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INSTRUCTIONS

Disclaimer: This information is posted for informational purposes only.

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PARKER BROTHERS Real Estate Trading Game MONOPOLYŠ was invented during the Great Depression by Charles B. Darrow of Germantown Pennsylvania. Mr. Darrow, like. many other Americans, was unemployed at the time and he worked out the details of the game primarily to amuse himself during this period. Prior to the Depression, Darrow and his wife vacationed in the resort town of Atlantic City, New Jersey. When it came to naming the streets on the game board, Darrow naturally adopted those of his favorite vacation spot.
The first games were hand-made. Darrow gave them to friends and sold a few through a Philadelphia department store. As the demand for the game grew, Darrow could not keep up with the orders and arranged for Parker Brothers to take over the game.
Since 1935 when Parker Brothers acquired the rights to the game, it has become the leading proprietary game not only in the United States but throughout the Western world. the game is published under license in twenty-five countries and in fifteen foreign languages.
    Multinational Monopoly is a variation of this game and has a number of specific applications for AP Economics courses. 
 
  Quick Index  
  OBJECT - EQUIPMENT - PREPARATION - BANKER - THE BANK - THE PLAY - GO -BUYING PROPERTY - PAYING RENT - EXCHANGE RATES-CONGLOMERATES-CHANCE AND COMMUNITY CHEST - INCOME TAX - JAIL - FREE PARKING - HOUSES - HOTELS - BUILDING SHORTAGE - SELLING PROPERTY - MORTGAGES - BANKRUPTCY - MISCELLANEOUS  
   
  OBJECT...The object of the game is to become the wealthiest player through buying, renting and selling property.
 

EQUIPMENT...The equipment consists of a board, 2 dice, tokens 32 houses and 12 hotels. There are Chance and Community Chest cards, a Title Deed card for each property and four sets of play money in four different colors.
 

PREPARATION...Place the board on a table and put the Chance and Community Chest cards face-down on their allotted spaces on the board. Each player chooses one token to represent him on his travels around the board, and places that token on the corner marked "GO".
 

BANKER...Select as Banker a player who will also make a good Auctioneer. If the Banker plays in the game, he must keep his personal funds separate from those of the Bank. When more than five persons play, the Banker may elect to act only as Banker and Auctioneer.
 

THE BANK...Besides the Bank's money, the Bank holds the Title Deed cards and houses and hotels prior to purchase and use by the players. The Bank pays salaries and bonuses. It sells and auctions properties and hands out their proper Title Deed cards; it sells houses and hotels to the players and loans money when required on mortgages.

The Bank collects all taxes, fines, loans and interest, and the price of all properties which it sells and auctions.

The Bank is responsible for all currency exchanges necessary for transactions, however players themselves are responsible for estimating the correct value for any currency exchanges.

The Bank never "goes broke". If the Bank runs out of money it may issue as much more as may be needed by merely writing on any ordinary paper.
 

THE PLAY... Starting with the Banker, each player in turn throws the dice. Players who tie roll again to break ties.  After all ties are broken, the highest roller represents the East, the next highest player represents the North, the next the West, and the lowest the South.  Players seat themselves around the board with their own regions in front of them.

Each player is then given $1500 in the currency of the region he or she represents divided as follows: 2 each of $500's, $100's and $50's; 6-$20's; 5 each of $10's, $5's and $1's.  East receives BLUE currency, North receives YELLOW currency, West receives PINK currency, South receives GREEN currency.

All remaining money and other equipment go to the Bank.

The player representing the South throws the 2 dice and moves his token in the direction of the arrow the number of spaces indicated by the dice. After he has completed his play, the turn to play passes clockwise to the left. The tokens remain on the spaces occupied and proceed from that point on the player's next turn. Two or more tokens may rest on the same space at the same time.

According to the space which his token reaches, a player may be entitled to buy real estate or other properties, -or be obliged to pay rent, pay taxes, draw a Chance or Community Chest card, "Go to Jail", etc.

If a player throws doubles he moves his token as usual the sum of the two dice and is subject to any privileges or penalties pertaining to the space on which he lands. Retaining the dice, he throws again and moves his token as before. If a player throws doubles three times in succession, he moves his token immediately to the space marked "In Jail" (see JAIL).
 

"GO"...Each time a player's token lands on or passes over "GO", whether by throw of the dice or by drawing a card, the Banker pays him $200 salary in the currency of the region he represents.

However, $200 is paid only once each time around the board. If a player, passing "GO" on the throw of the dice, lands 2 spaces beyond it on "Community Chest", or 7 spaces beyond it on "Chance", and draws the card "Advance to GO", he collects $200 for passing "GO" the first time and another $200 for reaching it the second time by instructions on the card.
 

BUYING PROPERTY...Whenever a player lands on an unowned property he may buy that property from the Bank at its printed price in the currency of the region in which it is located. He then receives the Title Deed card showing ownership and places it face-up in front of him.

If he does not wish to buy the property, it can be sold to the next player to land on it.
 

