Currently, there are over 300 licensed versions of Monopoly games, available across the globe. (Image: Hasbro)Monopoly is one of the most popular board games currently played across the globe. The game is currently available in multiple versions: board game, mobile version and PC version. It has now completed 85 years, since its first publication, back in 1935. The game currently is licensed locally in more than 103 countries and printed in more than 37 languages, just like this, there are many other interesting facts about the popular game. Today we are going to take a look at the 10 of such interesting facts that you might not have known about.
* Monopoly’s official birthday is celebrated on March 19, every year. That is when Parker Brothers acquired the rights for the game from Charles Darrow, the original inventor of the game.
* Charles Darrow fist developed Monopoly back in 1933. And the original game was made with household material like an oilcloth, wooden moulding scraps, handwritten cards and more. It was based on Atlantic City, New Jersey, US. Since then the setting is changed every time the game is introduced into a new country. The city of London was the setting of the first licensed version.
* The original game included 10 metal tokens recommended by Darrow’s nieces. These included an iron, purse, lantern, racecar, thimble, shoe, top hat, battleship, cannon and a rocking horse. Now the game gas over 20 different tokens, including an elephant and a bag of money.
* The original Monopoly game was sold for about $2 (approximately Rs 150). That considered to today’s prices of around Rs 800 for the base variant of the game, is considerably more affordable.
* Currently, there are over 300 licensed versions of Monopoly games, available across the globe. These include special sports and movie Monopoly games, a Braille edition and even some limited editions.
* Monopoly games can stretch for a long time, but none of your usual Monopoly games at home would compare to the longest Monopoly game, which was played for 70 straight days.
* The first digital edition of Monopoly was launched back in 2008 as a mobile game for the iPhone. It was later also launched for Android devices. The game has since amassed millions of downloads on both iOS and Android platforms.
* For all the cheaters, there is a special Monopoly version available just for you, called the Monopoly: Cheaters Edition. This was launched in 2018 and has incorporated cheating into the rules. In this version of the game, players can attempt to get away with “borrowing” money from the bank, skipping spaces and avoiding rent payments.
* The game is so popular that it even has an Emmy winning documentary about it called, Under The Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story, which debuted in 2010.
* Monopoly’s official Facebook page has over 10 million followers, which is more than the population of a few small countries.