**TL;DR - Monopoly is overly competitive, usually ends in a board flip or storm off, and is not actually a fun game. Additionally, Monopoly as a game was originally designed as a tool to teach about rent and the working class, before being turned into a capitalist product.** My personal experiences with Monopoly have not been great. Firstly, as somebody who gets bored very easily and as somebody who can’t sit still for a long time, Monopoly is a struggle. However, aside from my inability to play a board game for a long period of time, Monopoly is completely overrated. Firstly, board games are supposed to be fun. They are supposed to be a laugh and a way to hang out and have fun with friends and family. Maybe this is because I am not that competitive, but Monopoly takes this fun aspect out by creating an overly competitive environment that can result in anger, people storming out or board flips. Monopoly is a game that game designers name as having a [‘snowball effect’](https://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/articles/the-snowball-effect-and-how-to-avoid-it-in-game-design--cms-21892). This means that when in the lead, you get even more bonuses than simply being in the lead. Therefore, those who are winning generally build larger leads, snowballing their advantages for the next four hours until they actually win. Which mimics the capitalist economies pretty well. The game was designed by Elizabeth Magie to teach players about how working people are screwed over by rent and benefits those in society that own properties. Originally, it had two sets of good rules, those of the [monopolist and the anti-monopolist](https://geekdad.com/2014/04/monopoly-sucks-will-make-worse/). This makes the game even worse to me, as [Magie was given $500 and no royalties](https://www.fatherly.com/love-money/monopoly-board-game-sucks/) for her anti-capitalist economy game that was then turned into a capitalist product by the person who bought the game who ended up making millions. Just to reiterate, not only is Monopoly not fun as it ends up becoming overly competitive and long, but it wasn’t designed to be. It was designed to be a tool to prove how the economy is stacked against the working class in the form of rent. Monopoly is a game that can result in the loss of friends and fun, whilst an individual has had to pay for the luxury of playing a game that has been designed to be anti-capitalist and pro working class by showing the structure of society and who benefits and loses from this structure.

**TL;DR – Monopoly is popular, not overrated. This can be seen in how fun, educational and entertaining the game still is today. Is it any wonder then, that Monopoly still holds the title as one of the most classic board games of all time.** Despite the “inflammatory” nature that Monopoly inspires in (some) people, it is considered to be “…a classic and household staple” and is [one of the greatest board games of all time](https://gamecows.com/monopoly-is-the-best-game/). Furthermore, *what makes Monopoly so popular is that it’s not just a game but a learning tool that engages one on multiple levels.* This can be seen in how the following elements have been worked into the game: it's designed to be unfair, it’s heavily dependent on random mechanics, it takes forever to play, the players have nothing to do when eliminated, and it takes forever for your turn to come up. [Additionally, from an educational perspective Monopoly promotes the following]( https://www.debt.com/news/playing-monopoly-can-teach-your-child-about-money/): family time, communication skills, learning to follow instructions, planning and strategizing, negotiation and trading skills, encourages healthy competition, helps one to understand how other people think, improves math and general literacy skills, good for brain development, encourages problem-solving, learning economic principles (this includes supply and demand, taxes, profit, working capital), [and more](https://www.gamesver.com/18-benefits-and-advantages-of-playing-monopoly-the-game/). So with a [history that spans over more than 100 years]( https://www.investopedia.com/articles/basics/12/lessons-monopoly-teaches.asp), Monopoly is evidently still very much a well-loved board game. Moreover, what makes it unique is that it’s a real estate trading game that offers a lot of financial wisdom and lessons which can be applied to to real-life. What's more, this is all presented in a clever yet entertaining manner. Consequently, these are just a few of the ways in which Monopoly provides learning opportunities. And making the mistake of thinking it's overrated, means you’re missing out on an excellent opportunity to enjoy all of these benefits that this game has to offer.