Monopoly is arguably one of the most popular board games in the world. This can be chalked down to a number of reasons; firstly, it has very simple rules, allowing for all ages to enjoy it. It also gives everyone the illusion of being successful - at least till they go bankrupt - and who doesn’t want that?
However, Monopoly only became more popular after it started getting localised to various regions, featuring local cities and landmarks. To add to that, the board game has alsocollaborated with various popular IPs like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and The Simpsons, further propelling its popularity among various fanbases. Here are some other board games that are similar to this classic.
Updated Jul 08, 2025 by Alexandrea Alix:Looking to dethrone Monopoly nights with something fresh? This guide dives into some of the best titles that capture the classic fun of buying, selling, and a little bit of friendly competition, offering a wider range of themes and mechanics to keep your game nights exciting. So, grab your friends and get ready to discover a world of board games beyond Park Place and Boardwalk.
Machi Koro - 5th Anniversary Edition
Be Machi Koro’s best mayor
Every player serves as a mayor in this game, and their objective is to build up the city of Machi Koro. You do so by building all the landmarks the place needs. To accomplish this, you will roll dice and make money. Once a player has every landmark, they win.
In Monopoly, you’re a business model attempting to take over the city. In Machi Koro, your goals are a bit more honorable as you’re trying to build a city up. You only start with a wheat field and a bakery. You must build everything else from scratch, mainly with the help of dice rolls. It isn’t a completely selfless endeavor, as you’re also trying to beat all your opponents by crafting your landmarks first.
It’s simpler than Monopoly and certainly doesn’t take as long. This makes it a more viable family game. On top of that, it’s easy on the eye due to the inclusion of colorful cards.
Suburbia
Attract people to your city
Surburbia can be played solo or with others. Either way, you’re attempting to build the most impressive city possible with different hexagon tiles. In the process, you will earn income, improve your reputation, and, most importantly, increase your population.
Monopoly is all about competition. So, you would assume a game you can play solo is automatically unlike the famous board game. Yet, the concept of acquiring properties and increasing your income is in Suburbia, too. Plus, the competition picks up when you invite other people to play.
However, the goal isn’t to become richer than your opponents, but to cultivate a larger population. This helps it stand out among the other money-making titles and, once you get the hang of it, you will notice that it is deeper than most other Monopoly-like games, too.
Catan
Propose a trade
Catan’s popularity rivals that of Monopoly, and it’s easy to see why. The two board games share a lot in common, most prominently the resource management element. Both games require you to negotiate and trade with other players to get the upper hand. If you’re good at diplomacy, you’ll easily master them.
Many people call Catan the modern-day Monopoly. However, it appeals most to the players who thrive on the negotiation aspect of the latter. Convincing your opponent to trade you some lumber, even though they know you’ll win if they do, is what Catan is about. There may be a board in front of you, but it’s a battle on the negotiation table.
Ticket To Ride
Longer rail lines mean larger profits.
The similarities between Monopoly and Ticket to Ride are quite evident. Not only do both require you to grow your empire and maximize your profits, but they are also proponents for capitalism. While almost all the games on this list have aspects of capitalism in them, Ticket to Ride propagates the idea with a smile.
Acting like an evil, mustache-twirling industrialist is almost a part of all these games, but with Ticket to Ride, you may twirl your mustache while wearing a top hat. The fact that it features trains and railway lines is just an added bonus. Like Monopoly, this game also spreads the sermon of capitalism with a smile. Going bankrupt is just a tiny hurdle every industrialist must go through.
The Game Of Life
If only life was this easy.
The Game of Life can be considered to be a PG-13 version of Monopoly. While in the latter, one player wins while the others go bankrupt, The Game of Life makes sure everybody is rich in the end. Everyone only gets richer and finds their dream job, and the richest of the lot wins the game.
If you’re worried that your kids will get bummed out by going bankrupt in Monopoly, you can always start them off with The Game of Life. Nobody really loses, and everybody only gets richer by the time the game ends. You can use this for practice until they’re older, and then introduce them to the harsh realities of Monopoly.
Scythe
Dystopian capitalism FTW!
If The Game of Life is the PG-13 Monopoly, then Scythe is the R-rated version. Players must ensure that their faction controls the most territory and earns the most money by any means necessary. It even includes miniatures of Dieselpunk mechs; surely that’s better than an old-timey car or a top hat.
Once your kids have gotten used to the hardships of Monopoly, you’re able to really lay into them with Scythe’s dystopian take on a capitalistic future. Just trade buying land for seizing land, and negotiations for altercations, and you’ll see that Monopoly and Scythe have a lot in common. The latter might require longer play sessions though.
Acquire
Monopoly, but with stocks and hotel chains
Acquire takes the basic idea of Monopoly and adds several original layers to it. For one, you need to build a hotel chain empire, but there’s also a layer of stocks, majority and minority ownership, and acquiring more hotels. This one’s way more complicated, but is a good time if you’re into stocks.
