Had one had the opportunity to enquire of Mr. Khrushchev or, later, Mr. Brezhnev, as to whether or not there were significant differences between East and West in the years, now long gone, before the collapse of the 'Iron Curtain', then one would have been foolish to anticipate any other answer than that the Soviet Union and its satellites, The Peace States, of which Hungary was but one, were superior in every way.
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| a colourful and entertaining game for the entire family - suitable for all ages |
And could this superiority be better demonstrated than to take the example of a game happily played by contented comrades the length and breadth of The People's Republic of Hungary?
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| everything for an evening's enjoyable entertainment is to be found here |
But let us digress for one moment, and place this within a context. 'Monopoly', the board game, is today known worldwide. In it participants, capitalists to a man and a woman, acquire property and money usually in direct competition with and at the expense of their fellow beings.
'Gazdálkodj Okosan!', the Hungarian version of the 1960s, differs only slightly in that there is no accumulation of wealth, no building of a personal fortune, but rather the unparalleled joy of furnishing one's State apartment with kitchen cupboards, the latest in the way of a vacuum cleaner [no 'Hoover' here] and sewing machine, and the crowning glory of a sitting room complete with a black and white television. Happy, happy families indeed!
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| all the pieces complete from the 1960s including the rules to be followed |
Where 'Monopoly' relies on 'Chance' and 'Community Chest' cards, so the Hungarian game seeks to promote the better qualities of socialism where the players are not exhorted to 'Pay School Fees' but to 'Read books! Reading is a pleasant, useful and cheap entertainment'. Doubtless the government of the day could suggest which books!
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| a 'Community Chest' card which extols the benefits and pleasures of reading |
We are reminded of all this when, a few evenings ago, friends Viktor and Zoli unearthed from the basement a splendid edition of the game in near perfect condition. And as we pushed our miniature workers around the board, we could not help but reflect on the changes of a lifetime.
P.S. We are grateful to Szabó Viktor for taking the photographs on our behalf, all of which may be enlarged at a click.
The Hungarian game version sounds much more people friendly. This reminds me of how much, I guess, we were indoctrinated as kids to acquire wealth as the means to the good life. Here in the U.S. anyway. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteYes, we absolutely agree.
DeleteThe quest to build a hotel on Mayfair, thereby ruining everyone else financially, was the highlight of the English version. Come to think of it, has time moved on at all?!!!!!
Since I've never really grown up...I enjoy playing all sorts of games, this is one I haven't tried yet, but I do play a lot of Scrabble and I dare say I am quite good at it :). When I read the title, I thought you were referring to other kinds of games people play :)...the love games :).
ReplyDeleteWell, Petronela, we are of course the original Peter Pan and Wendy, so no growing up for us either!!!
DeleteWe can well imagine that you would excel at Scrabble and, quite possibly the love games too!!
I remember cornering the utilities....and the stations....not a good Monopoly tactic...but looking at modern Britain they would be better off in my hands than in those of Branson and EDF...
ReplyDeleteQuite so!!!And, how about taking over Buckingham Palace, the Palace of Westminster and The Treasury for good measure? And, should you still find yourself at a loose end of a weekend, Brussels desperately needs you!!!
DeleteOne does wonder whether Games reflect Life itself or, whether, as we suspect, Life is but a Game anyway?!!!!
I think I would have had a lot more fun playing this!! I was never a great Monopoly player!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, we were entranced by the Hungarian version and loved the idea of furnishing our flat.
DeleteWe have never been great players of Monopoly either.Perhaps we lack the ruthless streak needed for success?!!
The games we play, the stories we consume as children, the attitudes we emulate in the big people around us -- these things shape a mold around our spirits which we spend the rest of our lives trying to, by turns, understand, question and shatter.
ReplyDeleteWhat a stellar, subtle post.
Dearest Suze, how perfectly you can read our very minds. Perhaps we have no need to post for you, we can just think and that will suffice!
DeleteIt is, as you say, a lifetime's work to fathom the depths of our upbringings and the many and varied influences brought to bear on our development. And, when we have finally got to grips with it all, we suspect that a second lifetime is needed to truly work it all through!!!
Thank you so much for your kind and insightful comment. The distance between us recedes every day!!
What a find. It's quite fascinating to compare it to our version of Monopoly - I think I prefer it. I'd still go all out to win that black & white television, though!
ReplyDeleteYes, we could bear to live without the vacuum cleaner and would have no use whatsoever for a sewing machine, but the black and white television, complete with coffee table stand would be a must. We should have to fight you for it....!!!!
DeleteIt looks like a fun board game with all the colors and illustrations.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed a most intriguing game and the illustrations are wonderful.
DeleteLovely to see you back. I think the Hungarian game sounds so much more fun and calm than the English version family is very important. dee
ReplyDeleteIt was so wonderful to see you too back in the Land of Blog, Dee!
DeleteWe are certain that you would absolutely love this vintage game with its period pieces and delightful illustrations. Indeed, the cornerstone of the 'cards' is the harmony of the family although we suspect that the Hungarian players took it all with a very large pinch of Paprika!!!
A level playing field, indeed! Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteWe did find it incredibly fascinating, Elizabeth. It was, of course, made especially interesting by having it explained in detail to us by our friends, Zoli and Viktor.
DeleteThis is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteIt is very ironic how capitalist the games really were.
I remember a couple of years ago someone managed to dig out a 50 year old newspaper from Soviet Union. It was a special pre New Year edition of Pravda (or one of those, can't remember how) in 1961 written as if it was actually 2011. It was such a lovely collection of pre-new-year routine of a happy communist citizen: grab caviar here, Champagne there, collect presents for free somewhere else. All worry and genuinely free - peppered with a nice selection of cars you can take in the streets of Moscow for free at any time. The author of the article actually preferred sports cars, because they were small and he felt like he wasn't wasting public resources, but in that particular case he had to use a limo - the only car that was parked outside busy shopping centre. Oh well! Free shopping can be stressful.
I think there were several lines about the leading role of the Communist Party in achieving this, but really - 95% of the article was sheer consumerism. :)
Dearest Konstantin, thank you so much for taking the time to tell us of this splendid newspaper article.How we should be intrigued by it and, as you say, when one looks underneath the surface, Capitalism still seems to rule the games field and Life itself. Perhaps it is always so?!!!!
