Monopoly Junior is the version of the Monopoly board game dedicated to children aged 5 and up. The game teaches the basics of money management through the use of a simplified banknote system compared to the classic Monopoly. Properties, houses and hotels have also been replaced with businesses that can be purchased by players. Read the game instructions in this article to be able to play Monopoly Junior with your friends.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Preparing the Game
Step 1. Check the contents of the package
Before starting to play, it is always best to check if all the essential components of the game are present. This control allows you at the same time to begin to know all the elements of Monopoly Junior and to understand its purpose. The standard Monopoly Junior package should contain:
- The game board:
- 4 pawns;
- 1 nut;
- 20 Unexpected cards;
- 48 "Sold" tokens;
- 90 banknotes worth 1 M (Monopoly Dollars) each.
Step 2. Configure the game board
Open the board, then place it on the surface where you want to play, for example on your desk, solid table or carpet in your bedroom. Make sure that all players can access the game board easily and without difficulty. At this point, each player must choose a "Discover your pawn!" to find out which token has been assigned to it and place it on the "Go!" of the board.
Step 3. Give each player 12 "Sold" tokens
The signals must match the place marker assigned to each player. Distribute the respective 12 tokens to each of the participating players.
Step 4. Choose one of the players who will perform the "Banker" function
The latter is the figure who manages all the money in the game, keeping it separate from his own. The "Banker", despite his task, however, remains in all respects a participant in the game.
Step 5. Ask the player who has been invested with the position of "Banker" to distribute the money to the various players
At the start of the game, each participant receives a sum of money which varies according to the number of players:
- In the standard Italian version of Monopoly Junior there are 90 banknotes, all the same, with a value of 1 M each;
- 2 players: each participant is entitled to 20 M;
- 3 players: each participant is entitled to 18 M;
- 4 players: each participant is entitled to 16 M;
- Note that if you have the English version of the game there will be bills of different denominations and the distribution system will be much more similar to that of the classic Monopoly.
Step 6. Shuffle the "Unexpected" cards, then place them in the appropriate space on the game board
"Unexpected" cards feature a question mark (?) Printed on the back. Make sure that all "Unexpected" cards are facing the board so that players cannot read their contents before drawing them from the deck.
Step 7. Each participant will have to roll the die to find out who will be the first to start the game
The player with the highest score will be the one who can start the game. The game turn can pass to the left participant, following the clockwise direction, or the right following the counterclockwise direction, according to the needs and preferences of the players (normally, the game continues clockwise).
Part 2 of 4: Moving Around the Game Board
Step 1. Roll the die
At the start of their game turn, each participant rolls the die to move his placeholder piece along the board's squares accordingly. Each player is entitled to only one die roll per turn. Read and follow the instructions on the box where you stopped.
Step 2. Buy properties that don't belong to any other player
If the square you stopped in after rolling the die is not marked with a "Sold" token, buy it by paying the amount stamped on the square, then place one of your "Sold" tokens on it. Now the property in question is yours, so in the future you will be able to collect the rent from all the players who stay there.
Place a "Sold" marker on top of the purchased square to show other players that it is your property. In this case the "Sold" tokens are free
Step 3. Pay the rent every time you land on a square owned by another player
If, as you move along the board, you end up in a square owned by another participant, you must pay him the rent, which is the value shown inside the square. If the owner of the square you landed on owns both properties of the same color, you must pay doubled rent.
Step 4. When you pass the "Via", collect 2 M
Whenever you stop or pass the "Via" starting box, you have the right to withdraw the sum of 2 M from the bank. Always remember to withdraw the money as soon as you pass or stop on the "Go" box. Unfortunately, if you do not withdraw the money before passing the game turn to the next participant, you will lose the right to collect 2 M from the bank.
Step 5. When you arrive at a train station, you can roll the die a second time
Whenever you stop at a train station, you have the right to reroll the die and therefore to move your pawn forward again on the board according to the number that came out (in the most recent versions of Monopoly Junior the railway stations have been replaced by squares "Unexpected", you will then have to draw a card and follow the instructions contained).
