How Many People Can Play Monopoly? (Hint: More than 8!) (2022)

Monopoly is a classic board game created by the Parker Brothers that has been around since the 1930s. Since it first came out in 1935, over three hundred variations of the standard board have been made (and literally hundreds more ‘speciality’ versions for films, music stars and more!)

In Monopoly, how many players you have will determine the speed of the game and change the probability of gathering all property colors. Switching up the number of Monopoly players changes the difficulty and can lead to creative ways of adapting the game to your group’s style of gameplay. 

After a lifetime of playing the board game and scouring through the Hasbro official rulebook, we’re here to explain the answer to the question: In a game of Monopoly, how many players are best?

Read more about playing Monopoly in any group size, pro-tips for if you have a group over eight players, and alternative ways to play. 

What we will cover

• Max. and Min. Number of Monopoly Players 
• How many players are best for Monopoly?
• Can you play Monopoly with only one player?
• Can you play Monopoly with two players?
• Can three people play Monopoly?
• Can five players play Monopoly?
• Can you play Monopoly with six to eight players?
• Can you play Monopoly with 9 players?
• How many players can play Monopoly Electronic Banking?
• How many players can play Monopoly card games?
• Required Parts for all Monopoly games

Maximum and Minimum Number of Monopoly Players 

According to the official Hasbro rules, a game of Monopoly can be played by two to eight players.

When the game begins, all players receive the same amount of money, regardless of the number of players. For Standard Monopoly boards, this amount is $1,500 and for Monopoly Jr. boards, this amount is $31. 

Technically, since the bank can never run out of money, groups of more than eight can enjoy a game together. The Monopoly max player count is only a recommendation based on the number of properties up for grabs. 

The number of players is limited to the space at your table and imagination. Have some paper handy for handwritten banknotes and extra tokens since the standard board only provides eight game tokens. Ensure there is enough space for all players to see and move around the board.

Monopoly Player Tokens 

As of 2017, Hasbro changed the classic Monopoly tokens based on votes from Monopoly players around the globe. The current ones are: 

• Penguin 
• Scottie dog
• Rubber ducky 
• T. rex
• Cat
• Battleship 
• Racecar 
• Top hat

Players are not limited to these tokens and can use any game piece they choose, including game tokens from earlier editions or tokens from alternative Monopoly versions.

How many players are best for Monopoly?

Four. For a fun Monopoly game that is well-paced, four players are ideal. This sets the stage for enough players to compete for colors and block other players from fulfilling their goals of owning illusive properties like Boardwalk and Park Place. 

Typically, official Monopoly tournaments have four participants in a game. As there are four sides to the square Monopoly board, four is also the ideal number for each player to store their money and properties under the edges of the gameboard. 

According to the official Hasbro rulebook: “When more than five persons play, the Banker may elect to act only as Banker and Auctioneer”. This means that while five people are involved in the game, one player can choose to remove themselves from moving around the board and solely focus on their responsibility as a banker and auctioneer.

Also read: 5 Monopoly Mortgage Rules

Can you play Monopoly with only one player?

You can play Monopoly against yourself by using your imagination, different tokens, and switching chairs. Better yet, you can play online Monopoly with only one player. Solo players can enjoy Monopoly on their computer, tablet, phone, or video game console. Go up against bots or friends remotely.

Online Monopoly Versions

Monopoly can be enjoyed in many online forms allowing for solo gameplay with strangers, robots, or remote group play. Find versions available for: 

• Computer – PC or Mac 
• Console – Nintendo Switch, Playstation, Xbox
• Mobile – Android or iPhone, Tablet 

Monopoly for Nintendo Switch, and most online versions, support up to six players per game. Mobile versions of Monopoly Plus support up to six players but also have the pass-and-play feature meaning several players can use the same device. 

Can you play Monopoly with 2 players?

Yes, the standard Monopoly board game can be played as a two-player game. Monopoly is well-known for its lengthy gameplay. However, Monopoly two-player games tend to play out faster since fewer people are competing for properties of the same color. 