PAYING RENT...When a player lands on property owned by another player, the owner collects rent from him.

Rent is paid in the regional currency of the owner of the property-- in accordance with the list printed on the Title Deed card and corrected for the proper exchange rate between the owner and player.

If the property is mortgaged, no rent can be collected. When a property is mortgaged its Title Deed card is placed face-down in front of the owner.

EXCHANGE RATES...Each region in the game has its own currency.  Initially, all currencies have the same face value--also called 'par value'.  As play proceeds, each regional currency will rise and fall--or 'float'--in value in response to the skill and fortunes of the players.

Ownership of a region's property determines the value of that region's currency.  The regional currency increases in value--or appreciates--when the representative of the region owns more property in his own region than his competitors; the regional currency decreases in value--or depreciates--when the representative of the region owns less property in his own region than his competitors.

When the currencies involved in a transaction have the same exchange rate, the two currencies are equal in value. But when the two currencies have different exchange rates, the actual cost of the transaction must be determined.  To do this:

First, determine the exchange rates for each currency by comparing the number of properties owned in each region by that region's representative and subtracting the number of properties owned in that region by representatives of other regions

For example, if the regional representative owns 4 properties in his own region and other representatives own the other 2, the exchange rate for the region is +2.  If the regional representative owns 1 property in his own region and other representatives own the other 5, the exchange rate for the region is -4.

Next, find the difference in the 'spread' between the currencies by subtracting the payees exchange rate from the payers exchange rate, then refer to the Currency Conversion Table.  The amount shown is the actual amount which must be paid to the bank by the payer to complete the transaction.

For example, if the payers exchange rate is +2 and the payees exchange rate is -4, then the proper conversion is +2 - (-4) = +6.  For a $100 transaction, the payer would give the bank $40 in his own currency and the bank would give the payee $100 in the appropriate regional currency.

Mortgaged properties count for the purposes of determining exchange rates.

You do not have to correct for exchanges made in your own region with your own currency!

 

CONGLOMERATES...Players create Conglomerates by holding three properties of different colors (railroads and utilities are considered to be 'white' properties for the purposes of forming Conglomerates). Any three properties may be organized into a Conglomerate by the owner, but a property in a Conglomerate may not be switched between Conglomerates until the property is sold.

All properties in a Conglomerate are stacked.  The property with the highest rent is placed on the top of the stack. 

It is an advantage to create a Conglomerate because the owner may then charge double rent for unimproved properties in that group, and ALL properties in that conglomerate use the rent, house prices, and hotel prices of the property on TOP of the stack. This rule applies to unmortgaged properties even if another property in that group is mortgaged.

It is even more of an advantage to have houses or hotels on properties in a Conglomerate because rents are much higher than for unimproved properties.

The owner may not collect his rent if he fails to ask for it before the second player following throws the dice.
 

"CHANCE" and "COMMUNITY CHEST"...When a player lands on either of these spaces he takes the top card from the deck indicated, follows the instructions and returns the card face-down to the bottom of the deck.

All penalties and rewards are paid in the currency of the region in which the players' token is located corrected for the proper exchange rate.

The "Get Out of Jail Free" card is held until used and then returned to the bottom of the deck. If the player who draws it does not wish to use it he may sell it, at any time, to another player at a price agreeable to both.
 

"INCOME TAX"...When a player lands on "Income Tax" he has two options: he may estimate his tax at $200 and pay the Bank, or he may pay 10% of his total worth to the Bank. His total worth is all his cash on hand, printed prices of mortgaged and unmortgaged properties and cost price of all buildings he owns figured in the currency of the region in which the property is located and corrected for the current exchange rate.

The player must decide which option he will take before he adds up his total worth.

All income taxes are paid in the currency of the region the player represents.
 

JAIL...A player lands in Jail when. . . (1.) his token lands on the space marked "Go to Jail"; (2.) he draws a card marked "Go to Jail"; (3.) he throws doubles three times in succession.

When a player is sent to Jail he cannot collect $200 salary in that move since, regardless of where his token is on the board, he must move it directly into Jail. A player's turn ends when he is sent to Jail.

If a player is not "sent to Jail" but in the ordinary course of play lands on that space, he is "Just Visiting", incurs no penalty, and moves ahead in the usual manner on his next turn.

A player gets out of Jail by... (1.) throwing doubles on any of his next three turns. If he succeeds in doing this he immediately moves forward the number of spaces shown by his doubles throw. Even though he has thrown doubles he does not take another turn; (2.) using the "Get Out of Jail Free" card if he has it; (3.) purchasing the "Get Out of Jail Free" card from another player and playing it; (4.) paying a fine of $50 in his own currency before he rolls the dice on either of his next two turns

If the player does not throw doubles by his third turn he must pay the $50 fine in his own currency. He then gets out of Jail and immediately moves forward the number of spaces shown by his throw.

Even though he is in Jail, a player may buy or sell property, buy or sell houses and hotels and collect rents.
 

FREE PARKING...A player landing on this space does not receive any money, property or reward of any kind. This is just a "free" resting place.
 

