Monopoly® Board Game History

Like any game history, Monopolyâ has a colorful one!  Most board games start out with a simple idea, and this is the same for Monopolyâ.  The board game history started in 1904 when Elizabeth Magie received a patent for the game.  Ms Magie developed the game to show others the economic ideas of Henry George.  The game was first named The Landlord’s game and would be commercially published within a few years of her patenting the game.  The game history of Monopolyâ doesn’t stop there; 20 years later, Elizabeth Magie and others revised the game, making it much like the game that we all know today.

In the early 1930’s, Parker Brothers began selling a game that was much like The Landlord’s Game; this new game was supposedly patented by Charles Darrow.  The board game history has come into question time and time again, and the questions were brought to court in the 1970’s when it was said that Charles Darrow was the creator of game.  Since the court was questioning the board game history, Parker Brothers didn’t obtain the trademarks on the game until the court settled in the mid 1980’s.  In the end, Parker Brothers parent company, Hasbro, only admitted that Charles Darrow had a role in the creation of Monopoly.

Monopoly® Enjoyed by Millions

According to Hasbro, 750 million people have played the game since it was patented in 1935.  This makes the game the most played commercial board game in the world.  In fact, the game made the 1999 Guinness Book of Records, stating that 500 million had played the game at that point.  While today the game is sold commercially and played by old and young alike, the board game history was meant to teach others some economic ideas, and from there the game soon became a source of fun and entertainment.  This is the first real board game that many children play, and it is a game that many people continue to play well into adulthood with their children and their friends.

Monopoly® Today

Monopoly® board game history is long and interesting, and today it remains the best selling board game in the world!  There is no other game that is better known and recognized than this one.  While there are many different versions of the game with different characters and themes, the board game history is far from over.  The game simply keeps reinventing itself, appealing to younger people generation after generation.