I was lucky enough to live through the late 80s, which means I was around at a time when one of the most successful bands of all time was at its prime. This group of heavy-metal heroes has sold millions and millions of records and is still, rather impressively, active today.
I’m talking, of course, about Metallica.
You don’t have to be a fan of metal or even rock music to agree that this is one of the most influential bands of all time, and in many ways, the existence of Metallica Monopoly – yes, there really is such a game! – proves that fact.
Monopoly is a classic game that has already been adapted to create hundreds of spin-offs, including Friends, The Office, Disney, and even Animal Crossing. Its creators have now seen fit to further immortalize one of the most iconic bands by adding a Metallica-themed version to their game lineup.
Personally, I couldn’t be more elated. If you’re just as enthusiastic about Metallica Monopoly as me, you’re in the right place – read on to find out how this edition compares to the classic game.
Metallica Monopoly: A Quick Overview
- Players – 2-6
- Recommended age – 8+
- Playing time – 60-120 minutes
Metallica Monopoly puts a very American twist on the classic property trading board game. As you travel around the board, you’ll have the chance to visit historic Metallica events and locations, building an empire of stadiums and arenas using Metalli-money!
How to Play
Make sure you’ve brushed up on all your Metallica knowledge – it’s time to learn how to play the game.
The Aim of the Game
Do you fancy yourself a Metallica superfan? I do, which is why beating my friends at Metallica Monopoly isn’t simply a matter of satisfaction; it’s actually a necessity.
You need to be the last player left in the game, but never think you can just leave this to chance! You need to take decisive action to make your fellow players go bankrupt.
If that sounds cruel, well, it kind of is. But victory will be worth it, trust me.
The Difference between Regular Monopoly and Metallica Monopoly
As with most themed editions of Monopoly, the rules are almost identical to the original but with different components.
Crucially, Metallica Monopoly allows you to take a walk down memory lane, revisiting the band’s impressive history, which makes the game so much better.
Locations
- Brown properties: Santa Monica Boulevard and Venice Boulevard
- Light blue properties: University Avenue, Hellcrest Drive, and Carlson Boulevard
- Pink properties: Wardour Street, Queen Caroline Street, and Donington Park
- Orange properties: Battery Street, Broadway Street, and Union Street
- Red properties: Lundevangsvij, Rådhuspladsen, and Kgs. Nytorv
- Yellow properties: Lakewood Boulevard, Muller Street, and Brookshire Avenue
- Green properties: Sherman Way, Sunset Boulevard, and Ball Road
- Dark blue properties: Rockefeller Plaza and Seventh Avenue
Game Elements
- Chance becomes Jump in the Fire
- Community Chest becomes Binge and Purge
- Income Tax becomes Ticket Service Charge
- Luxury Tax becomes Promoter Chargeback
- Railroads become Studios
- Electric Company becomes Hit the Lights Electric Company
- Water Company becomes Whiplash Water Works
Tokens
- Kill ’em All hammer
- Justice for All scales
- St. Anger fist
- Black Album snake
- Ninja star
- Jump in the Fire demon
Setup
Like the original Monopoly, Metallica Monopoly is quick and easy to set up. My top tips would be to make sure you choose a banker you know will be honest (there are many friends and family members who I now know better than to trust) and make sure everyone starts with the right amount of money.
First of all, open the board and place it on a flat surface, ideally a spacious table. Shuffle the Jump in the Fire and Binge and Purge cards, making sure they don’t get mixed up and put them in the right place on the board.
Now you need a banker. Choose someone good at quick mental math (definitely not me) and, as I mentioned earlier, who you can trust not to cheat.
The banker is in charge of handing out money (Metalli-bucks), which is a pretty big responsibility. Each player needs:
- 2x $500
- 4x $100
- 1x $50
- 2x $10
- 1x $5
- 5x $1
The Bank
The bank, and by extension, the banker, has many responsibilities.
I’d recommend memorizing the following rules because Monopoly games tend to drag on when they are played using incorrect rules, particularly concerning what the bank can and can’t be used for.
