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Monopoly City, The Board Game - A Review

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A Review Of Monopoly City, The Board Game

No doubt you've heard of Monopoly; the board game where you get to buy properties and houses, charge rent from people who step into them, and usually having the desired effect of gaining more money while getting the undesired side-effect of their malicious glares.

No matter if you're an experienced property magnate or a beginner looking for a good board game, it might interest you to know that there is a new version of Monopoly: Monopoly City!

Get Your Copy Of Monopoly Here!

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Attention, Attention!

There is Monopoly City: The Board Game, and there is Monopoly City Streets, an exciting new venture (ohoho) by Hasbro and Google. Please note that those two things are very different!

What Is Monopoly City?

A basic overview

Monopoly City, the board game is similar to the original Monopoly, where you buy properties, develop them by building residential or industrial buildings and then earn a profit from other players who stop by your properties. The objective of the game is to achieve one of the following:


  • Be the owner of all properties on the board. (Monopoly!)

  • Earn a set amount of money decided before the start of the game.

  • Be the wealthiest player in the game after a set time limit.



However, there are a few new gameplay elements that make it feel fresh and unique, setting it apart from its predecessors!

Your Best Monopoly Advice?

Monopoly has been out for a really long time now, so there must be some great strategies or tips for winning the game! If you know just how to be the ultimate real estate tycoon, make a post here to educate the masses.

1

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Get Out Of Jail Early, Stay In Jail Late

In the early game, everyone's scrambling to get their more...1 point

2

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Orange Color Group; It's The Best!

Lots of people will visit the orange color group a more...0 points

3

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Own the Railroads or Airports and Utilities

So you don't get to buy houses or hotels for these more...0 points

What New Things Does Monopoly City Feature?

Here's another list to show you the most important changes in gameplay:


  • In Monopoly City, the board game lets you construct buildings every single turn. Furthermore, there is no need to land on the property you wish to develop in order to do it.

  • You don't need to own a full color group to start building either; Construct a new building after you buy a new property!

  • It's no longer just houses and hotels anymore - You now have the ability to build residential and industrial buildings. Industrial buildings cost twice the amount as compared to residential ones, but beware: Opponents may build 'hazard buildings' to shut down your residential blocks, thus preventing rent to be paid from them! Luckily, bonus buildings help to prevent that effect from happening.

  • Railroads are no longer squares on the board; they've been transformed into another building option. Use railroads to cut across the board instantaneously to skip rent payment and get to the GO square faster!

  • Auctions are now a common occurance, with Chance cards and board squares dedicated to it. Fight over a piece of hot property with your friends, or scheme to make them overpay for an insignificant plot of land!

What's Your Favorite Color Group?

Don't let's all get the Dark Blue now...

There must a favorite group for anyone who's played Monopoly for a length of time. Vote for yours here!

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My Personal Review Of Monopoly City, The Board Game

The Good Things!

A week ago, my friend next door got a new set of the traditional Monopoly. We had a blast playing it that night, and it just served to make me want to get Monopoly City the very next day, which I did.

My girlfriend and I tried playing it that night. The rules were new and a little confusing at first, but it was easy enough to pick up. We were playing without the rulebook within a half-hour of gaming.

And you know what - I think Monopoly City is amazing! It's like traditional Monopoly, but with some new elements that somehow made it feel like I was playing another game. I can honestly say that I was hooked on the game starting from that night.

Here's a few things about what I thought was great about the game:


  • The mandatory auctions were a great thing to have, especially so when I was playing in a 4-player group. The arguments, the bidding wars and the laughter that ensued was really lively. I think it actually helped to enhance the whole experience of the game quite a bit.

  • People might disagree with me here, but having the opportunity to buy new buildings right from the start is a great idea. It helped move the game to a faster pace, and demands more thinking about your assets: Should I wait 'till I get to a safe spot to begin buying, or do I risk throwing my money into a building and hope someone steps on my property before I do the same to someone else's?

  • The 'bonus buildings' concept adds another layer of strategy into the game, enabling weaker players to thwart the strongest opponent's plans!

My Personal Review Of Monopoly City, The Board Game, Part 2

About The 'Device'...

Of course, no board game is perfect, and so is Monopoly City. The board game features a new device that allows you to hold auctions while it helps to keep time, giving you a 50 second limit. It also determines how many building blocks you can build in a turn by a roulette-thingy device, much like rolling a dice.

I'm quite sorry to say that there are flaws in this device. Here's what you should know about it: (It's really not gamebreaking though, honest)


  • First and most importantly, you should know that the device requires *two* AAA batteries, and a screwdriver. I was prepared for the batteries because of the notice on the cover, but the presence of a screw totally stumped me! To make things worse, I just couldn't locate my own screwdriver that day either. Luckily enough, with a thin hook and some MacGuyver skills I was able to complete the task, but you'd think that Hasbro would design something a little more user-friendly...

  • The LED lights on the device are covered with a murky sort of transparent plastic. This has the effect of making every number seem to light up when viewed at an angle, when in fact it's only highlighting a single number.



Moral of the story? It's really okay if the thing breaks down or gets lost. You can just use a normal dice. I've found that the 'Speed Dice' included in newer sets of the Original Monopoly works very well for this purpose.

So What Do I *Really* Think About Monopoly City?

Honestly? I can see flaws in the design, but it was great fun, just like ye olde Monopoly. The concept of building a city within the board seemed appealing to me, even though you could say the same of the original game. However, it's really quite cool to take a step back and look at the board when you're about 50 minutes into the game - The columns of buildings and skyscrapers really do serve as a marker of how far you and your friends have come into 'building' the board.

There are some things that I would fix to make it better, but hey, that's what house rules are for, right?

In the end, Monopoly City: The Board Game helps to breathe new life into an old game, introducing new elements that keep it fresh, updated and relevant to the world today. Which is great!

My Rating... (Out Of A Possible 5 Stars)

Buy Monopoly City: The Board Game Now!

Let's Get To Building Those Skyscrapers!

Monopoly City Edition

Monopoly City Edition

Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

Become the owner of a vast real estate empire with Monopoly City! Build residential or industrial structures on your properties, or maybe even a skyscraper or two, and watch as your profits come rolling in from your friends! WARNING: Game may be addictive!

Have Something To Say About Monopoly City, The Board Game?

Come and leave your thoughts here!

  • John Rogers Feb 10, 2011 @ 7:46 am | delete
    Have you heard that Hasbro are releasing a new Monopoly version called Monopoly Live: http://www.boardgamescritic.com/2011/monopoly-board-game-gets-intelligent-in-2011-with-monopoly-live/
  • zankuro Oct 19, 2010 @ 2:43 pm | delete
    i bought a district but i dont have enough money to build a residential or industrial, what should i do next?
  • OhMe Aug 7, 2010 @ 3:48 am | delete
    I haven't played Monopoly City but have seen it and it just might be our next purchase. My grandson and I recently purchased the Electronic Banking Edition and love it. Of course, I had to create a lens about it so am lensrolling this one to it. Thanks.
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