If you play monopoly by the rules written on the box, it only lasts 30-45 minutes, with intense interaction between players. It's much more exciting, but it's

If you play monopoly by the rules written on the box, it only lasts 30-45 minutes, with intense interaction between players. It's much more exciting, but it's also a really miserable game because of its brutal zero-sum nature. (Bear in mind: the game's creator intended it to be unpleasant to play.) "House rules" like free parking, non-compulsory property purchase, non-auction-mortgage etc seem like very small changes, but they really terribly break the game balance. Putting money under free parking is all it takes to turn a 30 minute shouting match into a tedious three hour snooze-fest. In short: Monopoly is never "fun," but it can be very exciting. It's the house rules that seek less painful gameplay that make the game so very, very dull.