- Monopoly myths vs the official rule
- Monopoly setup and the Banker
- How a Monopoly turn works
- The Free Parking jackpot is a house rule
- Auctions: what happens when you won't buy
- Collecting on Go and the jail rules
- Rent, building and mortgages
- Selling up, bankruptcy and how Monopoly ends
- My verdict: play by the box once
- Frequently asked questions
The aim of Monopoly is to become the wealthiest player by buying, renting and selling property, and you win by being the last player left once everyone else has gone bankrupt. It's for 2 to 8 players aged 8 and up, and the official Hasbro rules are stricter than the version most families play.
Most Monopoly arguments come from rules that aren't in the box. Families pass house rules down for years until everyone's sure they're official. Here's what Hasbro's own classic rules say, side by side with the versions people think are real, so the next game night doesn't end in a row.
Monopoly myths vs the official rule
| What people think | What the Hasbro rules say |
|---|---|
| Taxes and fines go in the middle and you win the pile on Free Parking | Free Parking gives no reward of any kind. It's just a free resting place, and taxes and fines go to the Bank |
| If you don't buy a property, it stays with the Bank | The Banker auctions it straight away, and you can bid too |
| Landing exactly on Go pays double | You collect your Go salary once for landing on or passing Go |
| You can't collect rent while you're in jail | In jail you can still collect rent, trade property and build |
| Rent is due whenever the owner remembers | The owner must ask before the second player after you rolls |
| Players can lend each other cash | Only the Bank lends, and only against a mortgage |
Monopoly setup and the Banker
- Put the Chance and Community Chest cards face down on their spaces.
- Each player picks a token and puts it on Go.
- Choose a Banker who'll also run auctions. With more than five players, the Banker can just bank and not play.
- The Banker hands each player the starting cash listed in your edition's rules and keeps everything else in the tray.
- Everyone rolls. The highest total goes first, and play passes to the left.
The Bank never goes broke. If it runs out of notes, the Banker can write more on ordinary paper.
How a Monopoly turn works
- Roll both dice and move that many spaces clockwise.
- Do whatever the space says: buy it, pay rent, pay tax, draw a card or go to jail.
- If you rolled doubles, take another turn. Three doubles in a row sends you straight to jail.
- Trade, build, mortgage or sell before the dice pass on.
- Pass the dice to your left.
The Free Parking jackpot is a house rule
This is the big one. The Hasbro rules say a player landing on Free Parking doesn't receive any cash, property or reward of any kind. Taxes and fines are paid to the Bank, not into the middle of the board. The jackpot version keeps cash in the game, which is why so many family games of Monopoly seem to go on forever.
Auctions: what happens when you won't buy
If you land on an unowned property and don't want it at its printed price, it doesn't sit there waiting. The Banker sells it at auction to the highest bidder, bidding can start at any price, and you can bid even though you just turned it down. Skipping auctions is the single most common reason a game drags, because property comes out slowly.
Collecting on Go and the jail rules
You get your Go salary each time your token lands on or passes Go, whether by the dice or a card, but only once each time round the board. The only way to collect twice in one turn is the case Hasbro spells out: you pass Go, land on Chance or Community Chest just beyond it, and draw the card that sends you back to Go.
You're sent to jail by landing on Go to Jail, drawing a Go to Jail card or rolling doubles three times in a row. You don't collect your Go salary on the way, and your turn ends. If you simply land on the jail space, you're Just Visiting. To get out, roll doubles on one of your next three turns, use or buy a Get Out of Jail Free card, or pay the fine shown in your rules before you roll on either of your next two turns. If you still haven't rolled doubles by your third turn, you pay the fine and move.
Rent, building and mortgages
- Own a whole colour group and the rent on its unbuilt properties doubles.
- Build evenly: no second house anywhere in a group until every property in it has one, and a limit of four houses a property.
- With four houses on every property in a group, you can swap up to a hotel, one per property.
- If the Bank runs out of houses, you wait. If two players want the last few, they're auctioned.
- Houses and hotels sell back to the Bank for half what you paid.
- No rent on a mortgaged property, and lifting a mortgage costs the mortgage value plus 10% interest.
Selling up, bankruptcy and how Monopoly ends
You can sell unbuilt properties, railroads and utilities to another player for any price you agree, but not while buildings stand anywhere in that colour group. If you owe more than you can pay, you're bankrupt. Owe another player and they take everything you've got of value, with your buildings sold back to the Bank at half price first. Owe the Bank and it auctions your property. Either way, you retire from the game, and the last player left wins.
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My verdict: play by the box once
I'd play one game exactly by Hasbro's rules before you decide which house rules to keep. With auctions on and no Free Parking jackpot, property sells fast, someone gets a full colour group early and the game finishes in a sensible time. If you love the jackpot, keep it, but say so before you start, the way you would with Uno house rules. For more ideas for the table, my family board games by age list has plenty that finish faster.
Frequently asked questions
Do you get anything for landing on Free Parking?
Not under the official rules. A player landing on Free Parking doesn't receive any cash, property or reward of any kind.
What happens if a player doesn't buy a property in Monopoly?
The Banker auctions it to the highest bidder, and any player can bid, including the one who declined to buy it.
Do you get double for landing on Go in Monopoly?
No. You collect your Go salary once each time you land on or pass Go.
Can you collect rent in jail in Monopoly?
Yes. Even in jail you can buy and sell property, buy and sell houses and hotels and collect rent.
Can Monopoly players lend each other cash?
No. Only the Bank can lend, and only when a player mortgages property.