Step 6. Pay 2 M when you land on the fireworks or water show boxes
In older versions of Monopoly Junior, there are two boxes that force you to pay a 2M fee in one case to watch the fireworks show, in the other for the water feature. This money must be accumulated in the box labeled "Free Parking" on the board. In recent versions of Monopoly Junior these two boxes have been eliminated.
Step 7. Skip a turn if you stop on the "In prison" space
When your pawn lands on this space on the board, you must go directly to the "Prison" space and skip the next game turn. In this case, since you are not passing through the "Via", you are not entitled to collect the 2 M as is normally the case.
When your pawn lands directly on the "Prison" space it occupies the "Transit" portion which does not involve any loss of game turns, just like in the classic version of Monopoly
Step 8. If you are playing an older version of Monopoly Junior that contains the boxes for paying taxes to watch the fireworks or aquatic show, each time you stop on the space where the respective accumulation is money ("Free Parking"), you can withdraw the present sum
This is the same mechanism present in the classic version of Monopoly relating to the payment of "Taxes" and the "Free parking" box.
Part 3 of 4: The Unexpected Cards
Step 1. When you stop on an "Unexpected" space, you are forced to draw a card from the deck of the same name
In this case, you must draw the first card placed on the top of the "Unexpected" deck and follow the instructions contained therein. When done, turn the card up, then return it to the bottom of the deck. When all the "Unexpected" cards have been used, they must be shuffled carefully and placed again face down on the appropriate space on the game board.
Step 2. When you draw some special cards, such as "Go to
.. "or" Return to … ", you must move your pawn to the indicated square. At this point, follow the instructions on the square as you normally do after rolling the die. If you land on the" Go "square, remember to reroll 2 M from the bank.
Step 3. If you draw the card that entitles you to acquire a property for free, place one of your "Sold" tokens
In this case your token remains on the space it is in, while you must follow the instructions on the "Unexpected" card to place your "Sold" token. There are three cases to follow for the placement of a "Sold" marker based on the "Unexpected" cards:
- If only one of the properties of the color indicated by the "Unexpected" card is not occupied, you must place your "Sold" token on the free one. On the contrary, if they are both free, you can choose without limitations which of the two you want to become yours.
- If both properties of the same color are occupied, but by two different players, you can choose one and replace the existing "Sold" token with one of your own. At this point, return the "Sold" token relating to the property you "expropriated" to the rightful owner.
- If both properties of the same color are occupied by two identical "Sold" tokens (therefore owned by the same player) you cannot perform any action. In this case, you simply discard the current "Unexpected" card and draw another one to follow the new instructions.
Part 4 of 4: Winning the Game
Step 1. The game ends when one of the participants has run out of money
When one of the players has run out of his "dollars", the game is over. The participant who ran out of money lost, while the winner is to be decided among one of the players still in the game.
Step 2. All participants must count their own money
Remember that this step only takes place in 3 or 4 player games, in which those who still have money must do the count. If you are playing with 2 and one of the two runs out of money, the winner automatically becomes the other player.
Step 3. The winner is the player who has accumulated the most money
When all participants still in possession of the money have counted it, it will be possible to announce the winner. The latter will coincide with the player who has the highest number of "dollars".
Advice
- See how much money your opponents have left. Whenever you draw an unexpected card that entitles you to place a "Sold" token for free, try to acquire one of the properties already owned by the opponent who is stronger at that moment.
- The rules described in this article refer to the standard version of Monopoly Junior. As in the case of the classic Monopoly, there are several special themed editions, for example the one dedicated to Ben 10, Toy Story and the world of Disney Princesses. Some features of these special editions may be slightly different from the original ones; for example, the placeholder tokens could be replaced by the characters of the chosen theme, just as the purchase of properties could be replaced by the purchase of characteristic elements of the theme that the special edition of the game is inspired by. However, the rules by which the game is played remain essentially unchanged.
- Always try to place "Sold" tokens on both properties with the same color. By controlling two properties of the same color you can request double the rent from the other players; moreover, they cannot be expropriated from you, so they will remain yours for the entire duration of the game.
- The logic of Monopoly Junior is the same as the classic game for adults, but the rules and timing have been adapted to the needs of children to turn them into small entrepreneurs. If the game starts to get long and boring, you can always stop, count the money and properties to end the game and immediately decide who won.
