Why You Should NEVER Play MONOPOLY Again

Monopoly is a terrible family board game, that no-one should still be playing. In this video, I explain why. Links to the games mentioned in this video:
Ticket To Ride:
US - amzn.to/2kzwanO
UK - amzn.to/2kwpibx
DE - amzn.to/2kwjMFO
CA - amzn.to/2l3UQSs
FR - amzn.to/2kwkkvm
Stockpile:
US - amzn.to/2l3S6on
UK - amzn.to/2kwBSHx
DE - amzn.to/2l22Vb8
CA - amzn.to/2l3Tp6A
FR - amzn.to/2kwmkDz
Quadropolis:
US - amzn.to/2k2QQBw
UK - amzn.to/2kwk7bg
DE - amzn.to/2l2jILl
CA - amzn.to/2kotUxO
FR - amzn.to/2kwuVpU
Lords of Vegas from Mayfair Games: / mayfairgames
US - amzn.to/2kYP1tL
UK - amzn.to/2l2dnQ9
DE - amzn.to/2kwoTWl
CA - amzn.to/2l3FYU4
FR - amzn.to/2l2g2Jn
Forbidden Island:
US - amzn.to/2jKdNbT
UK - amzn.to/2l2g18w
DE - amzn.to/2l2fO5g
CA - amzn.to/2l29A5b
FR - amzn.to/2l2gyHA
Monopoly - NO, DON'T YOU DARE BUY THIS!
US - amzn.to/2l3LLt2
UK - amzn.to/2kwlCGp
DE - amzn.to/2l2lEDJ
CA - amzn.to/2l3TB5O
FR - amzn.to/2l2hBXK
Twitter: / actualol
Facebook: / actualol
Website: actualol.com
Board Game Geek: boardgamegeek....
Thank you for watching! And thank you for all your comments, I love making videos for you all!
If you're new to Actualol, my name is Jon Purkis. My two passions are writing comedy and playing board games, so I decided to combine the two in this KZbin channel.
I make all my videos on my own, in my flat in London, UK, with the help of a diverse selection of wigs.
_
My favourite videos:
Top Ten Games to Play at Christmas: • Top 10 Board Games to ...
The Board Game Song: • The Board Game Song
Zombie Board Game Mega Review: • 5 Zombie Board Games
5 Alternatives to Pictionary: • 5 Reasons to Never Pla...
Hidden Movement Board Games Mega Review: • Hidden Movement Board ...
And for something completely different, my 5 Stages of Brexit: • The Five Stages of Brexit

[@actualol]

The winner of the five game competition prize is JustRosieStorm! Congratulations! For everyone else, please see my more recent videos for other chances to win board games!

[@dougjustdoug66]

Actualol we don’t lick monopoly

[@dougjustdoug66]

🤓🎮

[@mallcherry123]

Idiot

[@DanielRojasSinger]

@@dougjustdoug66 Wise people. Licking board games is how I damaged most of my collection. Plus, there's much better choices in terms of taste other than Monopoly.

[@bhaveshchauhan6866]

Five years late!

[@lazybookworm]

Something I really appreciated was that each time you pointed out a gripe with Monopoly, you also suggested a game that fixed this.

[@AxelStone671]

Seriously, we need a t-shirt with "Monopoly - the board game equivalent of the Great Depression".

[@actualol]

+Fredrik Schulz Haha, sounds good!

[@KanalDerGutenSache]

Rolls right of the tongue

[@JesseMillerA]

Fantastic video on Monopoly. The ONLY reason I can think that Monopoly still comes to the forefront is it's cost. I love me some modern board games, but a lot of the games mentioned in this video retail for over twice the cost of Monopoly (except for Forbidden Island, which is a steal at it's price). When mom or dad go to the store to pick up a game for game night, they understandably go for A) something they recognize, and B) something that doesn't cost much. I think getting low cost alternatives into big box stores (such as Sushi Go Party, Codenames, and Pandemic) will really help to get people off of Monopoly and onto better games.

[@actualol]

+Jesse Miller That's a very good point. I might do a video about affordable games at some point in the future.

[@saikoujikan]

And brand deals, don’t forget those brand deals.

[@BridgyP]

This is the core problem. Brand recognition and competing on price is key to success. So many good board games cost not even twice- 4 times as much as monopoly, risk or so many famous board games. They're also often not publicly recognisable or sold widely. You have to really know board games to find good ones

[@xshadowscreamx]

it's especially not easy being a boardgame player in Australia.

[@XimCines]

The reason Monopoly is so cheap is because it has mass production lowering it's costs really deep. As long as people realize en masse that there are better options it will be more competitivo and that will happen when the old 80s dinousaurs get extinct. It was all they knew at their young age.

