Monopoly


 * For the Southern Italian town, see Monopoli.

Monopoly is an economic simulation board game with its origins in the early 20th century and nowadays played the world over. The standard version of the game consists of properties based on real-life locations. The most common version in North America is based on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey, while the most common version in Commonwealth countries except for Canada is based on the streets of London.

Understand


Monopoly is a popular board game with a significant element of luck. The original design was created during the Great Depression and leaned into the political theme that corporate monopolies harmed the average family business. Its designer, Charles Darrow, adapted an older, and more explicitly anti-monopolist, game called The Landlord's Game. He used street names and railroad companies from Atlantic City, a beach town reachable from his hometown on the Pennsylvania Railroad.

In 1935, Parker Brothers published Darrow's game, which became a runaway hit. Since then, more than a quarter billion copies have been sold. The game is sold in dozens of languages and more than 100 countries. Localized versions replace the original street names and dollar bills with the local currency and important streets and businesses in that area.

Railway stations
All were termini under the control of the LNER after the Grouping. Both King's Cross and Liverpool Street have seen extensive redevelopment in their vicinity.

Go to Jail?
Whilst you should not get into trouble for viewing Monopoly locations from public streets, many richer residents and property owners in London value their privacy and take 'security' seriously.

Chance
Some of the locations on the Monopoly board represent prime locations in London. You might see a glimpse of prominent figures (be they from commerce, politics or media) as they are whisked away in secured vehicles.