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!

Associated Deals on eBay

The Game of Life & Other Works by Florence Scovel Shinn    US $16.15

The Game of Life & How to Play It Shinn, Florence Scove    US $8.21

NEW - Simon Dark: The Game of Life    US $10.73

The Game of Life and How to Play It 3CD Audio Book Florence Scovel Shinn    US $5.97

The Game of Life is one of the most popular board games played as indoor party games and was created the very first as long back as in 1860 by Milton Bradley who had named it The Checkered Game of Life then.

Later in 1960 Milton Bradley Company, which is a subsidiary of Hasbro now, published the game in its modern version. Although the game is designed for two to six players to participate but it can be extended to as much as eight to ten players as well.

The 1970s/1980s version of the game is a journey from "Infancy" to "Happy Old Age" passing through the "good" spaces by landing on to them and collecting 100 points for doing so, spinning a small wheel on which any number from 1 to 10 can be gotten to move ahead. The wheel is placed in the middle of the board, which also accommodates mountains, buildings, automobiles and a bank issuing notes, insurance policies, promissory notes, and stock certificates.

Players get their salaries either through shorter route called Business paying $12,000 per pay day, or through the longer route called College paying anything from $16,000 to $50,000 per pay day. The players also get "Share the Wealth" cards of three types - Collect, Pay, and Exemption.

On important life events adding members to the family, the players "collect presents" from other players. There are three insurance policies - automobile, life, and fire. Some spaces are marked "Lucky Day" rewarding players with money. Retirement could be settled for in the "Millionaire" space where the player with the largest sum of money wins the game.

There are three newer versions - the 1992 version, the 1998 CD-ROM version, and the 2007 Current Version of The Game of Life - one of the most popular board games played as indoor party games; which we shall be taking up in our next posts to come.

Associated Deals on eBay

The Game of Life & Other Works by Florence Scovel Shinn    US $16.15

The Game of Life & How to Play It Shinn, Florence Scove    US $8.21

NEW - Simon Dark: The Game of Life    US $10.73

The Game of Life and How to Play It 3CD Audio Book Florence Scovel Shinn    US $5.97