DeleteWe are particularly fascinated by the idea of the sports cars being preferable so as not to be seen to be wasting public resources and then having to resort to the Limousine after all. Life is hard some times!!!
We know, Monopoly demon that you are, that you would absolutely love this game. However, just as when we play Monopoly with you, we are quite certain that you would have a completely furnished block of flats in the time taken by us to roll the dice!!!
Hoping that all is well in Islington and that N and I are flourishing!!!
Dear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this very entertaining post-- what a treasure you've discovered! Having spent many hours losing miserably at Monopoly, I'm wondering if the root cause might be that I'm a communist??!! ;) Perhaps I've been playing the wrong game all along! This one seems made for me, with instructions like: 'Read books! Reading is a pleasant, useful and cheap entertainment'....Wonderful!
My best to you both,
Erika
Yes,Erika, we think that we too would be far better suited to Gazdálkodj Okosan than Monopoly. We often consider ourselves better suited to living in different times so, like you, we can well see that instructions to read for pleasure would be far more preferable than directions to 'go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass GO' [even if later one could get out of jail free!!]
DeleteWe have so enjoyed reading your latest post and are still in awe of your beautiful painting.
It looks like a funny game darling !!...shall we play ???...love from me...happy week....xxx...
ReplyDeleteYes, darling, let's play!!!!
DeleteI do so hope that I shall furnish my flat first this time......!!!!
Having just spent far too long playing Monopoly at the weekend with my board game mad son (who always wins), it would be interesting to see how he would get on with this game!
ReplyDeleteOur Russian friend, Konstantin, is also totally besotted with Monopoly and, just as infuriating as your son, always wins. It is really rather depressing, is it not, to see the glint in their eyes as other players face ruin. Gazdálkodj Okosan is an altogether gentler game...although we suspect that your son might be keen to acquire the vacuum cleaner first!!!
DeleteThis is most interesting Jane and Lance.
ReplyDeleteI think I would like to always stop on the new kitchen block.. how I would just love a new one in real life.. I notice with my Ukranian friends, that when they play dominoes..its a total different game than what we play.
I used to love to play monopoly... i always thought i was so wealthy when i bought on bond street.. needless to say, my children and grandchildren always beat me.!
This box has been dearly kept and is in excellent condition.. what a super night to play this game together.
wishing you both a happy monday eve.
val
You are absolutely right, Val, when you say that the whole set is in beautiful condition. It is truly remarkable for its age. The paper money is mint perfect and the pieces for the apartment, although only made of thin card, are pristine. It is a joy to play with!
DeleteHow interesting that you have Ukranian friends and that even similar games are played differently by them. Clearly, cultural differences extend to game playing too!
Greetings Comrades Jane and Lance - Can anything illustrate better the differences between our two ideologies at that time?
ReplyDeleteThe design and colouring of the images is so reminiscent of the Russian propaganda posters of the 1960s.
If the grandchildren ever put Monopoly on the table at our house, I vanish as quick as possible.
Jó estét kivánok, Rosemary!!We thought the comparisons fascinating and are pleased that you have found them so too.
DeleteYes, the colours and the graphics used in the illustrations are so very reminiscent for us of both the Communist era and the Eastern Bloc, or at least, how we imagined them to be. And, as you say,one has seen very similar in Russian propaganda materials of that period. So intriguing!
Love the 60s-style pictures! The idea of furnishing one's apartment is certainly one that appeals to many people a lot more than that of acquiring streets, houses and hotels - at least it is for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I am going to let you in on a secret (you know, I'm not the Librarian With Secrets for nothing): I own a Star Trek Monopoly in superb condition, complete with tiny tin figures in the shape of Captain Picard, Ltd. Worf, Deanna Troi, Data, Riker and Dr. Crusher... where the houses and hotels are spaceships and starbases. I've played it many times, and almost invariably lost.
Oh, Meike, how we love the sound of your Star Trek Monopoly. Although we know of several different versions, this is a new one for us. Can one be 'beamed up', we wonder, and does one ever reach the 'final frontier', we muse. Whatever, we know that we should argue about who could play at being Mr Spock!!!!
DeleteWe attended an event at which one of the speakers was a retired athlete of some note. With great good humor, he distributed boxes of Monopoly games, which had been customized to feature his (illustrated) achievements. They had been produced at the urging of his agent, who thought there would be a demand for the games. The athlete's mother, on the other hand, had warned, "You won't be able to give them away." As the athlete said, "They were both wrong. Want another?"
DeleteHow very extraordinary and intriguing is all of this! But what a splendid idea for those seeking 'celebrity' status to produce their own version of Monopoly. Perhaps the idea could be sold to Mr. and Mrs. Beckham who are always seeking a new line?
DeleteWhat a delightful game to unworth , with vintage being so popular, it would be a winner if it was reproduced.What happens when your state apartment is too full of allthe items you have purchased?
ReplyDeleteSarah x
We do agree, Sarah, it is pure vintage and would be highly collectible in the United Kingdom. A very good question but, of course, there is always the State lurking in the background ready to repossess all that you may think that you own!!
DeleteHi Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteI have always loved a game of Monopoly but I think that I would love Gazdálkodj Okosan even more !! ..... and, a step back in time too. I would much rather furnish my lounge in '60's furniture than buy Park Lane ..... much more fun. Gazdálkodj Okosan is a far gentler pastime too. XXXX
But knowing you, Jackie, as we do, your collected pieces would very soon be refashioned into something a great deal more stylish with your walls painted in the very latest on offer in the West from Farrow and Ball. And then, most likely, you would have to be excluded from the game, branded as a 'Dissident'!!
DeleteHahahahahahaha......... I think that you both have me summed up .......... Farrow and Ball would indeed feature heavily and, as with most games, I am nearly always disqualified !!!!! XXXX
DeleteGame, set and match, dearest Jackie!!!!
DeleteI am just about to set up a table of puzzles for my granddaughter for the cozy winter months. Do you suppose they are alike? Puzzles versus life? Making the pieces fit and match and come together in the end as a mysterious scene?
ReplyDeleteYes, we would say that Life is a great big puzzle but often without a rule book and one is never quite sure if one has all the pieces!!!!Whatever, there is fun to be had in the playing!!
DeleteWhat a fun idea to set up a puzzle table for your granddaughter. We are certain that she will be delighted with them, the perfect antidote to long, dark winter afternoons and evenings.
