Being stuck indoors with family is never going to end well

Let’s be real: Monopoly is never the first choice. Nobody ever thinks, “Hey, you know what sounds like a good way to spend the next five hours? Playing a frustrating miniature version of capitalism with my family.” Rather, Monopoly is often the last resort when there is nothing left to do on a rainy day, or when you’ve already played all the fun board games on family night. Thus, the circumstances that lead families to play Monopoly set them up for failure. Already bored, restless, and forced to spend time together, families are primed and ready to be torn apart by this game. Evidently, Monopoly cannot take the blame for all of the familial conflicts it is famous for. Rather, it merely lights the fuse on the bomb created by preexisting circumstances. If a family freely chose to play Monopoly in a stress-free setting (and, perhaps most importantly, one they could get out of if they so desired,) perhaps the game would not have such notoriety.