HOUSES...When a player owns a Conglomerate he may buy houses from the Bank and erect them on those properties.

If he buys one house, he may put it on any one of the properties in the Conglomerate. The next house he buys must be erected on one of the unimproved properties in the Conglomerate.

The price he must pay the Bank for each house is shown on the Title Deed of the property on the top of the player's Conglomerate stack; this price applies to ALL properties in that Conglomerate.  Payment for each house must be made in the currency of the region in which the property is located corrected for current exchange rates.

The owner can still collect double rent from an opponent who lands on the unimproved properties in the Conglomerate.

Following the above rules, a player may buy and erect at any time as many houses as his judgment and financial standing will allow. But he must build evenly (i.e.: he cannot erect more than one house on any one property in a Conglomerate until he has built one house on every property of that group. He may then begin on the second row of houses, and so on, up to a limit of four houses to a property. For example, he cannot build three houses on one property if he has only one house on another property of that group.).

As a player builds evenly, he must also break down evenly if he sells houses back to the Bank.
 

HOTELS...When a player has four houses on each property in a Conglomerate, he may buy a hotel from the Bank and erect it on any property of that Conglomerate. He returns the four houses from that property to the Bank and pays the price for the hotel shown on the Title Deed of the property on the top of the player's Conglomerate stack; this price applies to ALL properties in that Conglomerate. Only one hotel may be erected on any one property.

Hotels must be paid for in the currency of the region in which the property is located corrected for current exchange rates.

Houses and Hotels may be built on ALL properties in a Conglomerate, including railroads and utilities.
 

BUILDING SHORTAGE...When the Bank has no houses to sell, players wishing to build must wait for some player to turn back or to sell his houses to the Bank before building. If there are a limited number of houses and hotels available, and two or more players wish to buy more than the Bank has, the houses or hotels must be sold at auction to the highest bidder.
 

SELLING PROPERTY... Unimproved properties may be sold to any player as a private transaction for any amount that the owner can get. However, no property can be sold to another player if buildings are standing on any properties of that Conglomerate. Any buildings so located must be sold back to the Bank before the owner can sell any property of that Conglomerate.

Houses and hotels may be sold back to the Bank at any time for one-half the price paid for them in the currency of the region in which the property is located corrected for current exchange rates..

All houses on a Conglomerate must be sold one by one, evenly, in reverse of the manner in which they were erected.

All hotels in one Conglomerate may be sold at once. Or they may be sold one house at a time (one hotel equals five houses), evenly, in reverse of the manner in which they were erected and in the currency of the region in which the property is located corrected for current exchange rates..
 

MORTGAGES...Unimproved properties can be mortgaged through the Bank at any time. Before an improved property can be mortgaged all the buildings on all the properties of its Conglomerate must be sold back to the Bank at half price in the currency of the region in which the property is located corrected for current exchange rates. The mortgage value is printed on each Title Deed card.

No rent can be collected on mortgaged properties or utilities, but rent can be collected on unmortgaged properties in the same Conglomerate.

Mortgaged properties count for the purposes of determining exchange rates.

In order to lift the mortgage, the owner must pay the Bank the amount of the mortgage plus 10% interest in the currency of the region in which the property is located corrected for current exchange rates.. When all the properties of a Conglomerate are no longer mortgaged the owner may begin to buy back houses at full price in the currency of the region in which the property is located corrected for current exchange rates.

The player who mortgages property retains possession of it and no other player may secure it by lifting the mortgage from the Bank. However, the owner may sell this mortgaged property to another player at any agreed price. The new owner may lift the mortgage at once, if he wishes, by paying off the mortgage plus 10% interest to the Bank in the currency of the region in which the property is located corrected for current exchange rates. If he does not lift the mortgage at once he must pay the Bank 10% interest when he buys the property and if he lifts the mortgage later he must pay an additional 10% interest as well as the amount of the mortgage to the Bank.
 

BANKRUPTCY...A player is bankrupt when he owes more than he can pay either to another player or to the Bank. If his debt is to another player, he must turn over to that player all that he has of value and retire from the game. In making this settlement, if he owns houses or hotels, he must return these to the Bank in exchange for money to the extent of one-half the amount paid for them and this cash is given to the creditor. If he has mortgaged property he also turns this property over to his creditor but the new owner must at once pay the Bank the amount of interest on the loan, which is 10% of the value of the property. After the new owner does this, he may, at his option, pay the principal or hold the property until some later turn at which time he may lift the mortgage. If he holds property in this way until a later turn, he must pay the interest again when he lifts the mortgage.

Should a player owe the Bank, instead of another player, more than he can pay (because of taxes or penalties) even by selling his buildings and mortgaging property, he must turn over all his assets to the Bank. In this case, the Bank immediately sells by auction all property so taken, except buildings. A bankrupt player must immediately retire from the game. The last player left in the game wins.
 

MISCELLANEOUS...Money can only be loaned to a player by the Bank and then only by mortgaging property. No player may borrow from or lend money to another player.

THE RICHEST PLAYER WINS!