h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not quite sure how this works, but both my niece and nephew feel quite comfortable hanging out with me.

But I only visit them a few times each year - each birthday, and Christmas, and sometimes inbetween.

My brother and his family are going away for Christmas (to the rather worn down by ice age version of what used to be Alps), so I visited today with Christmas presents for the kids - and their parents had gotten me some belated birthday presents.

I had a long discussion with my nephew about the games he plays on his PC, and with my niece about the games she plays on her Ipad mini.

My brother, I and my niece played a very old board game version of Swedish Monopoly, probably from the early 80ies. It's amazing how different the really attractive quarters of Stockholm was back then - it has changed quite a bit.

And I won!

Since I had a train to catch, we finished at an agreed time and counted our money. I was lucky enough to be able to buy all the 4 train stations (one in the middle of each side of the board) so ended up cashing 4,000 SEK each time either of them happened to stop by.

What they don't know until they arrive at their destination and open up the biggest of my Christmas gifts is that I got them Monopoly Empire

Oddly enough, my sister-in-law is just the same as my mother - she can't bear to see anyone losing in Monopoly, so will do anything she can to enable one of the kids to stay in the game.

Me, my brother, my niece and my nephew are much more competitive.

I remember many happy hours playing monopoly as a child. I was a bit sad recently to hear the iron in the uk version hsd been replaced by a cat. For some reason that was always my favourite piece.

Deb

Didja know that the original version of Monopoly (called The Landlords Game) was a poorly conceived attempt to teach the evils of capitalism?

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2986/was-monopoly-originally-meant-to-teach-people-about-the-evils-of-capitalism

I don't think I've ever finished a game. When we were kids, my brother, cousins and I would start games, and play for a while. Usually on Christmas visits to my grandparents. But it dragged on for so long, and I suspect there were rules we didn't know...

I'm glad people still play it though!

I suppose we're more of a Yahtzee family.

And yeah, I think the capitalism/greed part of it never sat well with me either

The rule that is most often skipped is the one that if a player lands on an open property and DOESN'T buy it, it is then immediately auctioned off amongst the other players.


Playing by the official rules, there is a way for the game to be over in just 2 turns.

http://cnx.com/?p=1782

Oh, didn't know about the auctioning off a property someone has stopped on. Might try that, it would probably allow for getting started on building faster...

And as for the evils of capitalism, the game makes *everyone a capitalist. At least those of us with a competititve mind.

If I ever have an opportunity to play Monopoly again, I'll insist on the auction rule. Just because it should make game play quicker. But Monopoly is not a good board game. It's just popular. There's a huge revolution in table top gaming these days and I'd like to play some of the new games. I've read great things about Settlers of Catan. I did buy a wonderfully tasteless game, Cards Against Humanity. I've played that only twice so far sitting in bars. It's not exactly competitive as the goal is to be tastelessly funny.

I *was thinking of buying the start-out game of Settlers of Catan instead of Monopoly Empire, but couldn't find it anywhere - only four (!) expansions. Didn't know board games came with expansions these days.

I now have around 30 Monopoly sets, and need to get the new UK version, as it now has a as a new token. My latest is a Japanese set. No Scandinavian sets, but have French, German, Chinese, Peking, Australian and American.

Favourite game. Ever.

MMF

If you're interested in owning a Swedish version, I could alwasy bring one along to next year's Mancester meet, if you're planning on attending it, MMF?

May I point you all in the direction of when it appears later today. Monopoly and more...



Later today I shall be playing Risk and attacking Brazil at every opportunity.

I could bring a Danish Version if you're interested, MMF