Dear Jane and Lance
ReplyDeleteI think it looks more realistic version of the game in Hungary.We played the Greek version, I can not say that I liked ...The chase of money and acquire property I do not think appeared inappropriate for shaping the character of a child ...There are so many other toys ... But yours is a nice version since 1960 !
Have a nice week !
Olympia
The great advantage of the Hungarian version is, as you point out, it is not about the pursuit of money.In this way, it is obviously totally different from the game which you played as a child, and failed to enjoy.
DeleteWhat a great take on the game of Monopoly. How interesting !
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of when you banned/excluded from the game you could be labeled a Dissident !
Great post today !
cheers, parsnip
Yes, the Hungarian game is very different from the original Monopoly. And, as you might expect, there is no place for those who do not toe the Party line!!!
DeleteDear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteI would not have minded playing this game with M. Brezhnev however I have a feeling that playing with M. Khrushchev might have ended up in a fight with the board thrown up in to the air!
Monopoly was banned in our house (so we would have gone down well in 1960s Budapest) although the reason was less 'communistic' because the fact of the matter is that we all wanted a hotel on Mayfair and that, as they might well say, is when the trouble started. The fights between siblings that that game caused . . .
As a Librarian I am all in favour of cards that state: 'Reading is Pleasant' and 'Read Books'. I couldn't agree more my dear Nikita! Your turn to throw the dice Leonid.
Another reason to return to Budapest?
Oh dear, Kirk, the battle of the developers clearly started at a very early age in your house!!We really cannot imagine you coming to blows over a board game but, it has to be said that games of all kinds can bring out the worst in people. We wonder what, if any, substitute was found....a gentle game of Tiddlywinks perhaps?.....come to think of it, we can remember nearly losing an eye in that particular game!!!
DeleteHow beautifully you paint the scene of a courteous game of Gazdálkodj Okosan which would surely have met all your librarian sensitivities. On your return to Budapest, we shall ensure that Zoli and Viktor are on hand to interpret and to make sure that fair play ensues. Oh, what fun!!!!
What a marvellous find! Pushing your happy workers around the board. I love the idea of his and the different perspective on the game. Who knew this existed? Again, you show us the most interesting, educational view of your world. I would offer to try and find an overseas buyer for your fine, but I think it would have to be accompanied by a Hungarian/English dictionary :-)
ReplyDeleteDi
xxxx
We were totally entranced when our friend, Zoli, produced this game from his childhood which had been stored in a basement for decades. It is truly wonderful, in mint condition, and we are absolutely certain that you would love it. There is, however, as you point out, just the small problem of it being in Hungarian!!!
DeleteJane and Lance, I think you've stumbled upon the perfect game for the dedicated lifestyle blogger. I wonder if a soft furnishing cooperative featured...? xx
ReplyDeleteHow did you know?!! Of course, a soft furnishing co-operative features in the game. What more could the lifestyle blogger wish for....apart from, perhaps, a one colour shade chart?!!!!
DeleteMonopoly was a game I was never completely drawn to, although board games of most kinds have always been played by my family. As a teenager I remember that my friends and I became adicted to the game of 'Risk' which, if I remember correctly, involved a certain amount or strategy. Then came the dreaded Trivial Pursuit (and so it proved to be). With our own children Pictionary was the game of choice. The treasure you have unearthed is fascinating for its historical value and I can imagine that you had a lt of fun.
ReplyDeleteWe too love board games and have a number of those which you cite here. For years we were addicted to 'Cluedo' which for some reason always managed to reduce us to helpless laughter. At least that was better than 'Trivial Pursuit' which exasperated us as neither of us could ever manage to obtain an orange segment, being totally hopeless when it comes to questions about Sport.
DeleteWe do think that the game is a treasure and does indeed give a fascinating insight to peoples' lives and values of the time.
Jane and Lance, I love board games. I wish we still played them. Your version is a new one on me, though. But I can see that it's sort of like Monopoly without the wealth. :)
ReplyDeleteMaking your own apartment cozy and habitable is actually a fun theme for a game.
We had never heard of this game before we came to Hungary and were intrigued to see the similarities and, even more fascinatingly, the differences between it and Monopoly. It really brought home to us what very different value systems were being brought into 'play' in the East as opposed to the West at the time of our own early childhoods.
DeleteAs a child I played many a monopoly game and enjoyed it immensely without a thought as to the meaning. these games now more than ever seem to bring to light the plight of the haves and the have nots the world over.
ReplyDeleteIt is true, Linda, that the games we play can look very different through adult eyes, seeing things that went by completely unnoticed as a child.And, you are so right, that the gap between rich and poor is highlighted by making such comparisons as these.
DeleteOh Jane and Lance, how I remember family gatherings as a child when the Monopoly would be dusted down and got out on cold winter afternoons when it would take hours to finish the game and often put to one side for an hour so we could have our tea. My sister and I often squabbling over who got the Top Hat piece to play the game. What memories this has evoked. Thank you.
ReplyDeletePatricia x
We are pleased that the post has brought back fond memories for you. Board games have always been a major feature of winter weekends for us, and continue so to be as the nights draw in and one looks to spend more time at home in the warm. And, what great fun everyone must have been having that only Afternoon Tea could be the cause for stop of play!!
DeleteWhat a fabulous looking game. I have had some really memorable evenings playing board games with friends. Hope you had a great night x
ReplyDeleteWe did indeed have a most enjoyable evening with our friends, which included a delicious supper. The board game caused much amusement and fascination and so did a collection of early bank notes, including one featuring the Shah of Iran!!!
DeleteFurnishing one's apartment sounds like a very capitalistic endeavour to me. I would have thought that comrades' fruit packing cases would be quite adequate. The bird on square twelve looks suspiciously Australian.
ReplyDeleteWe are afraid to say, Andrew, that our knowledge of Australian birds is exceedingly shaky, so we cannot but agree with you here. To us, it looks like the bird in the gilded cage which would surely be a perfect addition to any beautifully furnished apartment, would it not?!!!
DeleteThe game of Gazdalkodj Okosan is most interesting.
ReplyDeleteI compliment you on embracing the way of life in Hungary and taking an interest in the history of your adopted country and making friends who are Hungarian. Thank you for sharing this interesting piece of local history.
Have a glorious week
Helen xx
We consider ourselves to be very fortunate in having some very good Hungarian friends since that does make living in Hungary so much richer an experience in so many different ways.
