There’s a New Way to Play Monopoly—But Parents Aren’t Going to Be Happy About It
There are families who hike and others who read, but I’m from a household where games reigned supreme. We played loads of cards (Go Fish, Gin Rummy, Uno), and board games were set up on multiple surfaces. Our favorites were Sorry! and Clue, but on rainy weekend days, we always dug out Monopoly.
Once my sibs and I were old enough, the beloved real estate game became a (friendly) battleground with our cousins and the neighborhood kids. Fast-forward to today, and my daughters still love it. And yet, everything that’s old can be made new again—and Monopoly is no exception.
There’s a new way to play this classic board game, but are the changes actually for the better? Read on to see how the iconic wheeling-and-dealing pastime has been reimagined, and decide for yourself.
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What’s the new way to play Monopoly?
The new way to play Monopoly involves a mobile app (shocker!) that purports to make the game easier since the financial aspects are handled by technology. Yup, there are no longer any property cards to collect and display, nor colorful play money to organize. With the Monopoly App Banking game, available in August for $24.99, the role of banker (and head cheat?) shifts over to a smartphone or tablet.
Along with the app, which tabulates earnings and lets you scan a bank and property cards to pay rent and upgrade assets, the actual board has also been redesigned. Gone are the original squares, like St. Charles Place and New York Ave., replaced instead by a giant aquarium, robot lab and VR roller coaster. But don’t worry—Chance remains (though there are five, not three), and tokens can still rest on Free Parking.
Per Hasbro, the game’s maker, these Monopoly modifications were created to help quicken the pace of what’s often an hours-long affair. Plus, the app comes with built-in mini games that may entice younger players to keep playing.
Why won’t parents be happy about it?
When kids play the old-school board game, they learn all sorts of things without realizing they’re even learning them. Monopoly’s high-tech changes, however, remove a lot of that hands-on learning as well as some other positive perks that kids get when families sit down to play together.
Buh-bye, math
With the app, Monopoly’s math is virtually eliminated, since kids no longer need to total their $20s to buy Marvin Gardens. In fact, OG Monopoly was a math bonanza, incorporating basic adding and subtracting, as well as multiplying and even calculating percentages for the dreaded Income Tax square. And now is not the time to fiddle with games that encourage numbers. Why? Last year, an international exam revealed that American fourth- and eighth-grade math scores fell 18 and 27 points, respectively.
Cash—what’s that?
It’s a very rare day when you open your wallet and remove cash to pay for gas or groceries—because there’s an app for that. Or you might whip out your phone to tap and go. Actual greenbacks still exist, of course, but kids’ exposure to any type of currency (even the fake kind) is lessening with game apps like this.
More screen time
For years, experts have been recommending limited screen time for kids and none for toddlers—and there’s solid science behind the advice. Too much screen time can increase the risk of obesity, mess with sleep and negatively impact behavior and academic learning. The beauty of old-school board games like Monopoly is that they’re analog; this version tramples that while adding another screen into the day.
Less family bonding
Family board games mix parents and kids of all different ages, which, in turn, can create a valuable afternoon of bonding. But with math covered by the app and the esoteric spaces removed (RIP, Water Works), young kids don’t need an older brother or mom to help with Monopoly. Admittedly, explaining what a utility is to a 7-year-old is an oddball part of the game, but it’s also kinda fun, not to mention a life lesson.
So should you just stick with the original?
At this point, you might be wondering if you should just stick with the original game of Monopoly. It’s up to you, of course, but know that even with the app, there is still fun and some learning to be had. Sitting with your child, explaining how to play and supervising the activity are all positives. (Hey, it’s still better than YouTube!). And since this new game isn’t out until August, you have several months to introduce your kids to the original and play with them that way. Who knows—after that, they might not want to switch to the digital version!
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Sources:
- Hasbro: “Hasbro is ‘playing to win’ at 2025 toy fair with a slate of new product reveals, entertainment announcements and premier collaborations”
- The Verge: “A new version of Monopoly replaces cash and math with a mobile app”
- New York Times: “U.S. students posted dire math declines on an international test”
- American Academy of Pediatrics: “Where we stand: Screen time”
- Mayo Clinic: “Children and screen time: How much is too much?”
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