Forget everything you thought you knew about Monopoly! This classic board game, often the source of countless family arguments and heated debates over rent and banking, actually has a definitive set of rules that many players have been blissfully ignoring. Thanks to TikTok user Tanner, the truth is out, and it’s causing a major stir in the Monopoly world. His viral video, perfectly timed for National Play Monopoly Day (November 19th), reveals shocking official rules that overturn many long-held ‘house rules’ in families worldwide.
Tanner’s video highlights several key discrepancies. For example, many players believe you need to complete a full circuit of the board before you can start buying properties. Wrong! According to the official rules, property acquisition can commence immediately upon landing on an unowned property. This changes the early-game strategy dramatically, adding an exciting new layer of competition from the very start.
Another hotly debated point: Free Parking. Many players incorrectly believe this space acts as a central pot, collecting all taxes and fines, with the lucky player landing on it claiming the jackpot. Tanner confirms that this is a completely false interpretation. Free Parking, in the official rules, serves no purpose whatsoever. It’s simply a blank space—a cruel joke played on generations of Monopoly players!
The handling of unpurchased properties also differs from many house rules. When a player lands on an unowned property and declines to buy it, the official rule dictates that the property immediately goes up for auction. This significantly alters the flow of the game, offering other players the chance to snatch up prime real estate—providing exciting tactical opportunities and potentially creating huge advantages.
Even jail time isn’t the penalty many believe it is. While in jail, you might think you’re out of the game, but according to the official rules, you are still able to receive income. You can’t buy properties or move around the board, but you’re not completely shut out from the financial aspects of the game. This revelation will surely lead to many re-evaluations of in-game strategies.
Perhaps the most surprising revelation concerns bankruptcy. When a player goes bankrupt, their assets and remaining cash don’t go back to the bank; instead, they are transferred to the player to whom they owe money. This fundamental rule change has massive implications for game dynamics and likely explains some unexpectedly swift victories.
Finally, Tanner dispels the myth of a reward for landing on ‘Go’. Contrary to popular belief, landing on ‘Go’ doesn’t automatically provide any bonus money, as many players erroneously assumed. These revelations, brought to light by Tanner’s TikTok, prove that many of us have been playing Monopoly wrong for years.
So, this National Play Monopoly Day, dust off your board, ditch the house rules, and prepare to experience Monopoly as it was intended—a rollercoaster of official rule-driven excitement and surprising twists. Are you ready to play by the book?
