Don’t go elsewhere yet! Just wait. I’m probably already too late – the haters are long gone, they won’t listen to the fact that Monopoly is a great way of getting people to the table (if you can’t get ’em there, you can’t convert ’em). And there’s those who are like, yeah, Monopoly, I know that, whatever. But wait, like I said. There’s more to this than a mere refresh. After all, this is the 90th anniversary of one of our hobby’s great grandfathers…
The basic stuff first. It’s a rectangular box, right? Always has been, even with all the recent variants like Lilo and Stitch, and Gremlins, and Metallica – I swear I’ve seen a version themed on my back garden. This rectangle situation is irritating, because the majority of board game releases these days are square boxy types. Well, Monopoly is changing box shape, which means it will fit much nicer on that new Kallax storage thing you’ve got (which everyone seems to have, and I’m only jealous because apparently we’ve got no room for yet more shelves).
How does the redesign look? Pretty great, actually, with the classic Monopoly style looking cleaner and sharper than ever. All the pieces have had a tidy redesign, and a nice little organiser rack is included for everything to sit on during the game. It really does look a bit more modern, and thoughtful of how to make the game easier to play.
Here’s the twist you’ve been waiting for. Hasbro are releasing expansions alongside this refresh. You read that right. Monopoly is getting expansions. Your next thought is ‘Eh?’ I know, I had the same thought. What can you do to this game other than reskin it? Well, how about the opportunity to buy the bank? Here’s a breakdown of what these expansions will bring:
The Monopoly Free Parking Jackpot Expansion turns the ‘Free Parking’ space into a Jackpot. Spin the spinner for a chance to win BIG money. Upgrade to the Deal Mobile token and draw Bonus cards to take free properties and more. The game ends when all properties are owned or when one player has gone broke.
The Monopoly Go to Jail Expansion brings a fresh twist to the Monopoly game and takes half the time to play. The ‘Jail’ and ‘Go to Jail’ spaces turn into desired locations. While there, players can collect Corruption or Super Corruption cards that let them get away with mischief-and score advantages over other players.
The Monopoly Buy Everything Expansion makes everything for sale. Players can buy every space and they can roll the Buy die to purchase more ways to win and abilities from the rotating Sale Vault. When all properties are owned, the richest player wins – or a player can win instantly by completing an instant-win Sale card.
As someone who rediscovered the hilarity of this game via the Wicked variant (good reskin, but coins instead of paper notes? Boooo), I find these expansions surprisingly intriguing. And look, I know why it’s frowned upon, Monopoly leans heavily into the luck of the dice and has a bad rep for family chaos, but it’s still a giggle and despite the dodgy history behind its creation (look it up, dudes) it has earned its place in board game history and is here stronger than ever.
