The best and worst ‘house rules’ in Monopoly

Monopoly: love it or hate it, you’ve probably played it. Hell, you probably own it. It may be sacrilege to board game enthusiasts, and its maniacal embodiment of capitalism may end up driving you round the bend at times, but its undeniable popularity means sometimes the family can’t help but come back to it. Monopoly’s presence in homes up and down the country has led to the adoption of various ‘house rules’. Whether you’re a ‘make it up as you go along’ player or ardent rule-follower, your version of Monopoly may well differ from your neighbour’s.

Our obstinate refusal to adhere to the set rules of Monopoly is a little like Uno’s attempt to convince the masses that you can’t put a +2 on a +2 (utter insanity): sometimes the will of the people overrules the maker’s. Since its conception, Monopoly has gone on to release a variety of editions, including a credit card version, city variants, Junior Monopoly, and an online version, some of which incorporate the following rules as add-ons. With so many iterations, it’s hard to decipher which rules are by-the-book and which aren’t. But which house rules would I recommend, and which do I think should be put to rest?

Double the money (£400) for landing on ‘Go’: wouldn’t play without it

Arguably the most well-known and widely implemented of all these house rules, not earning double for landing on ‘Go’ should be considered an affront to capitalism everywhere. In closely fought games, landing on ‘Go’ a mystifying number of times can be the difference between winning and losing. Of course, the best part of this rule is pulling a ‘Chance’ or ‘Community Chest’ card directing you straight to ‘Go’, which can of course be brandished in front of all other players, to their despair.

Landing on ‘Free Parking’ earns the pot of fines and taxes: unexpectedly interesting

Relatively new to me, but one that seems to be fairly widespread amongst younger generations, this rule makes the ‘Free Parking’ square one of the most valuable in the game. As players move around the board, all taxes (‘Income Tax’ and ‘Super Tax’) as well as any fines (from ‘Chance’ or ‘Community Chest’ cards) or jail-break settlements are placed into the centre of the board rather than paid to the bank. Landing on ‘Free Parking’ means that player collects the accumulated pot – which, if it hasn’t been collected in a while, can be hundreds.

It’s absolutely blasphemous that this could ever be considered anything but the official rule

You can’t collect rent in jail: should be a given

It’s absolutely blasphemous that this could ever be considered anything but the official rule. However, I have recently become enlightened to the absolute moral abandon in the actual rules, stating that not only can you continue to earn rent in jail, but you can also build houses. Potentially the official rule that fills with me with the most blood-thirsty rage, I don’t think it’s an understatement to say that this is the dumbest rule in the history of all board games ever made. Since being forced to adopt this rule by my younger cousins, I have now played several rounds of Monopoly where by far your best play is to go to jail. You sit there, earning rent, while not landing on anyone else’s properties. It’s utterly useless.

Not paying £50 to leave jail: would recommend

Strongly linked to the previous point, I’ve always played with the rule that once a player has unsuccessfully attempted to roll a double to leave jail three times, you then automatically move to ‘Just Visiting’. Apparently, the official rules are that if after three attempts you still haven’t rolled a double, you now have to pay £50 to get out (rather than choosing to pay it before any of the attempts). I can only assume this is in place so that there is some miniscule retribution for being sent to jail when playing with the previous – completely inane – official rule.

Ending the game as soon as possible is the most sure-fire way of preventing any board-flipping, divorce-inducing conclusions

The game ends after the first bankruptcy: could’ve saved my parents’ marriage

This is such a lifesaver. It’s genuinely a wonder I haven’t always played this way. The concept of bankruptcy is incredibly flawed in games featuring more than two players. That the landlord receives the renter’s entire property portfolio in exchange for the money they owe massively weighs the leftover game toward said landlord, and the other players’ bankruptcies are basically sealed (while one-by-one impatient children have to sit and watch or find something else to do). Ending the game as soon as possible is the most sure-fire way of preventing any board-flipping, divorce-inducing conclusions.

First journey around the board ‘doesn’t count’: kind of pointless

Perhaps one of the more niche house rules, and one I’m not a huge fan of, this rule sees no property purchases on the first trip round the board. When playing the longest version of Monopoly – not dealing any of the properties out at the start – players would usually have the opportunity to buy (or auction) a property by landing on it. This rule sees that this doesn’t happen until you’ve passed ‘Go’ at least once, meaning no one player has an ‘unfair advantage’ by storming out the gates ahead of the rest. I don’t see the point of this one, as I see the advantage as fairly earnt (by being a master dice-roller).

All properties have to go to auction: don’t knock it ‘til you try it

A rather chaotic alternative rule, this sees any advantage of landing on a property first eradicated. I like this one when it’s not my turn, as it means there’s always something for all players to take part in, and there’s far more opportunities for you to get properties (and block others from getting them). I also hate this one, specifically when it’s my turn, as landing on a property to complete a set is no longer an excellent turn of chance, but an opportunity for other players to rinse you of all your money or block you from getting a set. This is a typical case of: good, smart play when I do it and annoying, try-hard behaviour when used against me.

This is the kind of chaotic energy Monopoly was meant for

Rolling double = ‘passing through’: Grandma’s favourite

Potentially the most house rule of all house rules my Grandma’s ever introduced me to, this one is sacred to my childhood. The essence of the rule is that when you roll a double, you advance to that square, but are just ‘passing through’: you of course roll again, and it is only then that your true game is played (unless that too was a double, in which case you pass through again!). This is the kind of chaotic energy Monopoly was meant for. You may think you’re about to get £1000+ in rent, just to remember the double rule and be faced with the roller gleefully exclaiming “passing through!” before swanning past all your hard-earned hotels. It keeps the game at a slightly faster pace, making it easier to advance around the board faster, and introduces the added element of a double being an advantageous roll. But beware: don’t fly too close to the sun! This is always played alongside the traditional ‘roll three doubles in a row: go straight to jail’ rule.

All in all, I don’t think Monopoly would have much to stand on without its constantly evolving alternative rules. Its chance-based principles are being regularly undermined by the increase in strategy-oriented board games. Its original intention to showcase the dark side of monopolies and capitalism in the name of a socialist agenda can arguably be considered an utter failure, as Monopoly has seemingly produced more emotional manipulation between family-members in the name of capitalism than any other board game. But if you want to make it a little less hellish, these house rules (or any others you can come up with!) are a great way to make an old game new again.