Monopoly/Beyond Boardwalk

BEYOND BOARDWALK AND PARK PLACE RULES

These rules are adapted from the book of the same name.

Richard Hutton and Noel Gunther, Beyond Boardwalk and Park Place : the Unauthorized Guide to Making Monopoly Fun Again. Toronto/New York: Bantam Dell Publishing Group, December 1986, ISBN 0553343416 (Paperback)

The goal of these rule changes is to decrease the ready money onhand and thus make properties available to more players. The luck of the game, one of its greatest criticisms, is significantly reduced.

Mortgages

There are no mortgages. If a player needs cash and must get it from a property, they must either sell to the bank (for half the listed price) or sell or trade it to another player.

Sales and auctions

The purchase price of all unowned properties is doubled—for example, Boardwalk/Mayfair now costs $800. This discourages players just rolling the dice and buying anything they happen to land on. If the player chooses not to buy it, it must be immediately auctioned.

Auctions start at half the traditional listing price (not the doubled price) plus $10. For instance, Boardwalk/Mayfair's printed price is $400, so bidding opens at $210.

The player who declined its purchase may make the first bid or pass, and bidding then moves clockwise around the table. Players can either increase the bid by a minimum of $5, or pass. Once each player has decided to pass on their current bid, the last bidder gets the property. They must then pay the agreed price regardless of whether they have the cash available; if they do not, traditional money-generating practises may be used (selling or trading properties). However, if the player finds himself unable to gather sufficient funds even after selling everything they own, they are declared bankrupt and are out of the game. This prevents players overbidding and then evading the debt in whole or in part.

New railroads

The two utilities are treated as railroads. The price changes from $150 to $200, just like any other railroad. Cards directing players to move to the nearest railroad will still apply to the original four railroads. The card representing "Advance to the Nearest Utility" (formerly paying 10 times the roll of the dice) is instead treated as moving the token to the nearest "utility" railroad and paying twice the rent due.

The new rent breakdown for railroads is:

1 railroad ... $ 25
2 railroads ... $ 50
3 railroads ... $100
4 railroads ... $200
5 railroads ... $300
6 railroads ... $400

Players may decide to change the last two values to have doubled ownership benefits like the originals did, thus being $400 and $800 respectively; this alteration of the guidelines above would make a rail baron an even more serious enemy than the six-railroad rules already do.

Building, rents and improvements

Players who own a complete color set do not have to build evenly. A player can choose to buy three houses and place them all on one property.

OPTIONAL: this was not covered in the book, but a potential alternate rule is that they must still wait until they have a full set of houses before being able to buy hotels, thus making uneven building only for housing.

Players must do any building improvements at the start of their turn before rolling the dice.

When in Jail, players cannot build or bid in auctions, and collect only half rent. This encourages getting out of jail as quickly as possible, as opposed to the official rules which encourages players to stay in jail to avoid landing on opponents' properties while still collecting rent on their own.

One dollar ($1) bills are removed from the game. All rent is rounded up so that the last digit is 5 or 0. For example, St James Place/Bow Street with $14 rent would instead collect $15; Mediterranean Avenue/Old Kent Road with $2 rent would instead collect $5.

Doubled rents (on undeveloped properties in a monopoly) are rounded after doubling, not before. For instance, an undeveloped St James Place/Bow Street with $14 rent would double to $28 rent in a monopoly, so would under these rules round up to $30; an undeveloped Mediterranean Avenue/Old Kent Road with $2 rent would double to $4 rent in a monopoly, and would thence round up to $5. (Mediterranean Avenue/Old Kent Road is the only property unaffected by the "doubling" rule under the new rounding rules, since the pre-doubling and doubled rents would both be $5.)

When not in debt to either another player or to the bank, a player may declare "voluntary bankruptcy". This may happen only once per game. The player returns all money, property, housing, and Get Out of Jail Free cards to the bank. He is then given $800 cash and the purple/brown properties, Mediterranean Avenue and Baltic Avenue (Old Kent Road and Whitechapel Road). If owned by another player, that player has no choice in the matter; they are given $120 compensation for each plus $50 per house and $250 per hotel that was erected on the properties before the sellout.

