Holiday Season is a special time of year when we get to focus on the parts of life that matter most — giving thanks for the blessing of life and spending time with loved ones.
To that end, it’s no wonder today has been dubbed ‘Play Monopoly Day.’ Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means families all over America will be cooking together, trading stories and sharing laughs, and of course bringing out the board games.
Now, we don’t know what memories you have of playing Monopoly, but we think we speak for a ton of people when we say the classic board game has a way of causing arguments. When you think about the rules of the game, the tension is sort of built in — the purpose of Monopoly is to own the most lucrative properties on the board, get the other players to pay rent, and eventually drive them into bankruptcy by collecting all their coin. How could you not argue a little?
In fact, one study says Monopoly causes the most arguments of any board game ever.
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“Being sent to jail? Don’t pass go, don’t collect $200? Or worse yet, did someone else at the table buy up Park Place right after you started building on the Boardwalk? You’re not alone,” Online Casino wrote in an article that compares board game blow-ups, adding “Nearly half of Americans said Monopoly was the game most likely to get them into trouble with their fellow players. And whom exactly are players arguing with? Over 2 in 5 people said it was with the friends they happened to be playing with, while more than a third said they argued with their siblings most. ”
Monopoly is certainly one game with the potential to bring out the worst in people, sure, but of course there are others. Check out our top 5 list below and let us know which games are dangerous territory in your family. Happy Holiday Season!
1. Monopoly
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As mentioned, you can’t win Monopoly without being a cutthroat capitalist, so the tension is sort of built-in. But we have to admit: there’s nothing like the rush of gaining control of the board and having all the other players worried about landing on your property.
2. Uno
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There are so many different ways to play Uno that eventually everyone begins to argue over the house rules. What are the authorized rules in your family?
3. Spades
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Listen, if you’re not a seasoned Spades player do not sit your behind down to play this game! Everyone at the table plays to WIN and you’ll be blacklisted by the family for years to come if you don’t know what you’re doing.
4. Taboo
To win at Taboo you’ve got to be clever and alert — are you paying attention to whether or not your opponent is using forbidden clue words, or unauthorized gesturing? Are you delivering clues to your teammates in the clearest way possible? Get it together or your partners will most likely be pissed.
5. Jenga
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Of the five listed, we’d say Jenga is not as intense, but don’t cheat or try to go for the easiest piece, because you will get called out — quickly!