[@DaveBrunoAnimation]

Haha such a great point, I have some friends that get all excited when they release a new like "Zelda Monopoly!" or "Pokemon Monopoly!" and I'm like "Itsssss STILL Monopoly, guys!"... Extra points for sucking to Pokemon Monopoly for not naming it "PokeMonopoly", like they couldnt even get that right lol

[@tymmezinni]

You can make Zelda Monopoly by just writing Octorok Boulevard on a piece of tape and putting it over Baltic Avenue. That's about how much effort Parker Bros. puts into their licensed remakes.

[@xshadowscreamx]

The only half decent monopoly game is monopoly gamer edition, cuz it's like mario kart.

[@KnakuanaRka]

I remember seeing a whole shelf of those cheap ripoffs at Walmart. I grabbed Horrified instead; excellent game, even for my dad, for whom getting him to play my games is like pulling teeth!

[@davidwillson1389]

We've just used Ticket to Ride and Qwirkle to get a 65 year old couple playing board games for the first time. Its never too late to expel the Monopoly Legacy!!!

[@actualol]

+David Willson Awesome! Great work! Keep fighting the good fight!

[@xshadowscreamx]

How's the fight going these days?

[@SuperballsSupervidsOnYT]

I would love to see some genius actually make a mo only legacy game. Heard great things about the risk legacy game.

[@ZukusScaenicus]

I was once given Lord of the Rings Monopoly as a gift, picked up at a garage sale. Having long fallen in love with A Game of Thrones and Twilight Imperium, I had no desire to play it, but said my thanks, figuring I'd at least get the cool Ring that came with it and the die with an Eye of Sauron for a 1. I got the die, but turns out whoever was selling decided to keep the Ring for themself. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. It is a tempting trinket indeed...

[@TheShapingSickness]

Lmfao what a plot twist

[@ThePsh07]

“After all, why shouldn’t I keep it?”

[@j.c.mosier7981]

Brilliant as usual, Jon. And, just in case it hasn't been mentioned in one of the other 1,700+ comments, when Elizabeth Magie invented "The Landlord's Game," she intended it as a cautionary tale. What became "Monopoly" was SUPPOSED to make Timmy cry and learn to hate unfairness. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Landlord's_Game

[@deadersurvival4716]

@@erdelegy I mean... it wasn't intended as a game, it was intended as a teaching tool, so yes.. You ran face first into the point.

[@DatcleanMochaJo]

Glad she got screwed over. Maybe she could try making a game about the danger of government bureaucracy.

[@alonsothoth]

Actually, I think Monopoly's bad reputation is a compliment to its designer, Elizabeth J. Magie Phillips, who apparently wanted to show exactly how cruel and unfair Capitalism could be. I've read that somewhere and that information could be false, but I do think it's the perfect demonstration of social decadence. It only needs to add some war crimes and environmental catastrophes to be the ultimate real-life (depressing) board game. I love your videos, thanks for sharing your experiences :)

[@blindey]

It doesn't matter what the original statement was, and this game isn't really that game, because it isn't a good game. I thought "board games" were all like monopoly for the longest time. Especially since I didn't have anyone to tell me otherwise, so I avoided them. I could've been board gaming a lot earlier than I had been if I woulda known. I wanna have fun (and that fun can be from different stuff like optimizing moves, a rich story, trying to reach a shared goal etc) when I come together with others and try to have a nice night.

[@alphabet2238]

Ah yes. Modern day monopoly where you have green taxes and Greta Thunberg tearing down your properties for not being net zero.

[@gomezthechimp1116]

It was riginally called 'The Landlord Game', and was supposed to highlight the evils of slum landlords. Unfortunately, and somewhat ironically, Charles Darrow turned it into a game which was the exact opposite of Magie-Phillips vision. Even worse, he managed to obtain the copyright to the game, thus denying her of any financial compensation.

[@Astro-bh7fv]

It definitely sends a message about capitalism

[@friedrichhayek4862]

And everything is a myth.

[@MrBaraqel]

Well said. I accidentally stayed up till the early hours playing a modern board game (Viticulture) last night and my friends and I never shouted at each other once! If we were playing monopoly I guarantee that we would not be on speaking terms today 😃

[@waltlock8805]

Don't worry, there are plenty of modern board games even more cutthroat than Monopoly if you want to scratch that itch.

[@benjaminsanderson6416]

so I'm weird I still enjoy monopoly despite agreeing with everything you said.

[@fowlae4414]

The reason it's fun is because it's supposed to teach you how capitalism worked during the Great Depression. There's a reason it's called "monopoly" after all.

[@gabrielesimionato1210]

You don't like monopoly. You like playing with your friends. Try another game, then come and tell us.

[@somerandomuser6808]

@Biggie Biggodikko Ikr? Some people just can't respect others opinions.

[@kadinfehr785]

SomeRandomUser01 no.... I agree that he was rude with the way he said it like a fact, but there’s a good chance that this dude just likes to be around his friends, without distractions like phones. That’s the great thing about board games, and if he was willing to try another game, I’m sure he’d have a good time. Nothing wrong with liking to play Monopoly, only trying to say Monopoly is well designed.

