The Game of Life (1992 version) among board games in the category indoor party games started rewarding players for their social awareness and responsible action like recycling trash and helping the homeless.
It all reflected our public awareness changing from valuing a self-centered, rich jerk to valuing a socially responsible citizen more.
The routes of "Business and college" changed to those of "Career and College", the College route putting the player in debt in the beginning though promising much more salary than the Career route in the long run.
Another major change in this version is the collection of "LIFE Tiles" as one move further along the game. These tiles represent and account for major life events rewarding as huge sums of money as $50,000 to $250,000 to be added to the player's account in the end of the game.
Also in the Retirement zone, new Countryside Acres have been added, which previously had made the "Bankrupt" space in the older version.
In 1998, a CD-ROM version of the game was introduced adding computerized moves and short animations to the game.
Next, in the 40th anniversary edition in 2000, the Travel Agent was replaced with a Computer Consultant.
Then in 2005 the new edition tried to limit the importance of the chance factor in favor of more realistic life situations and jobs.
Now the current 2007 version all the jobs except the Police Officer have lost their special abilities, though still it is basically a luck-driven game more than it is driven by life-skills.
But then may be the real life goes the same way too - more dependent on luck or chance than it depends on the skills! May be The Game of Life - one of the most popular board games played as indoor party games represents life in a real way, the way we live it here on this planet!
US $9.95