DeleteThe history of Hungary is a source of endless fascination to us and, having knowledge of it, does help, we find, to come to an understanding of sorts of the values, beliefs, hopes and dreams that Hungarians hold.It is an exciting, highly cultured and interesting country and we feel privileged to live in it as our adopted home.
Hoping that your week is going well, dearest Helen!
I had no idea that such a game existed. I thoroughly enjoyed Monopoly when I was a child, much to my parents' chagrin, and would try my hardest to purchase Hotels on Boardwalk and Park Lane. My parents had the US version and it was passed down to me. Have not played in ages. Perhaps that's a blessing.
ReplyDeleteWe have never, alas, seen the US version of Monopoly but it certainly sounds to have all the same components as the UK one. Why is it that we all want to own the Mayfair/Park Lane sites? Something about human nature, we suspect.
DeleteA board game is a board game is a board game, and I have never been a particular fan of any of them I'm afraid but perhaps some toy collectors would find some interest in this particular 50 year old boxed gem/game?
ReplyDeleteLoved your previous post and was almost dizzy trying to keep up with all your exploits. Sounds like you had lots of fun!
Bella B!
Is it just possible, Isobel, that you look upon board games as 'bored' games?!! For our part we have always really enjoyed them and are demons when it comes to playing Ludo but we do promise that, if you find your way to Budapest, we shall stow them all out of sight.
Delete'Twister' springs to my warped mind...
ReplyDeleteIndeed, indeed!!
DeleteIsn't it wonderful when we are reminded of simpler times... I kind of long for those days sometimes.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am sorry about my sad blog entry... I was just having a rough day.. I am working on get back to where I want to be, thank you for your very kind comment on my blog!
We rather too readily enjoy recapturing childhood, Launna. Perhaps this says rather too much about us!!
DeletePlease do not apologise for your recent blog post. It is, we believe, so very important to express yourself as yourself in whatever way you feel.
I left a comment before, but am not sure it went through. Anyway, what a treasure that game is, and such a fun way to view two different cultures. I wonder if there's a Hungarian version of Clue.
ReplyDeleteYour first comment, thank you, did come through, Jen, and we took the liberty of only publishing one rather than two duplicate. We now need to explore further to see what other Hungarian games there are based on ones known to us.
DeleteWhat a fascinating comparison. Two games with a kind of aspirational objective, one far more acquisitional though.
ReplyDeleteMonopoly was never a game I particularly relished, I'm not sure I'd have found this one hugely entertaining, but I can compare the kind of basic requirements for advancing with this game to the goals my Barbie and Sindy dolls vicariously had. Improving their immediate surroundings and living a simple fulfilling life was a 'trial run' of real life I saw it, maybe.
We too found it interesting to note the differences between the two games. In particular we are aware that the Hungarian version is of much poorer quality than that of a Monopoly set of the same period.
DeletePerhaps, as with your Barbie and Sindy dolls, all of these games are in fact a preparation for life. Quite a thought!
What a lovely vintage edition of a game that indeed, sounds wonderful and more virtuous, might I add, than monopoly! :) Glad to hear you two had fun!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
It is indeed a vintage set and something which we should very much like to own, particularly on account of its excellent condition. And certainly, as you say, more virtuous than Monopoly.
DeleteMonopoly was a great favourite to play in my teenage years with my brother and sister and continued with my kids loving it as well. We have an Australian version of course! It looks like the Communists weren't averse to the fads of household design being promoted...but I don't think I really like the fuel depot at 'go'! What's the cockatoo doing there at no. 12? Fascinating indeed.
ReplyDeleteLike you, Carol, we have always enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, playing Monopoly. More recently we play it with our Russian friends who are exceedingly competitive!! In real life in the 1950s and 1960s there was here a determined effort to keep up with the West in terms of material possessions - the problem was the quality, or lack of it, and absence of any choice.
DeleteSadly, we have no idea why the cockatoo is included!!
Oh, I like this game! Furnishing an apartment? That's my cup of tea. (Was milk and sugar readily available back then?) As I can't sew very well, I'll skip the sewing machine.....can I have something else? Perhaps antique Swedish Gustavian furnishings? :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this game.....very interesting!
Cheers,
Loi
Ah, but the whole point of the system is, Loi, that you get what you are given and there is no choice and are no substitutes. And you could not possibly consider yourself a good Party member without being able to sew. We have you marked down already as a trouble maker!!
DeleteMaybe just a little bit of a trouble maker :)
DeleteWe love trouble makers.....!!!!!
DeleteDear Jane and Lance, At first site I was reminded of the many hours spent playing Monopoly. I have fond memories of my Dad passing money under the table to me. I was never very competitive. I might have been more interested had I known there was a card which would demand I read a book. Alas I seem to always be the one who had to pay the fees. Have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteYou would have fared much better with the Hungarian version, Bonnie, where the emphasis was much more on 'worthwhile' activities than those associated with the world of commerce. We think the card promoting reading is simply wonderful.
DeleteI still have my ancient childhood Monopoly game (in its crumbly carton) on a closet shelf in this tiny apartment. My favorite part of the game was the choice of which tiny metallic token to chose as your proxy.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, on this eve of our national election day, I have found your choice of posting topic poignant and stimulating all at once.
Best wishes!
How wonderful that you still have your original Monopoly set, Frances. Alas, the Hungarian version did not run to wood and metal, rather plastic and cheap card!!
DeleteIt is strange that you should make the connection with the election in your country. It was not something about which we thought when we wrote the post yesterday, but did so as soon as it was published. A salutary reminder.
Dear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteBoard games are a great way for families to spend quality time together. We didn’t do Monopoly for its all or nothing nature. Hungarian version of 1960s Monopoly is interesting and so colorful and beautiful. I suppose you could feel nostalgic for the things reflecting the characteristics of the time. We loved “pon-jongg” which is simplified mah-jongg for children. Characters of popular “manga (Japanese comics with a unique story line and style) were on the tile. It is said family time have shrunken over the years, but the game has remained almost the same.
Yoko
We too were very struck, Yoko, how colourful the board of the Hungarian version of Monopoly is - perhaps necessary at the time when life for so many was inclined to be drab and rather colourless [or so we in the West were persuaded to believe].
DeleteIt is a rather sad reflection on life today that so few families engage in games played together as we did in our generation.
Oh that is a wonderful example of game playing if ever I saw it! Who knew such a thing existed :)
ReplyDeleteWe think that this 1960s version is absolutely splendid for so many reasons. We have seen a later one, perhaps of the 1980s, which is of less interest but still very ideological.