If you like Monopoly for the business aspect of it, Acquire takes that side of it to a whole new level. As a real estate tycoon, you need to buy or at least own a stake in as many hotel chains as possible. Other players will try and acquire stakes in your empire as well, so, in this case, the best defense is a good offense.
Pay Day
Monopoly, but simpler
Pay Day is Monopoly if pretty much Monopoly, except the board is designed like a calendar. You must roll dice to move places and follow the instructions of whichever block you land on. It’s really that simple. All you need to do is decide how many months you want to play for beforehand.
Pay Day is what you get when you take all the challenging bits out of Monopoly. Sure, there aren’t too many challenging aspects to Monopoly, but there are fewer in Pay Day. The main difference is in the shape of the board. It’s designed like a calendar, and players must decide how many months they want to play for.
Terraforming Mars
One giant leap for capitalism
As ther name suggests, Terraforming Mars puts you in charge of creating a thriving colony on Mars using all the resources and means to your advantage. However, instead of being a team set out to do good for humanity, you’re a megacorporation which uses underhanded tactics and unsavoury methods to ensure your competition fails.
While Monopoly usually has you running around London, Terraforming Mars is a more in-depth, late-stage capitalistic version of it set on the red planet of our solar system. As a megacorporation, you must not only ensure that your colony thrives on Mars, but also that your competition fails, by any means necessary.
Wingspan
Faunapoly
What if, instead of building houses and hotels, you build and improve your bird sanctuary with all the resources you’ve gathered. Wingspan takes the resource management of Monopoly and directs it towards taking care of birds. There’s still a competition to see who has the best bird sanctuary, and it’s surely more wholesome than checking to see who has the most money.
A bird sanctuary is surely more wholesome than some hotel. If you enjoy the resource management and competitive aspect of Monopoly, but not the capitalistic part, then Wingspan will make you put your resources and strategy into something more wholesome.
Dune: Imperium
It’s all about Spice!
Dune: Imperium is what you get when you add a dark sci-fi setting to Monopoly. You’ll have to play as one of the many houses in the Dune universe and decide whether you want to wage war or forge an alliance. The main goal is to gain control of the Spice trade, and you’ll have to use any and all means necessary.
Besides featuring strategic gameplay and references to the Dune universe, one of the best things about Dune: Imperium is that it can be played solo, via an AI deck that simulates another player. With the recent release of the second movie in the series, now’s a great time as any to try out this board game.
Brass: Birmingham
By order of the Peaky Blinders!
If being a rich tycoon is your favourite part of Monopoly, Brass: Birmingham will put you in the midst of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, as you seek to expand your empire and manage your resources wisely. You’ll have to carefully choose when and how to expand, doing otherwise could result in you running out of steam.
While Monopoly has you buying things without worry, Brass: Birmingham will make you sweat for your success. Expanding your industrial empire won’t be easy, you’ll have to choose the right time and manage your resources properly.
Bohnanza
Bean There, Done That
In Bohnanza, you play as a bean farmer bartering and planting different bean varieties. Each round involves strategically playing your hand and trading with other farmers to collect the most valuable bean sets. The player with the most money after the harvest wins!
Bohnanza ditches traditional farming for a wacky world of bean-based bartering. In this lighthearted card game, you’ll play as a shrewd bean farmer, planting and trading your way to bean-spilling riches. The twist? You can’t reorder the cards in your hand, making strategic planting and negotiation key to your success.
For Sale - Card Game
Flip It or Flop It
For Sale is a quick card game where you bid on wacky properties like igloos and skyscrapers. The goal is to buy low and sell high, earning the most money by cleverly “flipping” properties throughout the game.
For Sale ditches the monopoly on house-flipping games, offering a fast-paced and hilarious auction experience. In this two-phase game, you’ll vie for wacky properties, then turn around and try to sell them for the highest price. But be careful - it’s not always about buying low; sometimes, strategically snagging a seemingly bad property can flip the tables (pun intended) in the second round!
FAQ
What is the world’s most famous board game?
Considering how many games are based on the same formula, the localized versions it has, and the number of collaborative editions that have been published, Monopoly is the most popular board game in the world.
What is the oldest board game?
The Royal Game of Ur, believed to have originated 4,600 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, is theoldest board game in the world.
Which is the toughest board game in the world?
There are a number of advanced strategies used in playing Chess, making it at least one of the toughest board games in the world.
What style of game is Monopoly?
Monopoly is a classic economic simulation game with elements of strategy and chance. Players buy and trade properties on a game board, collecting rent from opponents who land on their spaces.
The goal is to accumulate wealth through property ownership, ultimately driving your competitors into bankruptcy. Monopoly also incorporates some luck mechanics through dice rolls and card drawing.