[@TeChNoWC7]

@@kadinfehr785 I think it’s actually well designed at achieving what it was trying to do, which is to be a shit game that shows that capitalism is shit - the irony is people don’t see that and think it’s fun, and now it has a monopoly on board games even though it intentionally sucks.

[@woehrle17]

I need to get a shirt that says "No, not like Monopoly." Funny video mate!

[@actualol]

+RecordsHisPlays Ha! Great idea.

[@bitrubbish]

We'll all forgive you if your next video is shorter and less entertaining than normal as long as we know that you've watched Westworld.

[@actualol]

LOL! Okay sounds good to me!

[@Judgedredd1973]

hello it's me Darren the yoga instructor

[@jiritsu0]

I guess we have a winner here! ..even if he doesn't get the giveaway.

[@actualol]

GET OUT!

[@reneraps6313]

Give your Monopoly to him. He will shut up for hours. :-)

[@jonathancampbell2387]

Hi actualol. How is your contest winner decided? Is it based on a dice roll or can I affect the outcome?

[@stephstrawgames]

best comment ever

[@actualol]

I made this video not just for board gamers, but for everyone, so please share it with your friends! If you want to enter the competition to win the FIVE games in the video, subscribe to this channel, like the video and post a comment.

[@fszkVF]

Actualol already shared! :)

[@mitchellquinn]

Oh, I have just the person to share it with ... I love a bit of Monopoly trashing. :-)

[@MrWetty01]

Any other board games we should never play? (I'm not a fan of traditional werewolf)

[@jamescleal7974]

Risk....Ugh!

[@voivoed]

If I win, I hope I don't get that copy of Monopoly you used :-)

[@mlmarine]

Monopoly still remains in the collection and gets played every year or so for nostalgia purposes. I have many many fond memories playing this game with my dad in my youth. Yeah, the game sucks by today's standards, but if it can bring back good memories, it's worth bringing out on occasion. And then after reminiscing about the ol' days with grandpa, it time to enjoy the more modern board games.

[@BeyondSolitaire]

I appreciate that you combined a hilarious takedown of Monopoly with legitimately fun alternatives. Great vid, as usual!

[@KingKlonoa]

Is it wrong my friends and I love playing Monopoly because it's so shitty?

[@singkingkaraoke]

My boss is trying to make us play monopoly and I had to show him this video but I'm scared he'll make us do it anyway because it's "Game Of Thrones" themed. Help.

[@ashleepradella4912]

“just sit there in silence until we finish” hahaaa I’m dying

[@freshly733jd5]

It was short and straight to the point, opposed to other board game channels that have lengthy videos on just suggestions alone. 👍 good job, mate!

[@KabukiKid]

Personally, I feel that there are MUCH worse games than Monopoly, but of course it is fair to call Monopoly an outdated game at this point.

[@leandronc]

If there are worse games than Monopoly I'd honestly like to know what they are. Even tic-tac-toe is better, at least it's over quickly!

[@KabukiKid]

Chutes/Snakes & Ladders and Candyland are worse, for example. You have zero decisions in those games.

[@gimobarrera7801]

It is true that there are worse games than Monopoly, but that's the wrong way of looking at it. When it comes down to it, there's just too many games that are better than monopoly, that accomplish what its trying to do without the know design flaws found in monopoly. Not that the designer was bad, but rather we have learned and evolve game design since then (the game is 82 years old and it shows). The way I see it I wouldn't watch a bad movie from 1935 because there are worst movies than that one, when I can just watch all the newer great movies that have learned from previous publications and improved from there.

[@KabukiKid]

That is why I said it is an outdated game. I just always see how people declare Monopoly as the worst board game ever made and that is easily incorrect.

[@ubermanana6746]

I played the 'more realistic' alternative to Monopoly once, 'Anti-Monopoly', which has certain players doing the normal monopolising (take everything for yourself) and other players being competitors, i.e trying to spread out everything to... drive prices up or something? All I remember is that it was even worse than Monopoly because it just NEVER ENDED... it just kept going and going and no one seemed to be winning so we just gave up.

[@MisterSlick85]

There are two types of people in this world: people who have terrible memories of having their souls torn out in a game of Monopoly, and eldest siblings.

[@tvictory]

Great video! I learned about a few games I now want to look into. The best thing about this video is that I got a Monopoly ad just before it. 😂

[@bloodnumber13]

some ideas to make monopoly playable: 1: roll 3 dice, pic 2 (roll triples go to jail,) this will give the player an option on moment, will go to jail more though. ... 2: limit the amount of times you can pass Go to 10 times. it will take you about 50 rolls on average, then the game ends. 3:auction off the property before the game starts starting with boardwalk going counter clock wise, with a minimum buying price of the properties morgage. 4:free parking has all the chance and community chest money you have to pay on it plus $200 if you land there you can pay $50 to roll thriples. you get they money if you do...1/36 chance 5:most money and property wins after 10 circles around the board.

