The Most Popular Board Game Monopoly

You've probably heard about the board game Monopoly, maybe spent a few sleepless night playing it. Or even flipped the table after losing all your fortune. Yeah, this game definitely has the power to suck you in making you forget about the fact that it’s not real. But what if it would get real? Well, you’ll have a great opportunity to find it out! Yes, rejoice all the hardcore fans of Monopoly because a real life version of this game is on its way! The world’s first Monopoly theme park is set to open later this year in Hong Kong. 

Monopoly Dreams will spread across 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space at The Peak Galleria, which is a popular tourist destination. The creators of the park say that up to 700,000 visitors will be able to get this fully immersive experience per year. It will be based on Chinese edition of the game so don’t expect to see Trafalgar Square, Bond Street or Mayfair here.

However, you won’t be disappointed by this attraction because it will give you the chance to visit themed rooms featuring augmented reality, hologram and 4D interactive game technology. Apart from the well-known elements of the game like the Bank, Water Works, Electric Company, Train Station, Title Deeds and Chance cards, you’ll get to see Mr. Monopoly’s secret mansion and have to solve the mystery of a villian who’s trying to steal his diamond sceptre. And if you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to chill behind the bars then get ready to get locked up in a fake jail cell. What’s more, there’s gonna be hurricane tunnels filled with money and even a 4D movie theatre. Ok, I guess it’s time to start saving up for flights to Hong Kong because I can’t wait to see it all with my own eyes. It sounds like a lot of fun! Would you join me? Let me know in the comments!

I guess the building of this theme park is something that would happen sooner or later anyways because Monopoly is a truly iconic board game with really long history that is full of interesting facts. Most people think that we should thank Charles Darrow for the appearing of the game in 1933. But actually it was stenographer and actress Elizabeth Magie who was the first to come up with the earliest version of the game. It was called The Landlord’s Game and was self-published back in 1906. Allegdedly, once Darrow came to his friend for dinner and was offered to play this game after the meal. He got so interested in it that he asked for a written set of rules. Later on, he presented his own version of the game and sold the rights to it to Parker Brothers, who eventually began publishing the game in 1935. And, as they say, the rest is history.

British intelligence found a way to use the board game during World War II that was truly remarkable. Thousands of prisoners were kept in camps with no hope of escaping, but British intelligence realized they had one huge advantage. You see, German guards allowed British prisoners to receive care packages from humanitarian groups like Red Cross while they were imprisoned. But how exactly would British intelligence use this to their advantage? Surely the packages were thoroughly inspected before they reached the captured soldiers, right? The British intelligence organization MI9 had a brilliant idea, and its leaders devised a simple plan. 

Before troops were sent off on missions, they would be informed that, in the event they were captured, they should be on the lookout for Monopoly games sent in care packages. MI9 then worked with the Monopoly manufacturer in Britain, Waddington’s, to have maps, small metal tools, magnetic compasses, and other supplies subtly embedded inside the games that were sent to soldiers. Of the nearly 35,000 British soldiers who escaped imprisonment during World War II, it’s estimated that some 20,000 of them used the silk maps, compasses, and assorted tools that they found in their Monopoly games.