| It must have been a crushing blow. It was 1934, | | | | played throughout the Middle East and in Europe. |
| the depths of the Great Depression. Charles | | | | The rules and game board design have evolved |
| Darrow was unemployed. But, he had an idea. | | | | somewhat over the centuries, but the game is still |
| Actually, he had a board game. He called the | | | | very much the same as the ancient Indians |
| game Monopoly. He liked the board game and felt | | | | played it. They could hardly have dreamed, |
| it was his ticket to financial success and out of | | | | however, of the world-class chess match play or |
| the desperation of the depression. Darrow had | | | | the electronic versions of the game we enjoy |
| taken his game to the famous Parker Brothers | | | | today. |
| game company to publish and help him sell. | | | | Another very old, yet immensely popular board |
| The Parker Brothers had agreed to look at the | | | | game is checkers, also known as draughts. A |
| board game for Darrow. They were not | | | | form of checkers was being played by the |
| impressed. Formed in 1883, by 16-year-old | | | | Egyptian Pharaohs as early as 1600 B.C. This |
| George Parker, the game publishing company had | | | | game has also evolved over the centuries. By the |
| been making and selling games and puzzles for 51 | | | | 12th century the game was adapted to the |
| years. During that time they had seen success | | | | 64-square chessboard. Four hundred years later |
| and failure. Parker Brothers knew the game | | | | the rules involving capture were added, yielding |
| business. They knew what worked and what | | | | essentially the same game we play today. |
| didn't. They knew what sold and what didn't. | | | | There is simply no way to tell how many copies |
| Representatives of the giant game company | | | | of chess or checkers have been sold or how |
| found 59 reasons why they did not think | | | | many people have played these games. If the |
| Darrow's game could be successful. | | | | numbers were known, they would have to be |
| Charles Darrow simply didn't agree. He believed. | | | | truly staggering. |
| He decided to publish Monopoly himself and | | | | Popular Board Games Share Common Traits |
| market it through department stores. He had | | | | Other top selling board games include Yahtzee, |
| 5,000 copies of the board game printed. | | | | Scrabble, Mahjong, Trivial Pursuit, Battleship and |
| Hope was scarce during that harsh Christmas of | | | | the Risk game. Most of these games were |
| 1934. Money was even scarcer. And, Monopoly | | | | developed during the 20th century and all are still |
| was a hit. Nearly all 5,000 copies of the board | | | | big sellers and tremendously popular. |
| game sold. Within a year Parker Brothers was | | | | These popular board games share some similar |
| publishing the game. It was the best selling game | | | | traits. Most of them involve specific strategies of |
| in America by 1936. | | | | play. When these strategies are employed |
| Monopoly is now published in 89 languages and | | | | successfully, the games are fun, challenging and |
| over 200 million copies of the board game have | | | | intensely rewarding as players attempt to capture |
| been sold. More than 500 million people have | | | | portions of the board and/or each other. Another |
| played the game. It has also been adapted as an | | | | common element in most of these board games |
| electronic game. Monopoly is firmly entrenched as | | | | is chance, or luck. Luck is introduced usually by |
| the best selling board game of all time. | | | | drawing cards or rolling dice. The element of |
| Monopoly is a relative upstart compared to other | | | | chance opens up possibilities for even more |
| popular board games. | | | | strategies of play. A final important trait of these |
| The oldest known board game is called "The | | | | games is that in one way or another they reflect |
| Royal Game of Ur" or the "Game of 20 Squares". | | | | the lessons of life. They teach competition and |
| This game was discovered in a 4,500-year-old | | | | sportsmanship. They teach strategy and the |
| tomb in southern Iraq. This game was played | | | | lesson of never giving up. |
| throughout the Middle East for perhaps 1,000 | | | | Perhaps that is why Charles Darrow was so |
| years or more. In fact, the rules of the game | | | | attracted to Monopoly. He believed that success |
| have been found in cuneiform tablets. Game | | | | comes by employing sound strategies to following |
| aficionados can play this ancient game yet today, | | | | a dream and never giving up. We are glad that |
| even though it has long ago faded from popularity. | | | | Darrow didn't give up. We are glad he didn't throw |
| Perhaps the oldest board game still popular today | | | | the board game with 59 things wrong in the trash |
| is chess, which first appeared in India by the sixth | | | | bin as he left the Parker Brothers plant in 1934. |
| century A.D. By the year 1,000 it was being | | | | |