[@actualol]

Neat ideas!

[@bloodnumber13]

My favorite rule for monopoly is still too play somthing else.... lol.

[@FLIPPYNMADZ]

Saw this on Facebook this is amazing. Anytime I mention I love board games people mention monopoly now I can just direct them to this video. Would love to win those board games too

[@yoodoobang]

Discovered this vid in r/boardgames. So glad I did. Great channel!

[@waltlock8805]

Pretty much all board games of that era had the "there can be only one" mentality. Parcheesi, Risk, Monopoly. Fortunately, board gaming has evolved since then.

[@typatterson4286]

Excellent video. I grew up playing games with my family and you really summed up the experience. I'm trying to get them to branch out into newer games, but the older members are set in their ways.

[@JMoney47]

My favorite board game of all time is definitely monopoly though.

[@jwright27596]

Although I agree that Monopoly is a terrible game, I do feel that this video does do it a bit of an injustice. There is skill in monopoly, it is in the trading system. This of course is also influenced a lot by luck, since what you have to trade is random, but it is actually fun in a four or more player game to navigate the complex series of trades to get to your desired sets. Of course some people just dont bother trading to give people sets at all, but that's only because monopoly is a terrible game that atracts terrible game players.

[@forklift1712]

You need the right properties to have good leverage in a trade. And how do you get those properties? Luck!

[@blackbot7113]

@@forklift1712 Luck plays a part in almost every board game, even the one used as a counterpoint - Ticket to Ride. Monopoly undoubtedly has a huge amount of luck involved - not as bad as Snakes&Ladders, but still insanely high. So you are absolutely right that getting leverage relies on luck...but unlike Snakes&Ladders you can still use skill to manipulate your opponents and make favorable trades for you. I think that's the point Joe was trying to make! Not saying Monopoly is a GOOD game by any means, just saying that bad luck can be mitigated UP TO A CERTAIN DEGREE by actual skill.

[@jerod6085]

I hope Actualol chooses his winner based on the Monopoly mechanic... dumb luck! Because if he chooses based on witty or pithy comments, I surly have no hope. :) ...thanks for the laugh!

[@jiritsu0]

Even if you dont have dumbs luck I'll still like your comment. Is that enough?

[@jerod6085]

Thanks! :)

[@ThePsh07]

Monopoly Deal gives me the nostalgia of Monopoly with all the card names/references, while giving simpler games that are more fun & don’t take very long. Haven’t played a game of Monopoly since getting Monopoly Deal.

[@whatever___]

A nice vid though a shame there is no mention of Catan. When people as why I like Catan I tell them that it in monopoly you roll, move and buy everything you land on for ages, then there is a really interesting bit in the middle where you do trading, then you all build houses and hotels and roll and move some more until someone wins. Catan is the interesting trading bit in the middle of a game of monopoly and makes that the whole game. Whoever trades the best wins.

[@JamieLBW]

So much board game flipping could've been avoided if we just had better games as a kid! Love your channel. Thanks for all you do

[@SuperballsSupervidsOnYT]

Growing up in the 80s was the Renaissance before the golden age. I still lament the series of house moves as a kid that eventually decimated my Fireball Island, which I not only loved but almost shit myself when I tried to find a copy

[@fionajitab]

"boardgames? like monopoly?" get that Everytime :/

[@Lugo428]

Damn, just reading that pisses me off.

[@VivaVendetta]

Shared the f*** out of this on my Facebook because I'm sick of people looking at me blankly when I say I'm a board-gamer! Finally, now, they might understand what I mean when I say "no, NOT Monopoly!" for the hundredth time! Oh yeah, and I'd like to enter the giveaway because Forbidden Island and Ticket to Ride are awesome, and the others look good too :D

[@actualol]

+Jay Tillotson I appreciate you going the extra mile and sharing the f*** out of it.

[@standingalone6313]

Back then, monopoly was a game my entire cousin hated and it was impossible to talk to one another after a game. Hopefully new games emerging out of board game will be fun to play with your family for upcoming festivities xD

[@miloshsz]

I have to agree with you. I, as probably many others, was once introduced to board games with a game of Monopoly. I was 8-9 y.o back then. Of course the game felt fun at the time, but the joy didn't last long, and the box ended up hidden in the loset. A few months ago my nephew got his own copy with a card reader for a bank (no cash tossing anymore), but the fun ended even more abruptly, as the "only lucky dice rolls win" fell of the game overwhelmed everyone. The next day my nephew got a brand new Carcassone from me - a game still entry level, but much more pleasing to all the family. Some games that were deigned a while ago weren't thought out to be symmetrical or to give everyone a fair chance, because it was a time of Ludo, Backgammon and the sorts - games driven by luck. Designers gad an idea that the only thing to do is to make up a board on which your pieces will be placed using a dice roll. Nowadays I am glad to have a quadrillion of options to choose from. I love rolling dice in games, but I also want to have some control over the actions they allow. Interaction is the key to success. You want to play the game, not be played by it. I am looking forward to more videos form you :) Cheers