Any payment to the bank not for purchase of property or housing is put into the "kitty" in the centre of the board. This is collected either when landing on Free Parking or as instructed by a GO card. (In a variation that has helped keep the game more competitive, only half the amount - rounded up - goes into the kitty. For instance, on Luxury Tax, $40 would go into the kitty, and $35 would go to the bank.)

When a player lands on Income Tax they may calculate what 10% of their assets would come to before choosing which payment method to use.

As well as cash, property, and held cards, several new things are tradable: free rides (not having to pay rent when landed on), properties with strings attached (for example it will never be sold to a certain player), properties with permanent free rides available, and promises of rewards or protection from the outcome of future card draws.

Players can also counter-offer deals underway, and can even offer absolution from rent in advance for a decided sum up front.

When in Jail, players cannot improve properties, bid in auctions, or collect rent. This encourages players to exit jail as fast as possible, but can be utilized with a bit of strategic thinking.

Go cards

When landing on Go, the player collects $200 and must draw a Go Card. These new cards were invented exclusively for the book.

The twelve cards read as follows:

You decide to take up golf. Pay each other player $25 for private lessons.
The railroads announce a special youth fare. Deduct 50% from the rent the next time you land on someone else's railroad.
Advance to Free Parking and collect the kitty. Pay each other player $50 as a tip for parking your car.
You marry one of your tenants. Collect $25 from each other player as a wedding gift.
You've been elected sheriff. Send another player to Jail.
The railroads run late-- again. If you own any railroads, pay every other player $50 as a refund for poor service.
Your renovations pay off. Collect an additional $50 in rent from the next player to land on one of your properties.
The city condemns one of your buildings. Sell one building back to the bank at one-half the price you paid for it.
You win a night on the house. The next time you land on anyone else's property, you are excused from paying rent.
You hold a party to curry favor with community leaders. Pay $25 to the kitty to pay for the curry.
Your friends honor you as Tycoon of the Month. Collect $50 from each player.
Your brother-in-law becomes president of the bank. The bank will contribute $100 to your final bid in the next auction.

Optional rules

The book also provides a number of optional rules.

Build without owning the complete color set.
- You have to pay $100 to the kitty for each building, and the buildings cost twice the list price. However when selling back it is still at half their old value.

Once per game, a player can choose to buy a property without landing on it by paying triple its list price.

Mortgages are once more allowed but each time a player passes Go there is a 10% penalty, the aggregate cost of their mortgaged properties.

A player can build houses during their turn only after rolling the dice.

Players can trade during an auction.

Trades can affect a player's right to bid.

Auctions have no minimum bid price set.

The first bidder may name any starting price.

The voluntary bankruptcy rules can also be tweaked.

If six players are left, the player receives $700
If five players are left, the player receives $750
If four players are left, the player receives $850
If three players are left, the player receives $950
If two players are left, neither can declare voluntary bankruptcy.

Each player has the option once per game to voluntarily send themselves to jail.

These rules (except the kitty) make for more interesting trades and a potentially shorter game.

The voluntary bankruptcy rule allows a losing player to get back into the game, whereas otherwise they would be taken out and have to sit and watch to see who wins. Voluntary bankruptcy lets players' final bankruptcies be closer together.

It is probably advisable to put the $1 bills back in the game so as not to slow things down with mathematical calculations.

Starting cash could be limited to $1000-$1200 as seen fit.

These adjustments to the above will create a much faster game (not quite as fast as the traditional rules) and most games will still see many players own at least one Monopoly.

Summary

We have often found that Monopoly becomes much more competitive - and interesting - when these rules are applied (although we use only the "normal" new rules, with the exception of putting half of taxes, fees, etc., into the kitty).

References and external links

Epinions.com review of the book, summarising the rules and contents
rec.games.board thread describing the rules in even further detail than what is covered here.