Monopoly Rivals is an alternative to the standard game specifically designed for two players. 

The smaller board has all the best parts of the standard board, like community chest and chance cards, game tokens, houses, and Monopoly money. Some elements have been removed, like hotels, additional tokens, and certain properties to enable speedier gameplay. 

Ways to make two-player Monopoly games more fun

Auction off properties 

For the first few rounds of the game, auction off a random unowned property to get started on strategizing which colors you are aiming to collect all of. 

End early 

Once it becomes clear who is the winner, stop the game even if that person has not yet bankrupted their opponent. Maybe the losing player will use that borrowed time to redeem themselves in round two. 

Alternative Monopoly games 

Two players can opt for Monopoly Rivals, online versions of Monopoly, or Monopoly card games to satiate their capitalistic itch and still have an enjoyable time. 

Adjust the rules 

Make your own rules by adjusting how much cash each player starts with, the lower the amount the quicker the game ends. Multiply the values from the chance and community chest cards to your liking. Or, come up with your own house rules. 

Can three people play Monopoly?

Yes. If your group of only three people wants to roll the dice and play the game of Monopoly, go right on ahead. 

Three to four players in a Monopoly game is the best for a more engaging game. Meanwhile, the player acting as the banker won’t be overwhelmed as they might be in games with more players. Especially those games where several players request their five hundred bills turned into smaller ones.

Can five players play Monopoly?

Yes. Groups of five can enjoy Monopoly. Since the Monopoly board allows for four players to tuck their money under the side of the board, the fifth player can use the lid of the game box to store their properties and money.   

Can you play Monopoly with 6 to 8 players?

The Monopoly board game requires at least two players yet can be enjoyed by larger groups of even six, seven, or eight people. 

Games with more players lead to fun ways of improvising the game from the official rules. Test your negotiating skills, make trades, or miss out on turns if players aren’t paying attention. 

Can you play Monopoly with 9 players?

The best Monopoly games are played with friends. If your group is over eight players, you can make an exception to the max eight-player rule. 

With more than eight persons your group is likely to run out of play money so have a pad of paper nearby to allow the bank to handwrite more currency. 

Consider teaming up, or having one player act as the banker and auctioneer instead of going around the board and using up houses and hotels. 

Pro-Tip: For more than eight persons, use two different types of Monopoly boards together. Overlap the Go Space and move around the two boards in a figure-eight. Using different board games like the Standard Monopoly and Star Wars Monopoly boards will ensure there is no confusion in duplicate properties. It also gives players more houses and hotels to work with. 

How many players can play Monopoly Electronic Banking?

Two to four. The Monopoly Electric Banking game comes with four bank cards and four banking units making this the maximum number of players. 

Monopoly Electronic Banking is a fun game where players use calculator-looking devices to transfer funds electronically. This option is ideal for players who don’t trust the banker. 

How many players can play Monopoly card games?

There are a few ways to play this classic board game without needing the Monopoly game board. 

Monopoly Deal and Monopoly Bid are two card games that follow the same concept as the original game. Both of these options support two to five players. 

Monopoly: The Card Game is another option for playing without the Monopoly game board. This card game supports two to six players, but it is no longer in production.

Also read: 5 Monopoly Jail Rules

Required Parts

To play a classic game of Monopoly you will require: 

• A Monopoly game board
• Two dice (six-sided)
• Game tokens 
• Thirty-two houses 
• Twelve hotels 
• Sixteen chance cards 
• Sixteen community chest cards 
• Monopoly Play money 

Optional: Play with a Monopoly Speed Die to increase the pace of the game. 

In Conclusion

Groups big and small can enjoy competitive, friendly, or improvised Monopoly gameplay. While the official Monopoly rules say two to eight players, don’t feel like someone has to sit out if they want to join in on the fun too. 

With more than three hundred versions of this classic board game, there is a Monopoly board suited to any type of player. How many people can play Monopoly depends on how many people around the gameboard have the will to win.