Finance is a board game

Board game

A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...

 originally released in 1932 by Knapp Electric and later reissued by Parker Brothers

Parker Brothers

Parker Brothers is a toy and game manufacturer and brand. Since 1883, the company has published more than 1,800 games; among their best known products are Monopoly, Cluedo , Sorry, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Ouija, Aggravation, and Probe...

. The game, similar to Monopoly

Monopoly (game)

Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...

, is based on The Landlord's Game

The Landlord's Game

The Landlord's Game is a board game patented in 1904 by Elizabeth Magie as . It is a realty and taxation game, which is considered to be a direct inspiration for the board game Monopoly...

in the movement of pieces around the board, the use of "Chance" cards (although not "Community Chest" cards), properties that can be purchased, and houses that can be erected on them. Unlike Monopoly, there are no "monopolies" (such as Boardwalk and Park Place) on the board and players may erect houses after traveling around the board once. The game also has railroads, however these may not be purchased. The game is actually a predecessor to Monopoly.

Overview of Game

The game begins with each player on "Cash Here" and $1925. Properties around the board begin with Goat Alley (purchase price of $150) to Union Square (purchase price of $300), with costs for additional houses and rents also increasing. Players move again on doubles (with no limit on numbers of doubles that may be thrown), and if a player lands on another player, the original player moves back five spaces and pays rent, follows directions, etc. Players may trade properties or sell them back to the bank, but may not mortgage property. If a player is unable to pay, all their property is returned to the bank, and the player is out. The game continues until only one player is left (an alternate rule establishes a time limit and players total up their wealth).

Buying Property and Erecting Houses

Players may buy any unowned property on the board, or put it up for auction. There are no deeds (as in Monopoly), instead colored markers indicate ownership and a single house is erected. A player may own no more than eight properties on the board at any time. There are no individual monopolies to collect, and players may erect additional houses at any time (up to five), provided they have made one complete circuit of the board. Additional houses double the rent, then redouble, etc. For example, a single house on Goat Alley is $30, two houses is $60, three houses is $120, up to six houses with a $960 rent. Property may not be mortgaged, however houses may be sold back to the bank at half-price, as may the property itself.