DeleteThis is too funny!
ReplyDeleteWe are, of course, delighted that you have been amused by the post, Rose.
DeleteFascinating, and really shows in a very succinct way the difference between communist countries and the west at the time...I mean, here who would think that furnishing a home with appliances would be a luxury! Hungry stuggled so mightly, it is a pleasure to see that it thriving.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, Adrienne, it really does act as a social commentary of the times and highlights in miniature the differences then between East and West.
DeleteAlas, we wish that we could share your view on present day Hungary which is, we fear to say, slipping backwards into an undemocratic past.
Dear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeletewhat a gem of a game! A feast for every researcher of sociology (I will give a hint to your post to a few - there are at least two delving into the depth of researching games - while Husband and Son are enjoying the practical side of board games - me, I am less a player, prefering Parlour Games... and you could allure me with pantomimes)
I remember crystal clear the day in a far away past when a friend of ours lost himself so very much in Monopoly that he took it for reality (that evening) and got really heated up, my oh my... For the communists he would have been THAT excellent demonstration object on behaviour of capitalists!! So, still shocked by that I opt for the lamp, the black and white telly, and the educating book, hehehe. (Have I forgotten the Hoover? Have to read some Freud in my cosy corner)
As we have remarked to Adrienne [above], Britta, this really does make a statement about the values of the time and the way in which, even in a family board game, the government felt able to reinforce its own views. We wonder if you have come across anything similar on your travels which would have been produced in the former Democratic Republic of Germany?
DeleteNow, as for Parlour Games, we are at one with you there. Such great fun, especially with a largish group of people.
Yes, strange how Monopoly can bring out the worst in people. As you say, wonderful ammunition for any communist regime!
Often times public values change, and drag games/toys/music/book illustraions etc with them.
ReplyDeleteI cringe when I remember the game Eeny Meany Miney Mo, catch a nigger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go etc. It was vicious and racist, but noone told small children not to play the game in 1955.
Thankfully we become smarter, with time.
It is indeed interesting what you say about the way in which games, toys, etc. become a mark of their times and in so many ways are actually quite political.
DeleteYes, we too remember that appalling chant. Why, we wonder, were we ever taught it, and by whom?
Just the sight of a Monopoly board gives me the jitters and I've no doubt that this board would prompt more of the same. Brave little Communists and Socialists they may have been, but I'll bet the children of the 60's could get every bit as competitive and cut-throat over china, TVs and Hoovers as little Capitalists did over utilities, Park Lane and railroads.
ReplyDeleteWe suspect that you may be right in what you say here about the competitiveness of those happy little Socialists at the time playing to equip their flats. But possibly, on balance, they were behaving in a marginally more altruistic way. Or certainly the government of the day would have thought so.
DeleteI have never really liked Monopoly. I never managed to win the game. Ever!
ReplyDeleteI find this version very appealing. It's certainly more fun to decorate a flat than to buy it...
And be encouraged to read books... But then again maybe it's just as bad as the other ;)
We should agree with you entirely about the appeal of decorating one's flat over and above the traditional aims of Monopoly, Demie. But possibly the very limited choice might, after a few rounds, have begun to dent one's enthusiasm.
DeleteWonderful! I wonder what the modern day version of the game is like.
ReplyDeletePerhaps in Russia only a few people would be able to buy up and exploit the oil and perhaps the 'chance' cards might refer to fraud. Then, so might a British version.....
Now, Gaynor, we advise an immediate change of career. Give up the teaching instantly and embrace marketing. We see a golden future for you - perhaps with Waddingtons!
DeleteOoh, I would definitely love to play this! And with my exasperating (for the husband, of course) obsession to arrange and rearrange, decorate and redecorate objects, I'm sure I'd give everyone else a run for their money!
ReplyDeleteSadly, Monopoly has never been my cup of tea although I do enjoy the Ticket to Ride a lot. Between going places and making money, the choice has always been simple you see!
Dearest Suman, we can see that you would enter into the spirit of all of this absolutely perfectly.We have no doubt that you would be first to furnish whilst improving your mind with essential reading simultaneously.A formidable opponent if ever there was one....surely you could have lifted the Iron Curtain single handedly!!!
DeleteIt makes perfect sense that a game like this would exists, but I had never thought of it. I will never look upon a Monopoly board quite the same again. We have indeed seen some history in our lives. And it is wondrous! x
ReplyDeleteNor shall we see Monopoly in the same light again. Strange how such things as this game can give one a completely different perspective on Life.History is so fascinating, especially when viewed from East and West.
DeleteHello Jane and Lance:
ReplyDeleteI'm sure when you're not sitting up all night under a bare light-bulb improving your character with state-approved reading material, you'll be throwing dice tirelessly (but co-operatively) to secure for yourselves a brand new lamp-shade. What more could there be to look forward to? And how heroic is all that darlinks?
Darling Faisal....just one thing is missing from this scene of homely bliss which you paint here....you!!!
DeleteHow we should enjoy playing the game with you......however, we should, of course, make sure that the hard work out in the garden was completed first, that there is no more daylight left for outdoor labour, that we are completely exhausted from our toiling and have given our all for the common good. Then, as we clink our Vodka glasses, we can truly let our hair down!!!!!
Hello Jane and Lance, A most interesting and enjoyable post that puts Western popular culture in perspective. While the original Monopoly has been criticized for being excessively capitalistic, this version seems to err in the other direction--a good English name for it would be "Lowered Expectations".
ReplyDeleteI love old board games and pieces, mostly as relics and examples of graphic arts. I noted that while the ideology may be different, the Hungarian version has virtually the same production values of the American games. (I wish we had seen a close-up of the "worker" game pieces.)
--Road to Parnassus
What a perfect title for the game....'Lowered Expectations' it is!!!Our very poor translation would have been 'Using Resources Efficiently and Wisely' but we think that your title, Jim, is far more catchy. Perhaps, with a few minor tweaks, the game could be the next big thing in England...we shall have to get our friends, Zoli and Viktor working on it!!!
DeleteThe 'workers' are deliciously plastic and look pretty much alike apart from the colours. Individualism was not to be encouraged we thought! We too love board games, both old and new, but this one we find especially intriguing perhaps because although it is set in a time with which we are all too familiar, it seems to turn all Western ideology on its head. Interesting!
