A Sampling of Monopoly

By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.

The Histocrats support the idea of incorporating board-games into your personal life as well as in the classroom.  As such, we are constantly on the lookout for games that we can play for fun.  One of the games that most student own, know how to play and can be incorporated into the classroom is Monopoly.  While this game has its critics, those who say there are far better games than monopoly, it is a game that has stood the test of time.  It is also a game that has been replicated countless times, and so many variations exist.  Let us take a trip around Go so that we can collect our $200.   

Classic Monopoly
Monopoly is a competitive economic based property real estate trading game. The aim is to develop your property and to remain profitable while at the same time forcing your opponents into bankruptcy. Make a move, make a deal, and make a fortune to win it all. There can be only one winner in the Monopoly game—so, will it be you?

The thrill of bankrupting an opponent is addictive, but the player must consider their business decisions wisely. Sometimes it pays to play nice as your fortunes could change with the roll of the dice. Play nasty, and you might find everyone gangs up on you. Experience the ups and downs of the trading game with the classic Monopoly game. Collect complete color sets to build houses, and maybe even upgrade to a hotel. The more properties you own, the more rent you can charge. Chance cards could be worth money, or one might just tell you to Go To Jail. Take a trip around the Monopoly board to see who wins it all.

Collect as many properties as you can, and make deals to get color sets. Build your houses and hotels, and see if you can bankrupt everyone else to win. Keep an eye on your money, because you never know when the dice will land you with a massive rent bill to pay. Sometimes staying In Jail can be the safest place to be, but only after your properties are primed to make you money. You've got to buy, sell and negotiate to win.

Monopoly Variants
Monopoly is an easily recreated and reproduced game.  From Colleges to cities to sports teams to classic movies, you are bound to find a personalized version of the classic Monopoly.  Indeed, when students bring their personal copy of Monopoly to class it is always interesting to see what exactly will show up.  Often the Monopoly variant matches the student’s personality.

The Muppets Monoploy
Celebrate the sensational, inspirational world of the Muppets as you make like miss piggy. Monopoly, the Muppets. Celebrate the sensational, inspirational world of the Muppets as you make like miss piggy and try to own it all in this Muppets collector’s edition of monopoly.

Star Wars Monopoly
This special Monopoly game is filled with Star Wars references replacing Monopoly ones. Instead of houses, you build colonies. The colonies can be rebel (have an X-wing on them) or Imperial (have tie-fighters on them). Instead of hotels, you put Corellian Cruisers or Star Destroyers.

Pythonopoly
In this Monty Python Monopoly-esque game you can quest for the Holy Grail, as knights buy hovels, build castles, take a ride on a Llama, or charge excessive groats for hanging out at your Castle of Aaarrrggghhh. Pythonopoly is based on "Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail."

Bankers Game
This is a Japanese version of the ultimate real estate and money management game.  It is published by the Japanese Hanayama boardgame company.

For more info on Monopoly views:
Dice Tower Showdown: Monopoly vs. Power Grid

Pair of Dice Paradise Monopoly Overview

*All product descriptions are from the manufacturer.

 

September 2014 Games of the Week

By Margaret Duncan, Ed.D.

The Histocrats support the idea of incorporating board-games into your personal life as well as in the classroom.  As such, we support and participate in a local board-gaming group.  Any and all board-game enthusiasts are welcome to join the Game Nights that are held every first and third Friday night of the month.  As part of our gaming group initiative, we also recommend history centric games that are fun to play each week to all of our followers.  The selected games receive our “Game of the Week” distinction.  Recommended games are a mix of cooperative, card games, as well Euro style games.


Rocket Jockey, MayFair Games
It's 150 years in the future and mankind has spread throughout the solar system. To supply far-flung colonies, they look to the Rocket Jockeys. The planets depend on timely cargo arrivals. This is not enough for the rocket jockeys. They compete with one another to see who can complete the fanciest maneuvers, transport the most important cargo and visit the most planets. You must be daring and you must be quick. You must also be tough, for first contact with alien life is near at hand. Deliver your cargo with the most flair and speed and you will win the game.


Mascarade Board Game, Asmodee
Attend a Mascarade of the renaissance and try to discover the identity of your opponents. Who is telling the truth? Who is bluffing? Reveal the truth all while hiding your own true identity. The goal of the game is for players to gain the most gold pieces that they will amass either by telling the truth, or alternatively, bluffing. Players each receive a Character card, that they will switch, or not, with their opponents throughout the game play. At each turn, players have the option to either announce who there are and therefore are able to activate the power of the Character, as long as none of the other players challenge them; to secretly look at their card; or to swap their card with another player.



Founding Fathers, Jolly Roger Games
Your goal in Founding Fathers is to emerge from the Philadelphia Convention acknowledged by all as the true Father of the Constitution due to your outstanding contributions to the final document. There are many avenues available for gaining recognition at the Convention and earning the points you need to win the game. The trick is to exploit these more effectively than your rivals, and to frustrate their efforts to do the same.



Coup Reformation, Indie Boards & Cards
An expansion for the original version of Coup: City State adds new cards to the game and rules for factions and team play that increases tension in the early stages. With Coup: Reformation, each player must declare himself either Protestant or Catholic and can target only members of the other faith. Conversion is possible, however, for yourself or for another player by paying a charitable donation to the Almshouse. Like all factions, once you have eliminated the other sect, you just descend into in-fighting, so there's still only one winner and no second place.

 

*All product descriptions are from the manufacturer.