Monopoly gets makeover as Community Chest cards become more ‘socially aware’

Hasbro wants players to decide which to include by voting on their website through April 9 and will debut them this autumn.  

Credit: PA

For decades, players of Monopoly have winced as they picked up cards telling them to “go directly to jail” and delighted at news they have won money in a local beauty contest.

But now the company that manufactures the classic family board game has decided to give it a “socially aware” makeover fit for the 21st Century.

Game-maker Hasbro is set to update its 16 Community Chest cards, which have featured prompts such as receiving a “tax refund” or the now-rarely seen “bank error in your favour.”

In their place are more contemporary cards that evoke community service and social awareness, that they believe will better reflect the world in the wake of the global pandemic. Swaps could include a reward for “shopping local all week,” rescuing a pet from a shelter or helping tend the community garden. 

Hasbro wants players to decide which to include by voting on their website through April 9 and will debut them this autumn.

The decision comes as a number of manufacturers make changes to appeal to a more socially conscious audience. 

“Covering topics like beauty contests, holiday funds, and life insurance, there is no denying the Monopoly game’s Community Chest Cards are long overdue for a refresh,” the company said in a statement on Thursday.

“Since Monopoly became a household name more than 85 years ago, the world has changed and embraced a new sense of community — particularly after the unprecedented year of 2020,” said Anne Leonhardi, a marketing director at Hasbro.

“With community being more important than ever before, this year is the perfect time to give fans across the country the chance to show what community means to them through voting on the new set of Community Chest cards,” Ms Leonhardi said in a statement.

Other scenarios include rewards for visiting an elderly neighbour, patronising the school bake sale or donating blood.

Scenarios that may arise also include being penalised for hosting a party and not recycling the rubbish afterwards or finding a wallet on the street and not returning it.

Some users welcomed the news, even suggesting their own Community Chest cards. “Ubered all night! Collect $50” and “Porch-pirated someone’s Amazon shipment! Collect $150,” one offered. 

Others accused the company of bowing to the “woke brigade”.

“You know, because the game has lasted for 85 years because so many people didn’t like the way it was,” tweeted one.

Hasbro has sold more than 275 million copies of the game since it was first printed in 1935. It has been played by more than 1 billion people worldwide in 114 countries.

The decision comes as a number of manufacturers make changes to appeal to a more socially conscious audience.

Hasbro last month announced it was "reimagining” its classic Mr Potato Head toy “for the modern consumer", making it gender-neutral.

In 2019, global toy giant Mattel released a line of gender-neutral dolls.

Critics of the changes argue that it is leading to a dogmatic “cancel culture”, leaving little room for more traditional thinking.