I can imagine that the contest for a television might have been quite as frenetic as that for a Mayfair hotel. And I'd have gone into battle for that Cockatoo ... an essential accoutrement in 60s Hungary?
ReplyDeleteFrom your comment, Annie, we detect that you are a keen and competitive board game player. A fight to the death over a cardboard television.....gosh, can things get any more ruthless than that!! And, as for the Cockatoo, well, we can only imagine the lengths to which you might go. Frightening!!!! Knitting needles at dawn?!!!!
DeleteSadly my offspring are keener and more competitive than I ... perhaps I should carry those knitting needles into our next game of Hedgehogs Revenge!
DeleteDearest Annie, with your great talent with the knitting needles, your victory at Hedgehogs Revenge is assured, we are certain. Well, we definitely would not take you on....we should prefer to hibernate instead!!!!
DeleteThis sounds more interesting and people friendly than Monopoly...very nice xx
ReplyDeleteOn the face of it, Gazdálkodj Okosan might sound more courteous and calm, but things can get pretty heated when there is a set of kitchen cupboards at stake, we believe!!!
DeleteOh I am sure some inventive company could bring this game out for modern Britain, Farrow and Ball paint, White Company bedding and Dualit kitchen equipment would be worth a shake of the dice, all very shallow I know and not half so self improving as the Hungarian version but it may catch on.
ReplyDeleteWe think that you are really on to something here, Susan. After all shallow is the new black....or something like it!!!
DeleteJo Malone scented candles,Smallbone of Devizes kitchen cupboards, Dyson cleaners [Hoovers are a touch passée, we think], Colefax and Fowler fabrics......yes, yes, we can see it all for sale in Harrods...next Christmas, perhaps!!!
I was guaranteed to start sulking if I didn't acquire Mayfair and Park Lane! I think this sounds much nicer, especially the reading recommendation.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, Tracey, we fear that you sound to be in the poor loser category of board game players. Now, that will never do if we are all to enjoy ourselves,equally, will it?!!!!
DeleteWhat a collector's item indeed. A real piece of history!
ReplyDeleteIt is a treasure, Janey, and in such perfect condition. We love it!
DeleteI did enjoy this, Jane and Lance, particularly the knowledge that despite all our differences, playing family games in our own homes is one of the shared pleasures of humanity.
ReplyDeleteThat, Perpetua, is such a very good point and one which could so easily be overlooked. Additionally, one of the great joys of Hungarian life is that the family remains hugely important much more so than, if one dares to say it, is the case in Britain.
DeleteThank you so much for this amazing post. I used to play Monopoly North American style when I was a child and yes we definitely were in high competition to acquire as much stuff as we could. And some people were really nasty about it!!! Crazy!!! I love hearing about the differences in your game. Wonderful post!!!
ReplyDeleteCertainly the Hungarian version is very different from that which we grew up with. What we find of particular interest are the cards with their very instructive [and of course political] messages. Yes, why is it that Monopoly so often brings out the worst in people?!!
DeleteHaving grown up in one of the unlucky satellite states, I shudder to think of it all....
ReplyDeleteYet, the bleak accessories of it make lovely collectibles today!
I am not a lover of games, my father made sure we kids disliked it soon enough. He was loud and his dominance ruined it for us.
Until today I rather avoid it. Maybe one day....with the grandchildren, I might get over it.
I played with my children, but other games, not so many board games. But Monopoly was one of them. (Reading this, I sound rather bleak too.... )
But you, more than so many others, Victoria, will have a very clear idea of what this kind of game was like and, of course, the very bleak background against which it would have been played. We do like to think that, putting aside any political message, much enjoyment was had from it in its day as family entertainment.
DeleteWe do understand what you say here about your attitude to board games and how your father spoilt them for you. These things last well beyond their times.
Dear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteHow little thought we give to how the games played as children may impact thinking as we grow to adulthood. My son, who loved to play Monopoly as a child, has grown to be "the money man" in our family. The girls, who played more sharing games, are Democrats and will, like I, vote today for a President who shares our views. We think Andy will have a different agenda.
Today, most children, instead of board games, are glued to their electronics playing maim, kill, and destroy. The future looks scary.
What you say here, Arleen, makes so much sense and is so very true. It is quite astonishing what a variety of things, often quite ordinary such as games played, can become influences as to how we are moulded as adults.
DeleteWe too are alarmed at the 'games' which even young children 'play' on their computers, etc., so many of which appear to be concerned with death and destruction.
Dear Jane and Lance - This is a fascinating statement on socialism as it pertained to Hungary. I wonder whether your friends view this now with humor, or perhaps some emotion closer to sadness?
ReplyDeleteWe find it most interesting, Mark, to observe the ways in which the previous regime indoctrinated the people, this being but one fairly small example.
DeleteToday we think that our friends look back on it with a touch of humour, as you suggest, but possibly too with a degree of nostalgia, perhaps for lost childhoods. But are we, any of us, so very different in that respect?
Dear Jane and Lance, dare I say that I would probably rather play this game than Monopoly? :)
ReplyDeleteThe colors and condition of the game are splendid...
Always a joy to see what fascinating bits of culture and history you share..thank you! As a child in Odessa, the only "board game" we knew was chess...so even Hungary was ahead of "the game", so to speak.. ;)
We had our own propaganda, of course, disguised as fun and games.
I thank you so much for your kind and lovely visit...
The Red Cross raised 15 million dollars yesterday for the relief, it's just terrific.
Today our focus is on the election. It will be a nail-biter, to be sure...
Sending many good blessings your way!
xoxo,
- Irina
We too are much taken, like you, Irina, with the condition of the game and think that the board is as colourful as any which we have seen. A slightly later version is far less brilliant.
DeleteIt is interesting what you say about Odessa at the time of your childhood. It is possible that Hungary was, indeed, more ahead of many of the other countries in a similar situation. Propaganda does, of course, have very many guises.
The news of the money raised by the Red Cross is simply wonderful. You, in particular, and all those who have and are suffering are very much in our thoughts and prayers.
Thank you, dear friends...
DeleteI am in the Midwest...but we do have friends and family on the coast.
You are so kind, as always!
Much love and wishes for a glorious weekend,
- Irina
Thank you and we wish you a wonderful weekend too.
DeleteNews reports continue to be alarming from the East Coast,but we are pleased that you are safe and well.
unreal, Wow... Is that a real game how cool is that
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit and comment...
