What is the 'Landrose Game' that was the source of that 'Monopoly'?

The sugoroku-type battle board game 'Monopoly' is popular all over the world, where you roll dice to buy land, increase real estate, and increase funds steadily. Such Monopoly is not originally devised, but is based on a game called ' Landrose Game' devised in the early 20th century.

Game Rules --The Landlord's Game --Economic Game Company

How was the world-famous board game 'Monopoly' born? --GIGAZINE

The prototype of Monopoly was the 'Landrose Game' devised by American female game designer Lizzie Magie.

'Landlord', which is the origin of the name, means 'landlord' in English, and the Landrose game is a game of the economic structure in which the landowner earns income from rent.

The board design that Maggie submitted when he patented the Landrose game in 1904 looks like this. The rows of squares that surround the square board are quite similar to modern Monopoly. There are two things written on the land, the selling price and the rent, and unlike Monopoly, which buys land and buys real estate, it is also possible to rent land.

Maggie's is an American political economist Henry George has been proposed, ' George principle ' to the previously land is capable of private ownership, a is the common property of humanity as a whole 'in the' land rose in sympathy with the idea that・ I am designing a game, and the idea is reflected in the rule that 'land value tax is collected if you own land or real estate'.

The goal of the Landrose game is to 'get as much wealth as possible' and the player with the most cash or real estate at the end of the game wins. 'You can get money by going around the board' 'There is a prison square' 'Land and railroads without owners can be purchased by paying the land fee' 'If you stop at a square owned by another player, you will pay a fixed rent The familiar Monopoly rule of 'must' has already been adopted in the Landrose game.

The Landrose game was patented by Maggie in 1904. In 1906 and 1924, we applied for new patents every time we changed the rules.

However, due to the lack of awareness of rights at the beginning of the 20th century, several variants of the Landrose game will be released. One of them, the game 'Finance', was further improved by businessman Charles Darrow, who wrote a square on a round table and designed the prototype of 'Monopoly' using the place name of Delaware, USA. ..

In 1935, toy company Parker Brothers acquired the rights to Monopoly. Since then, Parker Brothers has also purchased a patent for Maggie's 1924 'Landrose Game.'

In addition, in the trial that Parker Brothers filed when the parody product of Monopoly was released in the 1970s, there was a controversy 'Who is the origin of Monopoly?', And the patent purchased by Parker Brothers is valid. The point was verified. The following article summarizes how the trial took place and what the consequences were.

What is a bog drama about the roots of Monopoly, which has lovers all over the world? --GIGAZINE

by Lewis Minor