It's no secret that gaming in families can deepen longstanding conflicts. But it's Monopoly that has historically caused even the most sedate auntie to try and send the whole group to jail. Is it the Chance? The Community Chest? The natural grievances brought out by an inflated property market?
Monopoly brings out latent rivalries
Sibling rivalries? Daddy issues? Every family has unseen issues that come to the surface in competitive environments.
Favourite child syndrome
Not all children are born equal, even when they are born into the same family. Monopoly provides the perfect opportunity for those deep-seated sibling rivalries to rise to the surface.
First, you abandon me as a child, then you send me to jail for not rolling doubles? Come on now. Monopoly destroys families by uncovering latent Oedipal conflicts between parents and their children.
When do families play Monopoly? When they're trapped together in confined spaces, desperately looking for something to end the inane smalltalk. It's a situation that lends itself to disaster.
Being stuck indoors with family is never going to end well
You've finished all the puzzles, run out of charades prompts, and it's still raining outside. The long-neglected shelf of board games is calling your name, and one stands out to you: Monopoly. It'll be fun, right? The circumstances that lead to playing Monopoly bring out the worst in people.
Monopoly forces relatives to compete against each other
Competition is competition. Whether you're playing against a beloved auntie, or a professional nemesis - winning is everything. And some people are just bad losers.
Competition creates friction
The microcosm of Monopoly is a vicious, dog-eat-dog world in which each player fends for himself. Since the game incentivizes selfishness and aggression, it breeds conflict amongst family members.
Monopoly is a game of money. And let's face it - is there anything in life that leads to more arguments, fights or wars than cold hard cash?
Capitalism is overzealously competitive in Monopoly and the real world.
Why are some countries rich, and some countries poor? Because success in the capitalist economy depends on the poverty of others. Blood may be thicker than water, but cash is thicker than blood...isn't it?
What's more annoying than a relative demanding huge payouts simply because they drew a Chance card at the right moment? Winning Monopoly takes luck, not skill-a revelation often made after three frustrating hours and an upended game board.
Don't hate the player, hate the...Success in Monopoly hinges on avoiding those rent payments, and scamming the banker.
There's always a cheater
There's always that one family member who can't stand losing-or who just loves creating chaos on board game night. Some games ruin families because they bring out people's latent cheating tendencies. Protect your Monopoly money with your life.