[@actualol]

+Miłosz Szrejter Thanks for your comment, I enjoyed reading it 😀

[@DeclanFeeney]

Sorry - I have to dispute the suggestion that Monopoly is pure luck. There is a significant degree of skill involved, if played by the rules. But its a terrible game. Here's why: 1) Almost everyone thinks they know how to play it, but almost no one does - so you will invariably end up playing some weird house-ruled variant which removes any aspect of skill. The most commonly ignored rule (and removing this single rule makes the game almost entirely luck based) is that if someone lands on a property and does not wish to buy the property it is sold at auction to the highest bidder. 2) Even after everyone at the table knows who's won the damned game continues for another 20 minutes 3) 90% of the game has little impact on who wins and is a complete waste of time. You may as well trim the game to a simple auction game where everyone has a set amount of money and tries to get the best properties for that money. Give me a game of Through the Ages, Power Grid, Eclipse or Steam over a game of Monopoly any day :)

[@fowlae4414]

I must agree that I hat house rules. I was talking to my friend and he said "but everyone gets the taxes on free parking, that's how EVERYONE plays". He seemed more annoying than usual that day, and I have great friends.

[@ScottWildTornadoSponge]

Love all of the board games you displayed. It's amazing how so many games could be so much better than monopoly.

[@heyvince]

My first question when I ask someone why they like Monopoly is "Oh, cool, what do you like about Monopoly?" Then make a better suggestion based on what they say.

[@tenvolt]

Amusing video, as TotalBiscuit points out, might have been worth mentioning that the whole point of Monopoly was that it was designed to illustrate how unfair business was (is?) and how random it is that one person can end up having a monopoly while everyone else goes broke. So it does accomplish what it was designed to do. Which makes it not very fun. Another reason people hate it is that it drags on, but that tends to be because people play with house rules like the pile of money in the middle which you receive if you land on free parking, and many people are unaware of the auction rule that should result in every property being purchased immediately when it is landed on (either by the person who landed on it or someone else). For many (like me), Monopoly was their first slightly complicated board game (one up from Sorry and Kerplunk) and so we still have a fond attachment to it, despite a complete lack of desire to ever play it again.

[@gabrielcamilleri1193]

The description about monopoly is so spot on. I'd love if you had similar videos for other games people believe are classics rather to more advanced counterparts. Best of luck with growing the channel :D

[@maebon]

I hear Bohnaza is also a great alternative for people who like trading.

[@chayashida]

Cile Yep, Bohnanza is a great game!

[@actualol]

+Cile Yeah, it's a lot of fun.

[@shaangom8235]

I'm monopoly and I find this offensive Nah just trying my luck

[@actualol]

I almost believed you for a second.

[@VernHestandIII]

Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

[@nedash71]

There is a game of skill buried in Monopoly, but it is easy to miss it. It is the one or two trades that all the players make once the properties have been randomly distributed by the dice. After a few trips around the board, everyone to randomly gets what they get. After the trades, many more trips around the board determine who made the best trades. That was Monopoly in three sentences. Playing time 45 min - 6 hours.

[@davidmurphy563]

Ah, I've got really fond memories of Monopoly. Especially with my son, he wanted to play it all the time. Now we wants to play Eclipse Second Dawn but the point of a game is to have fun and we had fun with Monopoly whether you think we should have or not.

[@theAstarrr]

I mean...randomness is needed for any gap of skill to prevent a player winning a significant amount of the time, and at least some randomness is fun because it means the game can't be the same every time. Randomness is good, but yes, monopoly does have too much of it since it's what the entire game relies on for doing anything but reacting to where you landed.

[@Nayata07]

I happily went to a boardgame house evening with a backpack full of games (bohnanza, ticket to ride, catan...) and we played monopoly!! I wish I had this video back then

[@jernfuglen]

I played Monoply a few days ago. It wasn't a terrible experience. It's getting much more tolerable when people quickly sell and exchange things, so that the houses and hotels can get onto the board. According to my experience that makes the game much faster and in the end more fun. I would still prefer a lot of other games, but I don't think it's a bad game.

[@MatthewJohnsonA]

Another great video! To quote the movie Wargames: "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play"

[@meris8486]

Sounds like somebody has unresolved trauma from losing to their 9 year old cousin

[@Eggyism]

My family plays board games and it all started with Monopoly, followed by lots of fighting and agreeing that we should never play Monopoly again. I'm definitely sharing this video with my friends and family.

