Trade lightly

We got Monopoly aficionados to try out a new rapid version of the game and they returned with mixed reviews

Trade lightly

Four friends decide to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon playing Monopoly Speed, a shortened version of the classic trading game. But then an incident concerning a visiting pet dog not being allowed into a housing society derails their plans, though that’s a story for another day. (But seriously, what’s with these — forgive the pun — dogmatic rules at these societies?)

The location shifts all the way to Wadala from Versova as a result. And a day that was supposed to start early in the afternoon thus begins a little before sunset.

But that hardly affects the game, though. This isn’t a version of Monopoly where you adopt a Trump-ian mindset and spend hours buying property. Instead, it ends in 10 minutes. Some features like the ‘Jail’ square have been removed to facilitate this duration. And a timer rings intermittently while you play to ensure that you hit the gas in case you are running out of steam.

(From bottom left) Shankar Swamy, Nandini Chettur, David Corrie and Lavanya Ullas play Monopoly Speed

So overall, this version should be an ideal fit for the all-work-no-play times we seem to find ourselves in. But only a roll of the dice can determine whether it’s actually enjoyable. So we get the four friends to give Monopoly Speed a shot even as Breezer, the evicted St Bernard, surveys the scene from the comfort of his own lair. Does the quartet give it a thumb’s up? Read on to find out.

A bit hurried

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when we started playing. A normal Monopoly game can go on for hours, so I was curious to see how this one played out. The game does exactly what it says, and we finished within 10 minutes of starting. To put that into perspective, it took us a good 15 minutes to figure out the rules.

Essentially, you are playing the game by yourself, as there are only brief moments of player interaction. Although thrilling initially, it was a bit too hurried for my taste and the novelty wore off soon enough. Call me old-school, but I prefer the original version to this one.

David Corrie, 36, landscape designer

Where’s the rivalry?

As with all other versions of the game, the Speed edit also comes with clear instructions and features that make playing it easy and organised. While the game is played simultaneously by up to four people, this was akin to playing a Solitaire version; it involved minimal interaction. It felt disconnected and confused. The soul of Monopoly, which is the rivalry and jousting that it influences in the players, is missing. Also, unlike Monopoly Go! or Monopoly Deal, this version does not make for better or more convenient playing. While the 10 minutes do engage the players completely, I don’t think I would play this more than a couple of times. The production quality is also not great and given that it’s not light on the pocket ['1,999], I would choose a Monopoly version that is more interactive, suitable for larger groups and with more longevity.

Nandini Chettur, 38, self employed

Chaotic, minus supervision

They are on the right track designing a fast version, as a lot of us do miss playing Monopoly, and given our schedules, no one has the hours needed in the day to sit down and dedicate time to a full-on game. However, having played it a couple of times now, I expected a bit more. While it was a thrill to have short, timed rounds with a buzzer going off on each round and a whole game being played under 10 minutes, it lacked clarity as there isn’t anyone monitoring the game. Each player here is rolling their dice and moving around the board simultaneously. So not only is it chaotic, there’s also no supervision of whether the players are even abiding by the rules or not, and in the end the one with the most money wins. With the friends I game with, I simply don’t trust them to play if there’s no one watching or no way to find out if they have cheated.

Lavanya Ullas, 35, photographer

Honesty is key

The game gets over in 10 minutes as promised. With everyone going about their business simultaneously over a small board, it is extremely hectic and chaotic. The game relies on the honesty of the players involved, as there is no check on them for cash transactions and moves. Although it does capture many features of the original game, it does away with ‘Jail’ and ‘Rent’. Speed and quick thinking is key, and interaction with the other players is limited compared to the original. I prefer the relaxed and elaborate experience of the real deal.

Shankar Swamy, 36, lawyer

Try these new games

The different components of the game

Pengaloo: This one’s a memory-based game suitable for both adults and kids. The aim is to match coloured eggs and collect six penguins to win.

Pit: A trading game that is also meant for all ages, Pit involves people collecting the same type of resources, which come in the form of gold, oil, coffee, etc.

Azul: Azul is a four-player strategy game where the objective is to collect tiles and place them optimally on a wall.

Uno Flip: This is a new version of the popular card game, with added variations in the form of light and dark cards.

Log on to amazon.com to buy these and Monopoly Speed

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