Monopoly Rules
Buy streets, build houses, charge rent, and bankrupt your friends! Here’s how to play Monopoly, Britain’s best-loved board game of wheeling and dealing.

What's in the Box?
- Monopoly board (with classic London streets)
- 2 dice
- 8 playing tokens
- 32 green houses and 12 red hotels
- 16 Chance cards & 16 Community Chest cards
- 28 property cards
- Monopoly money (various denominations)
- Instructions
Setting Up
- Lay out the board and place all cards in their spaces.
- Everyone chooses a token and puts it on "GO".
- The Banker sorts the money and hands out £1500 to each player (2x £500, 4x £100, 1x £50, 1x £20, 2x £10, 1x £5, 5x £1).
- Youngest player goes first (or whoever can do the best Mr Monopoly moustache).
How to Play
- Roll both dice and move your token clockwise the number of spaces.
- If you land on an unowned property, you can buy it from the Bank for the price shown. If you don’t want it, it’s auctioned off to any player.
- If you land on a property owned by someone else, pay them rent as shown on the property card (double for an undeveloped set, or more if there are houses/hotels).
- Draw a card when you land on Chance or Community Chest – follow the instructions!
- If you land on Income Tax or Super Tax, pay the Bank.
- Go to Jail if you land on that space, draw a "Go to Jail" card, or roll three doubles in a row. Get out by paying £50, using a card, or rolling a double on your next turn.
- When you own all properties in a colour group, you can build houses (evenly!). Four houses can be traded for a hotel.
- If you can't pay rent or a bill, you must mortgage properties or sell buildings to raise cash. If you’re still bankrupt, you’re out!
Tip: Don’t spend all your money at once! Keep some back for rent and emergencies.
Winning the Game
The last player left with any money after all others have gone bankrupt is the winner – and gets bragging rights until the next family gathering!
Classic British House Rules (Optional, for Extra Fun)
- Free Parking Jackpot: All fines and taxes go on Free Parking. Land there and scoop the lot!
- No Auction: If a player declines to buy, the property just stays unsold (makes for a longer game…)
- Speed Play: Set a timer – whoever is richest when time’s up wins.
Did you know? The most expensive Monopoly set ever made was solid gold – and the standard game has been played by over a billion people worldwide!
Quick Reference
- Players: 2–8
- Age: 8 and up
- Average play time: 60–120 minutes
Pro tip: The orange set (Bow Street, Marlborough Street, Vine Street) is statistically the best investment!
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