Monopoly Instructions - does anyone actually read them??

You may consider it a rant, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Does anyone actually ever read the Monopoly Instructions?? Seriously, it seems like people just play by some odd collection of false memories and crazy house rules that don't make any sense whatsoever.

Every game has rules, and board games rules are particularly important because unlike a video game where the game environment and game physics take care of everything for you, you actually need to BE the game physics and make sure everything works out all right. The monopoly rules are easy to understand and they are explicit, but no one seems to take the time to actually read them. Sure, it's a few pages long but Monopoly is the world's most popular board game, so reading the monopoly instructions is an endeavor that pays off in the grand scheme of things.

Of course, most people never have nor will ever read the monopoly rules because everybody knows the rules somewhat. Therein lies the problem. If you don't know the rules to a game at all, you will read the instruction booklet. But everyone knows at least a few monopoly rules so chaos ensues. Players are putting two hotels on properties, thousands of dollars on free parking, not buying property until they pass Go once, and a whole host of other hybrid house rules.

The best kind of lie is one that's mixed with the truth, and that's the problem with everybody's perception of monopoly rules. It's such a blend of fact and fiction that nobody knows what's really going on. So here is my desire - that everybody in the world go, go right now and read the actual, real, factual, Monopoly Instructions. Then go play a game and see how great the game can be when there is actual order and sense involved.