[@Michael_0506]

I just finished playing monopoly tonight, I'll tell you this is the great depression for me. I was winning until my sister made a terrible deal with my aunt , so everyone else besides me got out and it was my aunt and I , I knew the game was over because she had a third of the sites. But they wanted (the losers enjoying) to see me go bankrupt instead. I could've ended the game by giving my aunt the remaining sites, but she refused. And ended up winning anyway.

[@camaranoj]

The ad playing before the video was an ad for Monopoly. Loved the irony.

[@iangill7318]

Hit the nail on the head, Monopoly has caused so many arguments in our family and has succeeded in putting at least one of my kids off boardgames. How can I persuade my late teen kids that they should be playing boardgames?

[@_quaecunque]

Finding board games other than Monopoly was a blessing for someone as unlucky as me, great video!

[@jacobhargiss3839]

monopoly is great. if you think its entirely up to luck, you haven't been playing correctly. while there is some luck in what you land on, a huge chunk of the game comes from strategy. IE: knowing which properties are worth the time and money and which aren't as well as getting the other players involved in trades that are beneficial to you. If you know what you are doing in monopoly, you can absolutely beat someone with just 3 properties even when they own everything else. you just have to understand the game.

[@bigdog84748]

I actually use this same lesson and some of the same games when I guest lecture for before and after school programs. We spend a lot of time teaching kids teamwork, compassion and sharing, then sit them down and play a game that contradicts all of it. I find Dixit to be a great alternative too. Plus, the artwork is amazing. Great job on the video, keep up the good work!

[@stephenwills495]

Have watched this at work during lunchtime.... focus on work this afternoon now going to drift toward zero while I keep thinking of games and what I want to add to my collection :D

[@emred4653]

one of my birthdays we played a game of monopoly that took like 4-8 hours to finish...

[@MaxBurton31]

But, but, but...it was the only board game my parents would play when the power went out, and we all waited in the candlelight for the power to come back on...And it still wasn't fun then...I love the options you put out as alternatives.

[@hudarklord]

That was a great video. I look forward to seeing more from your channel. Just as an FYI, I think that you claimed that modern board games do not have player elimination. That's just not true. Many games, even popular ones (e.g., King of Tokyo), have player elimination, particularly if they are American-style games (i.e., thematic games with conflict) instead of Eurogames. The lack of player elimination does not necessarily make for a better game. Consider a game that lasts for four hours, where nobody gets eliminated, but where you make an early mistake that leaves you powerless to win or affect the outcome much for the whole four hours. That's probably worse than player elimination because the weak player cannot just readily wander away and do something without upsetting the power dynamics in many such games. The best thing is for games not to overstay their welcome. If we played a game with player elimination that lasted only fifteen minutes, few people would flinch at being eliminated for a mere five minutes of that time. I do think that some of the best games are those where people are not eliminated AND they have some reasonable chance to win all the way until the bitter end as long as they make good choices. That said, I am eager to play Crimson Creek, a deduction/social deduction game themed after the old Friday the 13th films with tons of murderous player elimination. Cheers.

[@portugaleagle]

"That hotel... it wasn't meant for you" hahaha! Love it.

[@robdales5380]

Great video. The response is always the same when you tell people you're into board games: "Oh, you mean like Monopoly?". "NO, I DON'T MEAN LIKE SODDING MONOPOLY!" I reckon I'm just gonna send them a link to your video in future,; it explains things far better than I ever manage to.

[@BrentonM]

I'm not sure I've ever finished a game of Monopoly. It always seems to end because no one wants to play anymore, not because someone wins.

[@ianhoward5120]

Great video! I really appreciate that you put so much thought into what makes Monopoly problematic, and then found games that counter those issues. Keep up the good work!

[@RubenKremer]

So that explains why I've never gotten into board games back-in-the-days - I was 'raised' on Monopoly - fascinated by all the modern board games, but still don't play as often as I'd like.

[@johnathanclosser7563]

Great video! Avid board game player here although I have yet to play any of the games you mentioned in this video. I would love to try them out for next game night! And always remember, no monopoly.

[@ashleyhuggs4495]

I've never heard of any of these games he showed. Now I need to go find them :)

[@christopherstokes9393]

Jon: "Why do most people think of a game that's over 100 years old?" Me, a chess player: *sweats nervously*

[@DaveTVilleneuve]

100% Agree! Man I hope to win, I've been needing to expand my collection and I haven't played 4/5 of those and they all look great. Side note, though Monopoly could theoretically last forever. Most games played with original rules won't last longer than 2 hours.

[@jimbeverly8258]

This video eloquently describes what I've been saying about Monopoly for years, and was much more capable at articulating it than my frothing at the mouth and raging. Well done.

[@b1gtex86]

We just started getting into boardgames and have none of these. Also, I loved your holiday video and wish you the best of luck with your channel!