Very cool, we think! Yes, a real game and beautifully preserved for over four decades!!!
DeleteWe also enjoy playing board games, this post about the Hungarian version of Monopoly we therefore found fascinating.
ReplyDeleteAh, fellow board game enthusiasts. Let the days draw in and the long, chilly nights of winter keep us indoors since that is when we board gamers come out to play!!!!
DeleteAre you serious?? How absolutely extraordinary. Have just finished reading "The Moment" about the years in Berlin just before the wall came down, and the contrast between life on each side of it. Can't get it out of my head.
ReplyDeleteNow the delicious irony of this version of the game, is that if the prizes are vacuum cleaners and kitchen cupboards, it is still the acquisition of goods which is the goal! So it is still consumerism.
What a coincidence, Virginia, that our minds should be on parallel tracks. We do not know of 'The Moment' and are still desperately keen to make our first visit to Berlin, but both are now firmly at the top of our list!
DeleteYes, we agree, consumerism by another name and in a sanitised form. Surely, human behaviour is the same the world over and the games manufacturers know this only too well!!
Ha ha! What a wonderful game! It must have been quite a treat to play it.
ReplyDeleteWho won in the end?
Red
No winners or losers........just an equal sharing of the profits of production!!!!!
DeleteThe game is absolutely fascinating, made even more so by the animated explanations of our friends. It is a treasure and they also have a more modern version too. The subtle changes are intriguing!
Wow, it's very bright! I've always been more of a Billionaire player myself. Gotta love a card game that lets you yell a lot!
ReplyDeleteGazdálkodj Okosan does not strike us as a game which lends itself to screaming out loud, Kellie. Quiet contemplation is more the order of the day.....except when we are playing, as you might imagine!!!
DeleteI love this game! Monopoly was never my favorite, I used to try to only buy the cheap properties since everyone was always so hot to buy the expensive ones. Needless to say, i didn't win very much, but that way, I could get away from the long game and go read a book, which is all I ever wanted to do!
ReplyDeletePerhaps, Kay, this game would have been much more your cup of tea. Whatever, the other players could not have minded if you went away to read for a while whilst the game was in progress since that was an instruction!!!
DeleteHow cool!!! And interesting!!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen it before, of course :)
The game was new to us too and, yes, most interesting on a variety of different levels.
DeleteThis is brilliant! I want one! Your "differs only slightly" is a priceless bit of tongue in cheek.
ReplyDeleteSo do we, Susan!! There are modern versions but we think that the original is very much the best.
DeleteWe are delighted that you read between our lines!
Dear Jane & Lance,
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating, and funny! I wonder if there is a 1950's version from China?
Oh Gary, there must be, surely. Now, all we need to do is to find some Chinese friends with a basement or an attic and a penchant for board games.......any suggestions?!!
DeleteKindling memories of after-supper just-us-three Monopoly games with my parents, though had we had THIS one, I'd have dived right into furnishing that kitchen---and a RADIO! I'd have hoped for a Stromberg-Carlson, source of Pam & Jerry North and SUSPENSE on many a nail-biting evening.
ReplyDeleteMy little inner Martha would have gravitated more to the home-furnishings than to all those STREETS, for Heaven's Sake. Who could own a STREET, anyway? And who'd want to---all that responsibility and upkeep. But a stove, now---THOSE were important.
Mr. Monopoly would have been stripped of tails, top-hat and monocle, and Gulag-bound before cocktail time.
I do love your adventures and your serendipitous treasures.
rachel
How pleased we are to have been able to kindle such happy memories for you. We can well imagine the concentration, the tactics and the competition which would have reigned in your house as you battled it out to be champion of the Monopoly board.
DeleteAnd, the budding Martha Stewart in you, dearest Rachel, would, we can readily see, have delighted in this game. Yes, you would definitely have been the first to bake the Pumpkin Pie, smock the frock and have the wireless playing whilst the rest of us mere mortals would have been still on the starting line, choosing a book to read to improve our mind!!!!
Thank you so much for this most delicious comment. We love you!!!
Sadly when monopoly was popular money actually was worth something here, how the world changes indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes, Linda,now the whole world it seems is playing with Monopoly money!!!!
DeleteThis was a family favourite, but never mine, I once got sent to bed early, because, in a fit of jealous rage, I sent the monopoly board flying through the air scattering bit and pieces everywhere. What caused this fit of jealous rage? I hear you ask. My sister winning second prize in a beauty competition, when it should have been me!
ReplyDeleteDarling Mitzi, you really had no need for jealousy. After all, your sister only came in second place and we know, for certain, that the first prize would have been yours! Whatever, we rather like a show of passion, rage, shouting and screaming when playing games, it makes it all so much more true to life we feel!!
DeleteI'd never guessed there was a Communist version of Monopoly somewhere--and now I'm wondering how it was received by people--as government propaganda or entertainment?
ReplyDeleteAccording to our Hungarian friends, the game was never taken too seriously. Pragmatism was the order of the day and it was played more for fun than anything else.
DeleteHello Beloveds, so glad you're in your UK digs and hope you're enjoying yourselves. The board games looks very much like our Monopoly, which someone is sure to have mentioned already. I'm such a chump, would far rather sit and talk than play board games, even when they are as interesting as this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing okay, just taking some time off to ponder and reflect; be home soon. love and prayers, Sandra
Actually, dear Sandra, just for the moment we are in Budapest!! The game is, as you rightly say, very similar to Monopoly, in its various versions, but was designed in the Communist era in a way to preclude the worst aspects of capitalism.
DeleteWe are so glad to know that all is well with you.
Love this story. It brought much needed big laughs. Being born in an allegedly "communist" aka "dictatorship" country it brought even more laughs. I did have friends who played this ala "Gordon Gekko", not me all I wante were the railroads so I could have trains.
ReplyDeleteWe are so pleased, Amelia, that the post brought laughter rather than tears, which would not have been a good thing at all.
DeleteYes, for us too, the stations always have an appeal. Never too expensive to buy and usually quite profitable!
PS I clear forgot one thing about Monopoly: I'd have forsaken hearth, home and radio to own a RAILROAD. My own private car, with access to the dining car---Heaven on Earth, for my evening glimpses of the South-Bound at twilight, with the bright dining windows magical screens to another, perfect world, are some of the most shining moments and covets of childhood.
ReplyDeleteI'm holding out for the Orient Express.
