Who hasn’t played Monopoly at least once in their lifetime? Everybody loves the classic Monopoly board game.
Monopoly Empire takes it a step further by adding the world’s biggest brands to the board. Instead of owning the Pennsylvania Railroad, you can buy Coca-Cola.
Forget New York Ave and own General Electric or Microsoft instead.
If you’re looking to change up the classic game, Monopoly Empire is worth trying out. We here at Toys and Games and Stuff love seeing all the different versions of Monopoly that Hasbro puts out.
Generally, they have a theme, such as The Simpsons Monopoly. Monopoly Empire is one of the more unique versions of the board game.
There are so many different versions of Monopoly available. However, this is a radically different version of Monopoly, unlike any others.
What is Monopoly Empire?
To begin with, Monopoly Empire is classic Monopoly with a twist. Instead of buying streets and utilities, you purchase large international brands. You have a tower that you need to fill with billboards.
When you buy a brand, you slide its billboard into your tower. Whenever you pass GO you receive the value of your tower, which depends on how many billboards you have in it.
Unlike classic Monopoly, nobody goes bankrupt in Monopoly Empire.
The tokens have changed as well. These are golden brand icons, such as McDonald’s fries, a Coca-Cola bottle, and an Xbox game controller.
Although the game was quite fun to play it didn’t stay on the market very long. The game was discontinued sometime in late 2015 or early 2016. It had a very short run.
Why is Monopoly Empire Discontinued?
Above all, Monopoly Empire received decent reviews from the general public. But, because sales were not what Hasbro is used to with its Monopoly games, they shut down its run.
That’s not to say that the game isn’t good. If you’re a Monopoly enthusiast, you may enjoy this board game very much.
Nevertheless, there wasn’t enough interest in Monopoly Empire to justify keeping it around. This means that any Monopoly Empire games you come across today are excess stock or used.
Where Can I Buy Monopoly Empire?
Since this game was discontinued over 6 years ago, getting your hands on this classic game can be a little difficult. If you are wanting to purchase Monopoly Empire you will need to purchase it through places like eBay or Amazon from third-party sellers.
You will likely have a hard time finding it new as well since it was discontinued. So if you don’t like purchasing used games it might take you a while to get your hands on Monopoly Empire.
How Monopoly Empire Stacks Up To Other Monopoly Games
If you’re thinking to yourself, “Alright, so what’s the big deal with this game? Is it any better than Monopoly Star Wars, which rocks?” then we’re sorry to tell you that there’s no one-size-fits-all Monopoly game out there.
Unless, of course, it’s the classic Monopoly. Otherwise, Monopoly Empire may not be to your taste. Hasbro completely redesigned it, differentiating it from other Monopoly versions.
It can take some getting used to. For this reason, you will probably want to compare it to other variants of Monopoly.
Some of the best Monopoly games that have come out over the years are Monopoly Star Wars, Monopoly Ultimate Banking, Monopoly Cheater’s Edition, and of course, the original “Classic” Monopoly.
But how does it stack up against all of the other Monopoly variants?
Although Monopoly Empire is a fun game to play it doesn’t follow the same rules as the classic Monopoly or many of the other Monopoly board game variants. Monopoly Empire is fun to play but since the rules aren’t the same then many people had difficulty picking it up and playing it.
When comparing Monopoly Empire to other Monopoly games it’s important that we look at the pros and cons that Monopoly Empire has.
Monopoly Empire Pros and Cons
As can be seen, Monopoly Empire isn’t the only great option for Monopoly fans. It certainly is one of the most unique versions.
While all the other versions of Monopoly retain the basics of the Monopoly game, Monopoly Empire is a complete redesign that is fresh and original. Still, for many, it may not be perfect, and there are pros and cons to playing it.
PROS
- A unique and fresh redesign of Monopoly
- Plays quickly
- Has a definite end
- Nobody goes bankrupt
- Great for all ages
- Easily-identifiable brands
CONS
- No deal-making
- Can’t strategize
- No longer in production
Our Verdict
All in all, we firmly believe that Monopoly Empire is a fun and refreshing game that any family can enjoy. We love how unique the gameplay is. There isn’t any other game that’s comparable, whether it’s Monopoly or something else.
Adding billboards to your tower is fun and is something that even younger children will have fun doing. We also love the fact that the game comes to an end. No more long-drawn-out battles for bankruptcy between the last two players.
That being said, the other Monopoly games are all a lot of fun, as well. We’re big fans of Monopoly Star Wars, which is practically a classic in its own right. Also, the updated Monopoly Ultimate Banking edition is fun and adds a modern flair to the classic game.
We’re incredibly excited to get our hands on the Monopoly Cheaters Edition as well.
Altogether, we recommend adding Monopoly Empire to your family’s board game collection. And then go out and add the other three Monopoly games we reviewed as well. They are all so much fun.