Monopoly is a stone-cold classic. It’s a board game seen in households the world over, and finds its way onto the table whenever the chance arises. Whether it’s a festive family gathering or a rainy Sunday, Monopoly is a verified favourite - and it’s no surprise why. It’s a game full of drama, stocking up the fire of competition in even the most placid of players.
Monopoly is the game to play if you want to see Nanna lose it at your cousin over £5 rent, your Mum joyfully bankrupt your Dad, or your little brother displays a frightening amount of power over property rights. Friend and family connections come under a real strain playing Monopoly, and it’s just something we can’t get enough of.
But, for all the drama, it’s also a game that brings people together. In an increasingly digital world where watching TV and making TikToks keeps everyone’s eyes locked on screens, it’s a real pleasure to come together of a game of Monopoly and spend some quality time together.
The best Monopoly games shortlist:
• Monopoly + Monopoly Madness on Nintendo Switch - Best for parties
• Monopoly Cheaters Edition - Best for starting family feuds
• Jump to our round-up of the best-themedMonopoly games
Though it has a surprisingly complicated history - which you can read more about at the bottom of this page - the game we today recognise as Monopoly first reached shop shelves in 1935. Since then, hundreds of twists on the game have been released, from simple location-themed releases, like Monopoly Winchester Edition or Monopoly London Underground Edition, through to more comprehensive reimaginings, such as Monopoly Cheater’s Edition or Monopoly Builder. The result of these releases is that there are now more ways to play Monolopy than ever before. But which is the best Monopoly?
Below, we’ve rounded up our favourite Monopoly games. There are those that are the best Monopoly games for parties or Christmas gaming, through to those that simplify the rules for kids or complicate things for hardcore fans. Here are our picks of the best Monopoly games:
The Best Monopoly Games
{#Original}
The classic choice
Monopoly Original is the classic choice. It's all about following the rules (that we all know by heart at this point), buying up all the properties we can and investing in hotels ASAP. As this is the most up-to-date version, there are some additional tokens to choose from, including a T-Rex and Rubber Duck. Players: 2-6
{#Junior}
Best for kids
Hoping to raise a little property tycoon? Monopoly Junior is a simplified version of the classic game for kids between five and eight years old. The money is reduced to single digits for easier sums and the reduced number of properties are switched to child-friendly locations, like a pizza restaurant and the zoo. Just one word of warning for parents: there is nothing that will hurt your pride more than being beaten at Monopoly by a six-year-old. Players: 2-4
Best for parties
Pour yourself a glass of something potent, throw some snacks on the table and flick on the big TV - it's time to get competitive at a party. There are three lively 3D maps to choose from, with the gameplay allowing some extra interactivity. There are also five modes for shorter, goal-orientated games if time is tight. Because the Switch can be played anywhere, this is also a neat choice for killing time on a long journey in a car, on a train or at an airport. Players: 1-6
It doesn't end there though, as this switch cartridge features two games in one. Monopoly Madness is a completely new take on the classic formula. Instead of being confined to the limits of a board, you are free to roam an area looking for resources to buy properties and powerups to hinder other players. It's great when you want to ramp up to something a little more chaotic on game night. Players: 1-6
{#Card}
Best for travel
It's the Monopoly that you know and love, albeit with 110 cards rather than a game board. This makes it much more suitable for travel and short games, as it takes only 15-minutes to play. It's fast-paced, easy to pick up and really affordable. Players: 2-5
Best for hardcore fans
The Mega Edition of Monopoly adds to the capitalistic challenge by adding 12 new spaces, eight of which are streets, onto the board and introducing two new property development types: skyscrapers and train depots. It's ideal for those who want to take the competition up a notch. Players: 2-6
Best for the festive period
Rrp: $50.01
Get out the ugly jumpers - it's time to get festive. There's not much that's changed here with the rules, but the board has been overhauled with Christmassy properties and themes. Naturally, it includes festive-themed tokens, including a Christmas pudding, reindeer and stuffed turkey. Players: 2-6
Best for easy playing
Being the banker in monopoly is a thankless job that no one wants to do, luckily there's a version of monopoly that doesn't require it. Monopoly voice banking does what it says on the tin, and allows you to check your in-game balance and transfer money to your opponents when you inevitably land on Mayfair. While it will keep the game fast-paced with much less need to stop, it won't reduce the pain of being bankrupt Players: 2-4
Best wow-factor
Rather than investing in hotels, Monopoly Builder revamps the rules to let players actually build properties on Monopoly Island. Collect cash and resources to start building in a race to complete the penthouse - once it's completed, the player with the most points wins. Skyscrapers are physically built up in the centre of the board to create a 3D metropolis. Players: 2-4
Best for starting family feuds
If bending and breaking the rules is a common point of friction in your family games, lean into the dishonesty with the Cheaters Edition. Lying and scheming is the only way to win, with cards giving players prompts and dishonest challenges. Just be warned, if you get caught, you'll be handcuffed to the Jail - literally. Players: 2-8
Looking for more family fun?