- All Title Deeds and Metalli-bucks are looked after by the bank
- Bonuses and salaries are paid to players by the bank
- Fines and taxes are collected by the bank (being the banker really isn’t an enviable position)
- The bank auctions and sells properties
- Stadiums and arenas are sold by the bank
- Loans for mortgages are given out, you guessed it, by the bank
Sure, being in charge of all the money sounds cool, but great power comes with great responsibility. If you still want to be the banker at this point, I salute you.
The last thing you need to do to set up the game is choose a token to represent you. Place it on GO, then the game can begin.
Taking a Turn
Metallica Monopoly comes with speed dice, allowing you to play faster. I’m not convinced this is a selling point, nor does it make any difference to the game – when was the last time you complained about the aerodynamics of a die? For me, it’s a solid “never,” but I digress.
Each player rolls the two-speed dice to decide who takes the first turn. The highest combined total wins.
Turns go like this:
- Roll the dice
- Move your token around the board in a clockwise direction based on the combined roll of the dice
- Take an action depending on where you land
- If you pass GO, you can collect $200
- If you roll one double, good news – you can have another go! But be careful of rolling three; doing so will land you in jail
If You Land on…
Owned Locations
Okay, so landing on a location that another player owns isn’t ideal (you now owe them money), but the best thing you can do, particularly if the location owner isn’t paying attention, is to stay quiet.
If the person to whom the location belongs doesn’t ask you for money, you don’t have to pay. This happens towards the end of the game when players have more locations to keep track of.
The rent you owe is printed on the Title Deed. If the player owns all locations in that particular color group, rent is doubled, and if the location has been upgraded, this amount is even higher.
Take note! When locations are upgraded by building stadiums or arenas on them, this process has to be carried out evenly across all locations in a color group.
Keep an eye on your fellow players to make sure they’re sticking to this convention; it’s one of the most commonly (and conveniently) forgotten rules.
Learning the rules will prevent games from dragging on for hours as they have a reputation for doing.
Unowned Locations
Arguably, landing on an unowned location is one of the best outcomes you can hope for because you can now decide whether to buy it (and you don’t have to pay another player rent).
However, if you decide against buying a location, another player might just snap it up when it goes up for auction. This is really frustrating if you were in two minds about whether to buy!
I can’t stress enough how vital it is to buy locations strategically. Try to purchase locations in the same color group because you can charge way more in rent once you have all of them.
Jump in the Fire and Binge and Purge
These cards – the equivalent of Chance and Community Chest – are one of the best parts of the game. They can completely reverse players’ fortune, for better or worse, and you never know what the outcome will be.
Take the card from the top of the relevant pile, read it out to the group (you should show them what it says, so they know you’re not making it up, which is what my brother usually tries to do), then follow the instructions.
After you’re done, return it to the bottom of the pile. If it’s a Get Out of Jail Free card, you can either keep it until it’s useful (which at some point it inevitably will be) or trade it.
Ticket Service Charge
Ahh, the bane of every band’s existence! Landing on this space is frustrating, that’s for sure. Your two options are:
- Pay the bank $200
- Pay 10% of your total assets
Jail
You wouldn’t be the first member of a heavy-metal band to wind up in jail! But that doesn’t make it any less annoying when it happens. Try to think of it as an authentic rock-’n-roll experience.
There’s nothing to worry about if you happen to land in jail on a regular turn; you’re “just visiting” and don’t have to do anything. Phew!
Roll three doubles in a row, though, and you’re in trouble. Your turn ends immediately, and you go straight to jail without collecting $200 if you pass GO.
Luckily, you can still buy and sell property from jail.
You can get out in the following ways:
- Roll a double in one of your next three turns
- Get out of jail free using a card which you might be able to trade with another player if you don’t already have one
- Pay a $50 fine before rolling the dice on one of your next two turns
As the game progresses, I sometimes find it helpful being stuck in jail because at least you don’t have to pay excessive rent to other players when you land on their locations!
Free Parking
Relax; free parking is what you’d expect: a place where you can rest, which is handy towards the end of the game if you have little money and lots of locations have been developed.
