Monopoly Is Getting Its First Ever Expansion, Adding Actual Rules to Free Parking Space

The classic board game Monopoly is getting three new expansions to help make the game faster to play. Since 1935, Monopoly has taught millions of players about the benefits and drawbacks of real estate monopolies and just how far their friends and acquaintances would go to win a board game. While there are hundreds of variations, the core rules of Monopoly have remained somewhat constant, with spaces like Free Parking and Jail on every board. Although house rules involving Free Parking and Jail are common, the official Monopoly board game has never had formal "rules" for those spaces until now.

As first revealed by Polygon, Hasbro will be releasing three official expansions to the classic Monopoly game. Each expansion is designed to make Monopoly faster to play and incorporates several house rules and other variations. For example, the Free Parking Jackpot Expansion officially adds rules related to the Free Parking space, adding a spinner and jackpot to the game. Other expansions add rules that benefit players in jail or allow players to purchase any part of the game, including the bank itself. The expansions each cost $9.99 and are available now.

Monopoly's Expansions Change Up The Rules

Two of the expansions convert certain spaces in various ways. The Free Parking Jackpot Expansion gives players a chance to spin a high-risk spinner, with players either putting money into a jackpot or receiving some other kind of big benefit. The expansion also adds a "Dealmobile" token that players can upgrade to and allows them to purchase properties for free. Meanwhile, the Go to Jail Expansion transforms all luxury tax spaces into jail spaces and also adds a "Super Jail" space. While players will wind up in jail more often, they'll also earn Corruption and Super Corruption cards that add unfair benefits.

The third expansion adds several new win conditions that players can purchase to win the game. The Buy Everything Expansion not only allows players to buy new ways to win but also adds title deeds for the Luxury Tax and Jail spaces as well as the Bank itself. Some of these abilities add deliberately unfair abilities. For example, purchasing the Bank allows players to use cash from the Bank to purchase properties, even though collecting rent goes into a player's personal cash pile. All of the expansions are designed to shorten Monopoly's gameplay to around 40 minutes of play.

Our Take: Monopoly Was Always Unfair, This Just Speeds Thing Up

Monopoly was designed to be an unfair game designed to teach players about the pitfalls of unchecked capitalism. The teaching point of the game can be somewhat lessened because losing tends to become a long and drawn-out process, to say nothing of how the surplus of modern variants and spin-off, including the heavily monetized Monopoly Go, may dilute this message.

All of these expansions are designed to speed the game up, which may hurt the underlying message of the game, but will at least put players out of their misery a bit faster. I don't see myself purchasing a Monopoly expansion unless my kids suddenly decide to make Monopoly a regular part of board game night, but those who have to suffer through Monopoly regularly may want to give these expansions a try.

Source: Polygon