The best-themed Monopoly games
This one is a tricky one, mainly because there are so many to choose from. There’s a good chance that if you like something, be it a place, TV show, football team or franchise, there is an edition for you. But here are a few of our favourites:
Best for video game fans:
1 of 3Monopoly Animal Crossing New Horizons
Monopoly meets Animal Crossing. Classic rules are mixed with resource collection, decoration purchasing and Bell trading.
2 of 3Monopoly Super Mario Celebration
Brimming with Mario references and themes, including the use of coins instead of paper dollars.
3 of 3Monopoly Pokemon
Features: Pokemon properties, Poke-balls, and trainer cards, as well as iconic Pokemon character tokens.
Best for movie and TV fans:
1 of 5Monopoly Game Of Thrones
Can you hold a monopoly over Westeros? Many have tried, few with success.
2 of 5Monopoly: Marvel Spider-Man Edition
Play as one of your favourite wall crawlers in this version of monopoly which comes with its own special rules that puts a twist on the game.
3 of 5Monopoly Lord Of The Rings Edition
If only Sauron had gone into property development, he might have had an easier time controlling Middle Earth.
4 of 5Monopoly The Big Bang Theory Edition
Invest in super-colliders, buy Penny's apartment and negotiate your way to the physics department.
5 of 5Monopoly Friends Edition
Trek around the board and buy up classic episodes and scenes! Could this be any better?
Can you get a customised Monopoly board?
There is a version of the official Monopoly game called My Monopoly which lets you print out various customised properties based on in-jokes, holidays and similar. However, there are more robust customisation options available via Etsy. These made-to-order boards are unofficial takes on the Monopoly game-style, albeit with maximum personalisation.
The two highest-rated custom board games on Etsy (the UK version of the site) at the time of writing is Custom-opoly Board Game from TheDiceGuys and Custom YourOpoly Game from DanuKatesDesigns.
Why is it called Monopoly?
A monopoly is where one person, company or entity has control over or ownership of the majority of a market. The aim of the Monopoly board game is to become this figure of monopoly - to own everything on the board, including all the other player’s cash. No one wins the game by sharing!
Who invented Monopoly?
Monopoly was invented by Charles Darrow or Elizabeth Magie, or both, depending on who you ask. Ready for a history lesson?
Monopoly in its earliest form was created by Elizabeth Magie in 1903, a progressive feminist living in Washinton, DC. Originally called “The Landlord’s Game”, it included two sets of rules - one anti-monopolistic, and one monopolistic (a.k.a the rules we now all know). The game also had the iconic jail, but also a poor house and points of taxation. Players earned $100 for passing go - a representation of the wages earned for a day of labour.
The Landlord’s Game was patented and released and gained favour amongst the middle-classes. Eventually, around 1935, it was played by Charles Darrow, who was impressed and saw some potential. Darrow reworked certain elements of the game and sold it to the Parker Brothers board game company (which is today a subsidiary of Hasbro). This version is pretty much the version we all recognise as Monopoly. When asked about how he thought up the game, he would claim it to be an “unexpected and illogical” idea.
Darrow is largely credited as the creator of Monopoly and received royalties for the sales of the game throughout his life, with Magie receiving limited notoriety. There are still arguments to this day over who truly deserves the credit - it’s a story that’s mixed up with lots of patent claims and arguments, and it’s all surprisingly controversial.
You can read more about Magie and Darrow in Mary Pilion’s 2015 book, The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game.