[@meeplefanatic9266]

5:58 I’d say a better game for being mean is Food Chain Magnate. Although sometimes it’s so mean it stops being fun, because when someone falls behind they’re screwed for the rest of the game

[@guilhermesantos1758]

It's hard showing these games to complete newbies sometimes. Like showing The Legend of Zelda to your friend that only plays Candy Crush. Shure zelda is not a hard game but that initial leap is intimidating. And still some people are never going to care about boardgames no matter what you do.

[@actualol]

+Guilherme Santos Yeah, I feel that. Some people don't like change, or to be taken out of their comfort zone. It's a shame because they are missing out.

[@brianjohnston9764]

We've recently started a games night in our office and monopoly, risk and cluedo were problems. There is always someone who brings a copy hoping to re-experience the nostalgia of youth or uncomfortable with the games they don't recognise. You then have the folks who just insult them and their tastes (We boardgamers are meant to be nice people) and other people who humour them and get stuck playing for eternity (please bankrupt me already D:). I've found that a nice middle ground is to put a time restriction on it (we'll play your game for an hour and a half then try something else). I've had to play these games more than I wanted but I have weaned everyone off them and no-one has been insulted, aka. they are still willing to play games with me (Huzzah! Victory). We all want our hobby to grow and that may involve hand holding while people move away from their 'childhood favorites' with respect and courtesy. I have heard many stereotypes applied to 'people who play boardgames' that aren't true (board games more like 'bored' games and you still play games what are you 6?) and many of them are the fault of monopoly. But another one I am hearing more frequently is that they are 'game snobs' and bullies who enjoy putting people down for having an opinion that they deem as wrong. If you make someone feel bad before a game session then that is what they remember, no matter how great a gaming experience you put in front of them. I dream of a world were monopoly is not the first word associated with boardgames and as our hobby is growing so quickly I can see this as a possibility, but we have to be ready to shape our community in a positive way and prevent people from being made to feel excluded. Remember a growing community means more people for us to play with but only if they will play with us.

[@actualol]

+Brian Johnston Thanks for your comment. You're right, we do have to be gentler in our approach, and I apologise if this video comes across as antagonistic. My vitriol in this video is at the game and not at anyone who likes Monopoly. I can 100% promise that if someone came to my game group with Monopoly, I wouldn't laugh at them or condescend. I see welcoming new gamers as a vital part of gaming, and something I hope to do with my channel. I would like to think that a KZbin video with a bit of tough love about their favourite game is less distressing than being condescended in person. I hate people being snobbish in board gaming, and I'm a little sad if that's how I've come across here. Monopoly is the only front on which I would use this kind of message. My future videos will focus on the positives of new board games, not bashing the negatives of old ones. Thanks again for your constructive and insightful comment.

[@brianjohnston9764]

Thanks for your response! I really do enjoy your videos and my comment wasn't aimed at anything in the video but rather the general attitude coming from some of the other comments. I just think that snobbery and the attitudes of some in our community will be an issue that we will have to deal with going forward as the hobby grows. As things are I can already think of several examples of this that I have heard of or observed first hand. ~I wasn't going to mention any of the examples but I felt that this one really puts forward why tackling this attitude is important. A student of mine told me of his two childhood board gaming memories, one was the bizarre tokens that they used to play their family copy of monopoly and their father's awful jokes about them. The second was when they were playing travel scrabble in a pub on a rainy day and someone felt the compulsion to interrupt them and rant about scrabble being a poor game and that people need to have better tastes in games. I never want to hear about someone's opinions of my hobby being shaped in such a way again. I get a lot of my board game news and info from 'Shut up and Sit down' as I really feel that the folks there are pushing forward the attitude of inclusive gaming and I would not have subscribed to your channel if I didn't think that you were doing the same. However, I know that this topic will be difficult for reviewers to approach as it will involve tackling the attitudes of your key audience and possibly telling them they need to rethink about how they approach new gamers. So I believe that when this becomes part of the discussion, people need to raise the issue to push forward the growth of a fun and friendly community. I don't want you to feel that you need to shape your video output as a result of my previous comment, that was not my intention. You are creating great videos that really do present the positive qualities of the board gaming community today and that show your enthusiasm for ensuring that people get to have enjoyable experiences. I have shared your review videos in the past with people looking for games to give as gifts to loved ones and there is no higher praise I can give to your approach to the industry than that. I just felt that It was important that I make sure that the point was made in light of what I was seeing in the comment section. Many Thanks Brian.

[@actualol]

That's great, thanks for sharing my videos. I'm glad to meet people so passionate about reaching new people and being inclusive. I appreciate you weren't aiming to criticise me before, but it's still a good thing to talk about and I'm glad I got a reminder of it, no matter the intentions. I hate to hear stories like the ones you described. Hopefully a less negative outlook on older games in the future in my videos will help encourage an attitude of welcoming people without belittling the older games they mighgt play.

