Monopoly. The classic go-to board game everyone played when they were growing up (I hope). Heck, some people still play as a teenager or adult, myself included. In fact, my friends and I play so competitively now with each other that it's almost hard to see how the game was ever fun as a kid. Couple that with how luck is such an important factor in Monopoly and you have a recipe for extreme anger. So why did we ever play such a frustrating game?
Growing up, Monopoly was almost like a fantasy: you got to have your own money, there was uncertainty involved with every roll, and you got to pick your own little cool figure, whether it was the boot, the money bag, the dog, the battleship, or something else. Because of these reasons, it's not hard to see why the game was so appealing to us when we were little. I think the money alone was enough to rope people into the game, because as little kids, we saw money was a cool and powerful thing to have, and to be able to have some, albeit fake, just seeming like an overall cool concept.
Regardless, you probably ended up seriously upset at one point or another because of something that went on over the course of the game. Whether it was your terrible luck of you landing on other peoples properties, no one landing on your own, getting the worst possible rolls in every scenario, or losing a game that you thought you had a guaranteed win in, there are plenty of opportunities for frustration.
Losing first is especial frustrating because you have to sit there and watch the rest of the game while your friends continue. Monopoly games also take a while, so putting that much time into a game and not getting anything out of it is pretty darn annoying if you ask me.
The only good outcome for you is to win, and even then it does not feel as good because by that point your opponents have pretty much given up on the game and aren't trying to win. You also know that you probably got lucky during the game and that skill wasn't the reason you won. Every outcome is seriously at least somewhat frustrating to go through.
In fact, Monopoly wasn't even decided to be fun. It was designed to be an insight into the disadvantages of capitalism and private investment, so that people who played would change their perspective on the matter. Yet somehow people still play the game, no matter how many times they rage and lose. One may chalk it up to the fact that victory may be sweeter after losing, but the joy felt when winning in Monopoly doesn't even measure up to the frustration you feel when you lose.
It may not be a satisfying answer, but I guess we'll never truly know why we still play this game. Here's to hoping you roll a set next time!
