Deception Editions

 I stumbled accross Monopoly Cheaters Edition (2018) at my local thrift store. It seemed different from the standard game and featured a large handcuff for cheaters to wear. I brought this game home and started researching the Cheaters Edition. I found two other editions I would categorize as deception editions. Both Sore Losers and Crooked Cash seem to fit the bill. These are games where cheating is allowed, you can accuse other players or game play is not standard.

Monopoly Cheaters Edition encourages players to use one of the cheat cards on the board. If they get away with cheating they are rewarded, but if they get caught they will be punished. When their turn is up they must either be accused before the next player rolls the dice or announce they have cheated at this point. There are 15 cheat cards but only 5 will be placed on the center of the board at a time. Players can only choose to cheat from the cards placed on the board. If you are wrongly accused the other player must pay you $100.

The 15 cheat cards are:

• Bank Heist: Steal money from the bank.
• Counterfeit Chance: Instead of doing what's written on your chance card, do whatever you want.
• Escape Artist: When you're in jail, take off the handcuff.
• Extra Allowance: Collect $200 when you pass go.
• Free Stay: Skip out on rent.
• Identity Theft: On your turn, move another players token instead of yours.
• Price Gouging: Secretly change a player more rent then they owe.
• Property Swap: Swap one of your deed cards with another players or the bank.
• Short Changed: When you owe another player change, secretly give them less than you owe.
• Slippery Deed: Steal a deed card from another player or the bank.
• Squatter's Rule: Collect rent for another player's property.
• Trick Dice: On your turn move as many spaces as you want.
• Pickpocket: Steal money from another player.
• Surprise Demolition: Remove another player's hotel from their property.
• Unlicensed Contractor: Place a hotel from the bank or another player's property onto one of your properties.

The handcuffs are for anyone currently in jail to wear. If a player goes to jail but it's already occupied, the player in cuffs is released, moves to just visiting and the newly arrested player wears the handcuffs. 

Other variations in this edition are the railroads are not for sale. If you land on a railroad space you fast forward to the next railroad. When you land on Free Parking you must take either a chance or community chest card. There are still 16 of each but there are some variations that encourage cheating. There are no tax or utility spaces and no banker, you must pass the money tray when your turn is over. Pay careful attention to the player collecting money for passing Go or buying a new property, that's another opportunity to cheat. 

The game ends when all the properties have been purchased and all players reach Go. The player with the most cash wins.

In Sore Losers Editon (2020) players earn sore loser coins everytime they pay rent, taxes or bills, go to jail, land on their own propery, draw a chance or community chest card that says to collect one. Once a player collects 4 sore loser coins he trades his token for the Mr. Monopoly token. Being Mr. Monopoly entitles the player to the following benefits :

• Instead of paying rent when you land on another player’s property, collect that rent from them.

 • Instead of paying taxes or bills when you land on a tax or bill space, collect the amount shown on the board space from the bank. 

• Instead of going to Jail, send any other player in your place.

• Whenever any player, including you, rolls doubles, place one free house on any street on the board. The street does not have to be part of a complete set, and you don’t have to own it. If you place a house on a street that is owned by the bank, when a player lands on that space, they still pay the price on the board space and get the house for free! 

• When you land on the same space as another player, put the MR. MONOPOLY token on top of their token. Then, you may steal one property from that player. You may not steal a property that is part of a complete set. That player may not move until their token is free. While trapped, players may still take part in auctions, collect rent, and buy houses and hotels. They may not cash in sore loser coins. 

This turns the game upside down, anyone can win. This edition is great for mixed ages, younger inexperienced players are no longer at a disadvantage. The game ends when all the properties have been purchased and all players reach Go. The player with the most cash wins.

Crooked Cash (2021) features fake money and fake chance cards. Players can use a decoder chip and accuse another player of using a fake. Mr. Monopoly has provided a decoder, if the cash or chance card have a Mr. Monopoly wearing a mask then it's a fake. If you found a fake, you may keep it. The player whose bill you checked must then use more of their cash to complete their payment. If the bill is real nothing happens, but you used a decoder chip and must turn it over to inactive. Each player starts with 2 decoder chips flipped over to the green side, once used they must be flipped to the red inactive side. When a player passes Go he collects money and flips his coins back to the green side. 

When you challenge a chance card, if you find a fake you place it on the bottom of the chance pile and collect a $100 reward from the bank. If it's not fake the player who drew the card may use it. 

This version is similar to Cheaters Edition, the railroads are not for sale. If you land on a railroad, fast forward to the next one. There are also no taxes or utilities. 

When you find yourself with fake cash it's a good idea to keep it until the end. The game ends when all the properties have been purchased. The player with the most cash, both real and fake, wins. 

The release dates of these editions seem to be a natural progression. With the sucess of Cheaters Edition, Sore Losers and Crooked Cash were soon to follow. I am curious to see what Hasbro releases next for those that are in search of different game play.