How to Play Monopoly Deal

Setup

Play with 2-5 total players. Monopoly Deal revolves around the spirit of competition—with this in mind, you’ll need at least 1 person to play against! If you’ve got at least 6 people who want to play, that’s okay—just grab 2 decks of Monopoly Deal so you have enough cards for everyone. For reference, each Monopoly Deal deck has 4 quick-start cards, 34 action cards, 28 property cards, 13 rent cards, 20 money cards, and 11 property wildcards. Double-check that each deck has this exact number of cards if you’re playing with more than 1. Each deck has a specific ratio of action cards: 2 “Deal Breaker” cards, 3 “Just Say No” cards, 3 “Sly Deal” cards, 4 “Force Deal” cards, 3 “Debt Collector” cards, 3 “It’s My Birthday” cards, 10 “Pass Go” Cards, 3 “House” cards, 3 “Hotel” cards, and 2 “Double The Rent” cards. Each deck also has a specific number of money cards (counted in millions): one 10M card, two 5M cards, three 4M cards, five 2M cards, and six 1M cards.

Give a quick-start card to each player to use as a reference. Every deck has 4 quick-start cards—these are handy guides that outline the basic rules and regulations of the game. Hand out 1 to each player, so everyone can review the instructions at their own leisure. If you’re playing with lots of people, multiple players may need to share quick-start cards.

Shuffle the Monopoly Deal deck and give 5 cards to each player. Rearrange the deck a bit, so no properties or action cards are grouped next to each other. Then, deal 5 cards face-down to each player. You’re welcome to look at the cards in your hand, but don’t sneak a peek at anyone else’s. Keep these cards face-down when you’re not holding them.

Place the rest of the deck face-down in the middle of the play area. This is known as the “draw pile,” and is where you’ll grab new cards from throughout the game.

Select a player to go first and rotate the gameplay clockwise. Ironically, Monopoly Deal doesn’t actually have a dealer—instead, the game is completely turn-based. Pick any player to go first, and go clockwise around the circle of players.

Your Turn

Draw 2 cards at the beginning of your turn. Monopoly Deal is all about weighing your options, and making the most of your hand. Always grab 2 cards at the start of your turn, so you have a couple more gameplay options to choose from. Pick up 5 cards if you ran out of cards on the previous turn.

Play up to 3 cards during your turn. There are 3 ways you can “play” during a Monopoly Deal turn: moving cards into your bank pile, assembling property sets, and/or playing an action card. Feel free to do 1, 2, and/or all 3 of these things during your turn. For instance, you might play 1 action card, move 1 card to the bank, and arrange 1 card in a property set. Or, you could place 3 cards in your bank pile on your turn. You don’t have to play a card if you don’t want to! However, you’ll have to get rid of extra cards if you have more than 7 in your hand at one time.

Stockpile money by placing money and action cards into a “bank” pile. Check the top-left and bottom-right corners of your cards for a specific number. This number is the cash value of your card. Place any money or action cards into your bank pile to redeem their cash value. A typical match of Monopoly Deal can be fast-moving, with your fellow players charging you rent on their properties. When you save money in your bank pile, you’ll be able to pay back other players quickly and easily. For example, if you place a 3-million dollar money card and 1-million dollar action card in your bank, you’d have 4 million dollars at your disposal. Once your cards are added to the bank pile, you can’t use them for anything else.

Assemble property sets so you can win the game. In Monopoly Deal, the first player to assemble 3 full sets of property cards wins the game. Property cards have a solid-colored bar along the top—these are essentially the “deed” cards that you’d use in traditional Monopoly. Place up to 3 property cards face-up on the play surface in front of you. Wildcards have 2 solid-colored bars on opposite ends, and can work with 2 types of property sets. However, you can only apply a wildcard to 1 card set. Flip the card upward so it matches the other cards in the corresponding property set.

Collect money from other players with action cards. Action cards let you charge rent to other players. Place up to 3 action cards face-up in a discard pile, right next to the draw pile. Follow the instructions on the action cards to keep the gameplay going. Steal a full property set with a Deal Breaker card, or charge another player 5 million dollars with a Debt Collector card. Switch properties with another player using a Forced Deal card, or steal a single property with a Sly Deal card. Add 3 million dollars to a property set’s total rent value with a House card, or add 4 million with a Hotel card. Force all players to play you 2 million dollars with an It’s My Birthday card, or use a Just Say No card to get out of any forced action. Pick up 2 extra cards from the draw pile with a Pass Go card.

Charge rent on your properties with a rent action card. Rent cards qualify as action cards, and can be 1 of the 3 cards you play during your turn. Play a split-colored rent card to charge the player of your choice for rent on your corresponding property. You can also play a rainbow-colored wildcard, which lets you choose which property to charge rent on. You can only charge 1 player per rent card. You can use split-color rent cards if you have at least 1 of the property colors in your property sets. You can only use the “Double The Rent” action card when also using a rent card. However, a “Double The Rent” card would be counted as the second action in your turn.

Discard any extra cards so your hand totals 7. Count the number of cards in your hand at the end of your turn—if you have more than 7, discard any extras into the discard pile. Playing up to 3 cards each turn helps you get the most out of your hand. You can discard any type of card from your hand.

Other Player’s Turns

Pay other players when they use a rent or action card. Chances are, other players will charge rent or play some type of action card on their turn. When this happens, grab however much money you owe from your bank pile and give it to the other player. Some action cards let other players steal or trade properties with you. Unless you have a “Just Say No” action card, you’ll have to comply with whatever card or cards they put down. You can’t get change back in Monopoly Deal—If you don’t have the exact amount of rent money, you’ll have to overpay the player. For instance, if you’re charged 2 million but only have 3 million in the bank, you’ll pay the player the full 3 million.

Give properties as payment if you don’t have enough bank money. Check the monetary value of your properties before making any payments. If your bank is empty, satisfy your debt with a property instead. Only pay with properties if you don’t have enough money in your bank.

Continue playing in a clockwise direction. Work your way around the circle of players, giving each player a chance to play up to 3 cards on their turn. Keep assembling property sets, storing money in your bank pile, and/or playing action and rent cards of your own as the game continues.

End the game when a player has 3 full sets of properties. Keep in mind that you can only declare your victory on your own turn—not in the middle of another player’s. Once a player announces that they have 3 full property sets, the game is officially over!