Monopoly is one of those games that almost everyone has a fun memory of playing. While we all likely started playing as a thimble or race car on a quest to own Boardwalk and Park Place, there are now a number of other versions of the iconic game out there that are worth a look. If you’re on the hunt of a gift for the Monopoly enthusiast in your life, here are a few unique iterations that offer an exciting new spin on the traditional game. You can even download Monopoly on your device these days.
Ms. Monopoly touts itself as “The first game where women make more than men.” Instead of collecting property, players buy things like Wi-Fi, chocolate chip cookies, and bulletproof vests that wouldn’t exist without women. The game introduces a new Ms. Monopoly character, and also starts female players off at a bit of an advantage by giving them a higher payout at the beginning of the game as well as more money when they pass Go.
Is the Monopoly banker in your house maybe not entirely on the up-and-up? Monopoly Voice Banking puts the banking responsibilities in the hands of Mr. Monopoly himself. Players handle things like paying rent and buying and trading properties using voice controls rather than paper money. Since Mr. Monopoly handles all the math, you can focus on what’s important: Winning!
Instead of collecting cash, Monopoly for Millennials players travel around the board trying to have the most experiences. Game tiles include hip new restaurants, stores, and relaxation spots. Instead of rent, when a player lands on a tile owned by another player they “visit” and earn experience points. Destinations on the board include spots like a week-long meditation retreat and a vegan bistro.
Have someone in your home known for cheating at board games? Monopoly Cheaters Edition was made with them in mind. Cards within the game encourage players to “express their inner cheater.” Cheating involves everything from skipping out on paying rent to stealing cash from the bank. When you successfully pull off a cheat, you win a reward, If you fail you have to pay the consequences, one of which is being literally handcuffed to the board.
Spice up game night with this pizza-themed version of Monopoly that even comes in a pizza box. Players travel around the board as things like a cheese grater, pizza chef, or delivery bike attempting to collect as many slices of pizza as they can. At the end of the game, the player with the most pizza wins!
Looking for more gift options? Head over our curated deals page for exciting discounts on premium toys and gaming products, or check out our compilation of Black Friday and Cyber Monday gaming deals.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.