WHEN there is a complete black out, the UPS is dead and so is your laptop battery, it is time to bring out that old, abandoned board of monopoly to keep boredom away. Who knows in the darkness engulfing your entire house there might be a billionaire-in-waiting — you!

When we siblings become really bored with other activities, we bring out our board of monopoly to give it a try. But now in the age of fast action video/computer/cellphone games, board games can seem pretty boring. Agreed!

Whenever we usually played monopoly, the game became struck at one point — when the winner kept winning and the loser kept losing! This dull condition turned monopoly into a boring board game. In its real form, monopoly lacks a dynamic sense.

But if we have new rules implemented, a time will come when no one will be poor. These rules can invigorate the dullness of monopoly, so why not have a go at this board game with some exciting new rules.

Say ‘No’ to ‘monopoly’

What? Yes. Monopoly-within-the-monopoly ought to be abolished! It can take very long for a ‘monopoly’ to form i.e., a group of sites of the same colour, to enable you to build on the properties. So set a rule that you can put houses and hotels onto your sites without bothering about the ‘monopoly’.

It will lead to an income for every player who owns a site. It will turn the game into a dynamic thing where fate changes very fast and excitement pours in every minute.

It is just like you receive a rent of $400 from me on Pall Mall and I recover $700 from you on Trafalgar Square. In this way no one gets disheartened and everyone feels that they can win! The cash flow of every player is not disrupted and the excitement in the game remains.

Tax reforms

Earn more, pay more! Have a player as a ‘Taxer’ and see the rich ones becoming cash-starved. The idea is that a player manages the ‘Taxer’ token in addition to managing their own token. The rich player, i.e. one having developed site(s), is taxed every time the ‘tax token’ lands over their site. Tax may be settled before hand. It could be the exact value of the rent of the site or it could be half that amount. The tax goes to the bank.

So the next time a player would think twice before developing their sites into a ‘money generating monster’!

A tax must be paid when incurred! No tax evasion! Weep or cry, you must pay! The real fun is when the billionaire becomes ‘nillionaire’ — with nothing left. Only then justice is served, I will call this practice ‘Tax reforms’.

No bankruptcy

How terrible the word ‘bankruptcy’ sounds! Well, that is what the real motive in Monopoly is. Very avaricious indeed!

It does not feel good when a player has to leave because they can no longer pay the rent. Despite the suggested tax reforms, there are chances that some players (especially the property tycoons) might undergo total impoverishment. They may sell off their buildings and property, and slip into oblivion…

But it should not come about. There ought to be potential of everyone to become affluent again. The bank can provide loans. Loan of around $500-$600 should be available to everyone to pay rent as well as taxes, but not to buy or develop land. This loan is for dodging extreme poverty, not to become extremely rich. A charge of 20 to 30 per cent on the loan is paid every time you pass ‘Go’ or whenever you generate revenue (no cheating). You keep paying the charge until you pay off the loan.

You don’t have to put all the rules into your game at once. It is up to you whichever rules you implement, though I suggest you apply all of them. You can even modify them to your needs. After all, a game is for fun.

At the end of this reformed monopoly, you will see a fair situation where all the players (hopefully!) will be moderately rich, yet there will be a winner! I will call this new game Socio-poly or Welfare-poly due to its anti-capitalist rules. But it will be totally exciting!

Have a good game!