[Jorpho]

You can trade for better properties, though. Someone can make a comeback.

Not so much, no.  It is a truth widely acknowledged that the orange properties are always the key to victory, owing to their placement relative to jail.

If you want a game where a big risk can pay off to an equally big reward, there are so many much more satisfying games.

[KaioShin]

I have to wonder if people who like Monopoly ever played anything else... (that isn't also from 1920 or something). Monopoly vs any other game you can pick off the shelves now is like playing an Atari 2600 game vs a modern game. Game design has evolved a ton since then and aside from historic values there is just no reason to go back to it. Someone else mentioned Risk which is similiarily an abysmal game since it's 100% dice luck and can take forever until someone finally has a terrible dice streak.

[FAST6191]

Risk is by no means an amazing game, possibly more the junk food of games that works and is easy. I can not get behind dismissing it for being totally random as there are all sorts of things you can do to better your odds in the short and long term.

I did try to find a nice video I saw once that covers why monopoly is less than stellar. I think it might have been part of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of8hoB3TL7Q or something from the same guys but my machine is acting up on youtube right now. Short version was most people do not play to the rules (no auctions and fines on free parking which damages things somewhat) and not many choices made, especially if you are playing right; if you land on it and can buy it then buy it, if you can build houses and hotels then it makes sense to do so (if you are looking at a big bill and the half value from selling properties is a problem then you are probably screwed anyway), avoid giving anybody else a chance to do the same if you can, everybody eventually ends up in jail so the common 5-9 spread that you get summing dice means get the oranges I think it was that are 5-9 on from there or spoil the chances of another doing it if that is not possible, and that leaves do you pay your way out of jail or wait and try to bowl out, which also depends upon whether you can do business in jail and the state of said 5-9 spread after it. It is not like western Snakes and Ladders where there are no choices, or candyland if I am to use a popular American game where there is not even that and flipping the cards will see you calculate who wins post the card shuffle. There are certain merits to such games if you are teaching others and need to get used to people dealing/handling cards, throwing dice and acting upon it -- throw a 5 year old into a game of Tigris and Euphrates and it is likely not going to happen. On the other hand I have read far too many books on maths, game theory, logic and so forth and would probably find many simpler games overly simplistic.

[SCD]

The board games that I enjoyed playing are Monopoly, chess and the HeroClix series.

[BlackDog61]

Tough call, but..
- I have to second "Ticket to Ride". Very well done, can appeal to youngsters and more mature people alike, and can even be played online (though that's not as good as having the physical game in front of you and teasing someone about being interested in Calgary whern you're not).
- I'll push forward "Time's Up!"  for less play-savvy audiences. I've had so many laughs with that one!

[M-Tee]

Favorite? No idea. I get into a lot of abstract strategy games, especially old ones from different cultures.

Got a lot of play out of a travel Hive set last year though.

[MegaManJuno]

I don't do much board gaming these days.

I did use to love Hero Quest (it has a board, so I'm counting it ). Also, I played a lot of Dungeon, Shadowlord, and Scotland Yard with a few friends when I was younger.


As for Monopoly... meh. The card game, however, is pretty fun (Monopoly Deal).

[Gideon Zhi]

I'm personally very fond of Betrayal at House on the Hill. Don't often have a group large enough to play it though.