Mortgages
If your financial situation becomes precarious as the game develops, you might need to take out a mortgage.
The mortgage value of individual locations is printed on their Title Deed cards. Not only do you have to pay this amount, but you also have to pay an additional 10% interest, just like you might in real life.
You’re not allowed to collect rent on a mortgaged property – it sucks, I know – and if you want to buy a mortgaged property from someone else, you have to pay back their mortgage plus 10%. It’s a cruel, cruel world, I’m afraid.
Are you a master procrastinator? You can delay lifting the mortgage, however this is only a temporary fix. In fact, it kind of makes matters worse; you’ll need to pay 10% to the bank in addition to the location price and the price of the mortgage and interest later.
I wouldn’t recommend it!
Selling Property
Picture the scene: you’re forty minutes into a game, the player you thought was going to win is now on the verge of bankruptcy, and someone else is practically pulling their hair out. What can they do to salvage their finances?
Two words: sell property.
Property can be sold for any amount in a private transaction – if you’re the buyer, you should definitely try negotiating the price down.
You can’t sell developed property until the arenas or stadiums have been sold to the bank. They must be sold for half of what was paid for them.
Bankruptcy
Going bankrupt is, without a doubt, the worst way to finish a game of Monopoly. It happens when you owe more money than you can pay back, either to another player or the bank.
Turning over all your money to the bank is arguably less painful than turning it all over to another player because at least then you don’t have to put up with the other player boasting about it – especially if they win the game afterward.
The next rule I’m going to tell you about is super important, partly because it’s often overlooked or downright ignored: the only way that money can be loaned from the bank is through mortgages.
The End
Every time a player goes bankrupt, they hand over their assets, and play continues until there’s just one person left. They are the true rock-’n-roll champion!
How Many Pieces Are There in Metallica Monopoly?
These components are included:
- Gameboard
- Instructions
- 28x Title Deed cards
- 6x collectible tokens
- 12x arenas
- 32x stadiums
- 2x dice
- 16x Jump in the Fire cards
- 16x Binge and Purge cards
- Money pack
Metallica Monopoly Alternatives
Can’t get enough of Metallica Monopoly? Here are some other excellent games I’d recommend.
The Office Monopoly
This is another excellent version of Monopoly filled with hilarious moments and memories from the classic sit-com TV show The Office. If you’re looking for a lighthearted game that’s tremendous fun to play, The Office Monopoly is a great choice.
Find out more in our The Office Monopoly guide.
- Players – 2-6
- Recommended age – 8+
- Playing time – 60-120 minutes
Cards Against Humanity 90s Nostalgia Pack
Looking back at all the Metallica memories from years gone by might have got you in the mood for another walk down memory lane; if so, why not revisit the 90s? It’s the best era (of course), and the 90s Nostalgia expansion pack for Cards Against Humanity is one of the best.
We also have a 90s Nostalgia Pack guide if you’d like to learn more.
- Players – 4-30
- Recommended age – 17+
- Playing time – 30 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Is Metallica Monopoly a family game?
Answer: The original Monopoly is one of the best family games of all time, even though it also has a reputation for causing arguments!
As for the Metallica version, there’s no reason this can’t be enjoyed by the whole family, too, though you might have to explain to younger players who Metallica actually are!
Question: Can I loan money from another player?
Answer: The only entity in the game that’s permitted to loan money is the bank. Not only are you not allowed to loan money to/from another player, but it would also undermine the aim of the game.
Question: Can I play Metallica Monopoly solo?
Answer: You need at least two people to play, ideally three or four. Check out our guide to the best solo games for alternative single-player options.
Question: What’s the fastest way to play Metallica Monopoly?
Answer: You’ll be pleased to hear there’s actually a speed version of the game – though it’s worth noting that many Monopoly games take so long because the rules are not being appropriately followed.
To play a speed game, you only need three arenas on a location to build a stadium. After one player goes bankrupt, the whole game comes to an end, and the winner is decided by the number of assets each person has.
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