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Popular board game Monopoly is set to release a new edition that encourages cheating in autumn this year.
Monopoly is a game developed by American multinational toy company Hasbro in 1935. This game involves participants outplaying each other to become the wealthiest player through actions like property purchase and rent collection. The goal of the Cheaters Edition is still to earn the most money, but it encourages players to cheat as much as possible during the game.
The Cheaters Edition includes 15 new “cheat cards” that bend the rules of the original game by allowing participants to escape rent, move one’s piece during another player’s turn, and rob the bank. Players who can pull off cheating without getting caught will be rewarded, while those caught in the act will face punishments. Each cheat card has a list of rewards and punishments at the back.
Hasbro created the Cheaters Edition after its in-house study revealed that 50% of its 2,000 respondents try to cheat their way into winning. Hasbro senior vice president Jonathan Berkowitz [bur-koh-vitz] explained that the company’s rationale for creating the new edition is to set a clear distinction between acceptable and unacceptable behavior during games.
Berkowitz added that through the Cheaters Edition, fans of the game can also engage in mischief that comes with the Monopoly experience.
Since Monopoly was developed, over 250 million units have already been sold in 114 countries. Because of its popularity, the game has also been released in over 300 versions. Some of its notable versions include the Game of Thrones Edition, Disney Villains Edition, and the Harry Potter Monopoly, also known as Pottopoly.