtually the same mechanically speaking. The players moved in the same way. Properties were purchased the same way and the same rules were followed from the board version to the online version. The only think that I saw that was different was when it was your turn you could make a trade or build houses, just like the board version, but the online version gave you a two minute timer. Two minutes may sound like a long time but when you are trying to make a trade it made me feel very pressured. If you wanted to make a trade and then build houses good luck. They give you two minutes to do all of that. I ran out of time a couple different times. I understand they don't want people to take all day but I felt under the gun to get things done quickly. I might have made better decisions if I would have had more time.
The online version launched in a small browser window which made it hard to see the properties and items on the board. The players would drop in and out during the game which was frustrating. But the most annoying thing was the ADS! They came every few minutes and lasted for 30 seconds. It really dampened my desire to play. I was really irritating. The animation was decent and the "go to jail" spot, when landed on, was funny as they dropped you through the game board to the jail and put bars across your players name until you got out. There is a chat window but only two of us chatted. It took some time for us to warm up to each other before we really started having a fun time talking. The online version is 35 rounds so whoever has the most net worth at the end of the last round wins. What I really missed was the in person interactions that you get from playing a game with friends in the same room. When you play with friends or family they usually don't drop out on a whim. There is no delay unless there is a bathroom time out. :) The board is easier to see so strategies can be considered before it is your turn. There isn't a time limit on building houses or making trades. You can barter as long as you think you have an audience. You can change implement house rules when you play a game with friends. Our house rule was any fines or fees went to free parking. The person who lands on free parking would get the money. This is not in the actual rules of Monopoly.
Playing the Wii version is much the same as the board version except you have to manuver through small menus when there are choices and you roll the dice by shaking the Wii mote. It is very animated and the Monopoly guy is like a little tour guide moving the game play along. I would reccommend it to anyone who has a Wii for an alternative to the board version.
Here are a couple of Monopoly game boards that I thought were interesting.
Blogpoly for all of us bloggers!
The round Monopoly board.
For the Disney/Pixar fans.
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