Section 1: Introduction
Monopoly is a property-trading board game for two to eight players. Move around a board buying properties, build houses and hotels, and collect rent from opponents who land on them. The last player left solvent wins.
It is published by Hasbro. There is a Monopoly World Championship, but it is run by the publisher — there is no independent governing body issuing the rules or sanctioning play, which is why this is catalogued as a community entry rather than an official one.
What this page is. An independent description of play, not a reproduction of Hasbro's rule sheet. The publisher's rules are linked above and are authoritative where the two differ.
Section 2: Components
- Board of 40 spaces: 28 properties (22 streets, 4 railroads, 2 utilities), plus Go, Jail, Free Parking, Go To Jail, taxes, Chance and Community Chest.
- Two six-sided dice.
- Tokens, one per player.
- 32 houses and 12 hotels.
- Chance and Community Chest cards, plus a title deed for every property.
- Money in denominations from $1 to $500.
Section 3: Setup
- Each player starts with $1,500 and places a token on Go.
- One player acts as banker, keeping bank funds separate from their own.
- All title deeds, houses and hotels start with the bank.
- Highest roll goes first; play proceeds clockwise.
Section 4: Gameplay
A Turn
- Roll both dice and move that many spaces clockwise.
- Act on the space: buy it, pay rent, draw a card, or pay tax.
- Rolling doubles grants another turn — but three doubles in a row sends you to Jail.
- Passing Go collects $200.
The Auction Rule
If you land on an unowned property and decline to buy it, it must be auctioned to the highest bidder, starting from any amount. This is in the published rules and is probably the most widely ignored rule in the game — skipping it is the main reason casual games run so long.
Building
- Owning a full colour group lets you build houses, and rent rises sharply.
- Building must be even across the group — no second house on one property until every property in the group has one.
- Four houses upgrade to a hotel. Houses and hotels are limited by what the bank holds, and running out is a real constraint.
Jail
Leave Jail by rolling doubles, paying $50, or using a Get Out of Jail Free card. After three failed turns you must pay and move. Rent is still collected while in Jail.
Section 5: Scoring & Winning
There is no score. A player is bankrupt when they cannot pay what they owe, and the last solvent player wins.
- Debt to another player transfers all assets to them.
- Debt to the bank returns properties to the bank for auction.
Shorter Games
The published rules include a time-limited variant in which play stops at an agreed hour and the wealthiest player — counting cash, property and buildings — wins.
Section 6: Variants & House Rules
Monopoly may be the most house-ruled game in print. The common ones, and what they actually do:
- Free Parking jackpot: taxes and fees accumulate on Free Parking and are collected by whoever lands there. Not in the published rules — it injects money into the game and is the single biggest cause of games that never end.
- No auctions: declined properties stay unowned. Also lengthens the game dramatically.
- Double Go: $400 for landing exactly on Go. Not published.
- Immunity in Jail: not collecting rent while jailed. The published rules say you still collect.
- Speed Die: an official add-on introducing a third die to shorten play.