[@PsRetrogamer]

Hey Jon. It's a shame Monopoly is still the #1 most known board game out there. Every time I talk to someone about board games, they always mention this damn game.. Along with Risk, Clue and maybe Trivial Pursuit. It's really amazing that modern board games have so much more to offer thank just roll and move. Board Games have come such a long way and the hobby is now shared by a lot of people all over the world. It's our duty to let people know about this amazing world. And let me tell you, you're doing a terrific job. Keep it up!

[@technologicallyilliterate]

I think the worst part of monopoly is that the bulk of the game is non-competitive. Not that it was ever really competitive with the dice rolling determining everything, but the winner is known early on, because someone will invariably get a color group on a high traffic spot and will start to run away from the other players, which turns monopoly into a long, drawn out, agonizingly painful death march. You have to sit there while the other person gains thousands, knowing that you will not win because you're gonna land on little timmy's hotel at one time or another, and youll be screwed.

[@captoonschannel]

I hope this video is sarcasm. The luck aspect means anyone can win regardless of skill level. Pro players can use some elements to their advantage and some pro players can get wiped out whilst novice players can excel. It’s exciting when you don’t know who’s going to win.

[@mnm1273]

It's mostly unfun when it feels fully random. Something like Yatzee is random enough for anyone to be able to win but gives you enough choice it doesn't feel unfair. Also length matters, being robbed by the dice in a marathon monopoly section is unfun, losing an a round of blackjack is fine.

[@argonna]

While these 5 might not have been my original picks for the video, you do a pretty good job picking some things folks might not have played. I dig it.

[@PV958]

It's so nice to find people that dislike Monopoly, I used to have all kind of different boardgames when I was younger but we still ended up playing that to much of my dismay. Nowadays I barely own any boardgames anymore, so it would be nice win now I finally have people around who like to play boardgames other than monopoly :)

[@17shade17]

Your comparisons are amazing :D I'm sharing this on FB, people need to know that there is more to board games than just rolling dice and moving your character accordingly.

[@davidneto3911]

I remember playing monopoly a bunch as a kid (>7 years old), but there wasn't much else to do at grandma's...

[@Domi_Asmo]

Very nice! I completely agree, I played Monopoly the last time 10 years ago at a NewYear-Party, we ended up fighting like never before, haven't ever played it since and never will play it again! :)

[@campjona]

The real problem is no one plays buy the rules in the rulebook, everyone has "house rules" in their specific family growing up. Free Parking, taxed money goes to the center of the board, etc. And then you play this game with another group and then you say, "Oh nice, free parking, that's $500!" And they say, "No where in the rules does it say that." And you realize you've never played the game correctly in your life.

[@chrismichelotti2152]

Ticket to Ride is still one of my favorites to play with the family! First video to watch from you, and I wasn't disappointed. Look forward to more in the future!

[@MarjoleinVeenendaal]

“Thanks to those pesky dice, Monopoly is a game that could theoretically last forever.” I have never played a game of Monopoly that DIDN’T last forever. You know within about 30 minutes who’s going to win and from then on it drags on forever.

[@mabinin427]

great video. My cousins and I used to always play monopoly until I started buying real board games and we have never looked back

[@duartepinto6948]

Unfortunately I grew up playing Monopoly, it was the only boardgame I played with my parents, cousins, etc. Now, at the same time, fortunately I grew up playing Monopoly because that's where my passion for board games started and as I grew older it got bigger and bigger which is why I play board games every week and I own so many. So it was both a curse and a blessing.

[@robertblack5975]

Interesting points. I knew I did not care for Monopoly, and my wife hates it, but never really understood why. Even attempting a "short" game (deal out the properties like cards before the first turn) does not help much.

[@lfranko1038]

Someone in my office knows I like board games and a few weeks ago told me they had a spare copy of Monopoly that I can have if I like. I said no. True story.

[@sebastienzander5593]

Lords of Vegas has always been my direct response to Monopoly you can get hit hard by dice but it's because you or someone made the choice to take that risk. Great vid

[@sjkellyfetti]

Poor Timmy, always getting the shaft when he plays games... great video with great suggestions!

[@claytongrange2137]

Thanks! Now I can use this video anytime someone brings up the suggestion to play Monopoly!

[@aaronhauth8880]

There are so many house rules in monopoly that it just adds to the frustration. The games lasts as long as it does because a lot of the made-up rules keep people in the game longer than they should. Things like "immunity from paying rent on a property for X amount of times" or "whoever lands on free parking gets a sum of money that came from taxes and fees" It's rarely a good experience playing monopoly (granted, it is usually because I normally lose)

[@truce11]

This video is awesome. Monopoly is a classic board game, but makes no sense with today's games. The critique on Monopoly is valid, but I think the points are more indicative of how far along we've improved the family board game experience. Keep up the good work. Earned a Subscribe & Like.

[@PhilipMurphyExtra]

Monopoly was one of many people's first board game, No wonder why we don't play board games with that poor example through to start. If you do play it however use the official rules