Many of us find ourselves caught up in board game drama as the festive period rolls around, when we're all thrown into a room with relatives to have some competitive fun.
And arguably no game creates greater tension than Monopoly, which since its inception in 1935 has served as a platform to tear families, relationships and friendships apart.
Whether it's thanks to a shady banker, unruly purchasing tactics or relentless bad luck in rolling the dice, the game usually ends in tears, or at the very least verbal abuse.
Part of that inevitably boils down to people not being able to agree on the rules - one of which you may not have even been aware of after all these years, having gone viral on social media a few years ago.
Back in 2017, Twitter user David Burge asked: "Easy Twitter challenge: name the most trivial hill on which you are willing to die."
A user named Ruben chipped into the challenge with the response: "When someone lands on a property in #Monopoly & they don't buy it, IT GOES TO AUCTION for any player to buy.
"IT. IS. IN. THE. RULES."
The tweet received more than 2,000 likes, and many people couldn't believe they'd been playing the classic game wrong their whole lives.
One person replied: "Thank you for your truth today."
Another said: "Omg this makes the game like 10 times better."
A third added: "Holy MOLY! That takes strategy/risk taking UP A DAMN LEVEL! I am so down for this rule. Thank you for the tip off!"
Indeed, many others who had already read the rules properly couldn't believe so many people didn't know the rule and confirmed that it makes the game more enjoyable and, most importantly, shorter - which can only be a good thing.
One player wrote: "Speeds up game enormously and guaranteed to divert all pre-existing family animosities into silent resentment as they are bankrupted far sooner."
Another concurred: "Yes! So many house rules make the game miserable. The formal rules keep the game to an hour instead of a lifetime."
The rule they're referencing reads as follows: "If the player lands on an unowned property, whether street, railroad, or utility, they can buy the property for its listed purchase price.
"If they decline this purchase, the property is auctioned off by the bank to the highest bidder, including the player who declined to buy."
So there you go - simply make sure you're following that rule and your festive misery should end sooner.
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