Have you?
rachel
Oh, Rachel, and now you have kindled memories of travelling on the Orient Express in the early 1970s in what were its absolutely dying days before its revamp in recent times. But, leaving Paris, seated in the dining car [dreadful food in those days] and looking out at all those shimmering lights and being inside, snug and safe.......that was indeed an exciting way to travel!!
DeleteHello you two,
ReplyDeleteAs to um not monopolise your time with one of my meandering, long-winded, nonsensical comments, I found the way you composed this clever posting to be most fascinating. Let the games begin and for no reason whatsoever, Canadian money has been compared to Monopoly money. With that, a rather tired Gary, shall now leave....cheerio....
But where, Gary, should we be without your cleverly selected, witty puns which, we assure you, never fail to amuse? If you think that Canadian money is close to that of Monopoly, then you should really consider the Hungarian Forint which very quickly rune into thousands, and millions, in the way of the old Italian lira.
DeleteI remember playing Monopoly as a child and I really do think games need a bit of BITE! They give you a chance to be wicked and that's what makes them fun. My brother is the master of cruelty when playing croquet, so I think, despite the good advice about reading, I prefer our Monopoly!
ReplyDeleteWe do so agree about the need to be wicked when playing games to make them fun. The same applies in life from time to time, or so we think!!
DeleteNow croquet, rather surprisingly, can turn out to be very vicious indeed!
What a fascinating find!! I think the time is right for some clever entrepreneur to issue a new version in English. I am sure I would buy a set!
ReplyDeleteCompletely vintage, and isn't it just wonderful? How we should love to prise it away from its owners, our friends!!
DeleteI adore this for a million little reasons! First, the age, the color, the novelty and as my bank account will attest, I have never been so interested in accumulating wealth but furnishing my home? So there! Another fun post, as always.
ReplyDeleteWe just know that you would be as delighted as we are by this board game. Straight from the 1960s with an Eastern European flavour, we are certain that you would have snapped it up had it appeared at a garage sale near you!!!!
DeleteHello Jane and Lance
ReplyDeleteI loved playing Monopoly when I was younger and it was THE board game to play however I was woefully unsuccessful in the acquisition of property! This version is a great find - a wonderful snapshot in time and valuable piece of social history.
Jeanne
x
PS From your previous post it looks like you have been having a grand old time:-)
It is such a fascinating piece of social history, Jeanne, we absolutely agree. Indeed, the sentiments expressed in the 'Community Chest' cards are a perfect reflection of the ideologies of the time. We love it!
DeleteThank you, we have indeed been 'living it up' and the pace looks set to continue for the time being at least. A great life if one doesn't weaken....but naps in the afternoon are now becoming essential rather than a luxury!!!!!
ooh how utterly amazing..........opens up all sorts of gaming possibilities in the world or doing up ones home and moving on!!!
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is, one's home looks exactly the same as everyone else's in the game and does not, of course, change in any way from one game to the next. One cannot help but ponder on the ways in which people might have brought some individualism into the game....but that, of course, would not be fair play, now, would it?!!!!
DeleteHow wonderful. Communism dressed like a caring housewife. If it only were true.
ReplyDeleteAnd specially for these hard times.
How cleverly you have captured the essence of it all. Your own post of today makes a sad and worrying counterpoint to this whole theme, but this was just a game.
DeleteWhat a super looking game ideal for every home, well perhaps not every home, just ohh well you know what I mean!
ReplyDeleteWhat a find.
Yes, Jason, a true gem. We have encouraged our friends to treasure it and we are sure that they will.
DeleteI almost missed this posting! I love board games, especially the older ones. It's so interesting to see the differences between the countries and what the focus was. Very interesting. I really enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, Teresa, it is fascinating to look at the differences and, indeed, the similarities as they reveal so much about the social histories of the time. We are so pleased that you have enjoyed reading.
DeleteHello Jane and Lance! I loved this post, so cheerfully and entertainingly written. I also relish the thought of spending a delightful evening reflecting on the quirks of history and changing times. Definitely for the better, judging by your previous blog entry!
ReplyDeleteAlas, I think Gazdálkodj Okosan is probably just my speed, I'm an indifferent capitalist (good thing my husband isn't!) and being sent off to read a book is right up my ally.
Oh yes, Carol, by far the best part of the evening was the discussion with our friends and, we have to say, the supper which was cooked by one of them and was totally delicious.
DeleteWe do agree that one rather wishes to be part of a time when things did seem to move at an altogether slower and more human pace. A focus on the things that really matter in life is no bad thing in our view.
My dear Jane and Lance, what a great time you had. The previous owners of SL had left so many colourful boxes containing all kinds of board games in the little room upstairs. I thought of you whenever I see these boxes. I keep my ironing board in that little room. They must have been very keen players as the games boxes are very well worn and the little dots in the dice are fading. Although I no longer play these board games, I couldn't bring myself to throw them away or send them to the charity shop. I feel that they are apart of the house. Also, I keep some of my little figurines and dolls in that room. I'd like to imagine that in the depth of night, they would be woken up from their sleep by the rattling sound of dice and luring them to play a little game of solitaire.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, ASD
Oh, we are so relieved to hear that the old board games are still safely enshrined in the attic at SL for, then, we can surely have enormous fun unearthing them to play when we are assembled together!!!!!
DeleteWe love the idea of the toys waking up in the depths of night to play the games. A Scottish version of the Nutcracker perhaps?
Hoping that you are keeping warm and well. J and L xx
Dear Lance and Jane/Jane and Lance
ReplyDeleteI have had to check the calender today as I thought I had been transported back to April 1st....This is a real game? How splendido and I now realise that there is something very lacking in my collection of childhood games. In my aspiration to build an egalitarian society this game is an essential and I am investigating the copyright this afternoon...
The potential twists and versions are endless....
Best wishes
Jenny
PS Floodos omnipresent but wellies ensure dry footi!
We are quite certain that you would love this game, Jenny, and, of course, it would sit so comfortably in your wonderful vintage collections. Sadly, for the Western market, twists and turns to the original idea would be essential we feel whereas we absolutely love the simplicity of it all.
DeleteWellington boots, we have already decided, will be essential footwear for Venice....we have them at the ready!!!Oh joyo!!!!
Fascinating and fun. I have to admit, I like this version of Monopoly much more than the traditional!
ReplyDeleteWe much prefer it too!!!
Delete