Monopoly Empire is the Perfect Board Game for Family Fun

Here’s a shot from our recent family game night. Each of the kids won a game.

My family has found the perfect board game. It’s called Monopoly Empire. I love it because my kids (all 10 and under) can play, it’s a lot of fun and we can play a full game in less than 20 minutes. It’s a nice way to get the family together and avoid vegging out in front of the television.

I grew up playing Monopoly. If you’ve ever played, you know that games can easily last two hours and require some sort of attention span. Those aren’t a good mix when you have young kids.

The game is for up to four players. The first player to fill up his or her brand tower, wins. You start with $1,000 in Monopoly cash and buy up brands as you land on them (similar to the original Monopoly). Each player starts with two Monopoly cards. These cards allow you to take actions like moving anywhere on the board or swapping your smaller brand with someone else’s bigger brand. If someone lands on one of your brands, they have to pay you the amount listed on your brand tower. As you acquire more brands, the amount goes up.

I love the brands featured in the game. Some of my favorites are Xbox, The Transformers, EA Sports and Samsung. Others such as Coke, McDonald’s, Under Armour and Hasbro are family favorites. The game pieces are pretty cool too. I have to fight my oldest son for the Xbox controller and usually have to settle for the Corvette. It’s a happy compromise. You can also play with other pieces like McDonald’s french fries or a Coke bottle (my wife’s personal favorite).

There are familiar aspects in the game that will make you feel a little nostalgic such as the “Go to Jail”/”Free Parking” spots and “Chance” cards.

In all, it’s a fun and simple game. It’s easy for young ones to learn and you can play two or three games with your family in less than hour. Get the kids to put down their devices or step away from the TV for some quality family time? Yes, please.

My only complaint about the game? I can’t win. Ever. We’ve played dozens of games and I haven’t won one single time. It’s okay though.

Having a good time with the family is enough for me.