The Game of Life

The Game of Life is one of those games that people buy because it’s popular but then never play. There are aspects of this game that I enjoy but then there are aspects of the game I really don’t like.

The end goal is one thing that really bothers me about this game. Retire with the most money! As if being the wealthiest person before you die is supposed to be the ultimate goal of all. It really teaches a negative lesson, as the best way to be the richest is to take all the limited chances of screwing over the other players.

Let’s go back to starting the game. There are two options: go to school or start your career. It should be listed as “take post secondary education and have a chance at winning or choose to lose.” Salary and job options in the start career path are so limiting that it really isn’t worth pursuing. While I like that this stresses the importance of education, it really doesn’t make for balanced game play.

Another thing that bothers me is the points where you must stop and conduct one of the many “must do’s” in life. There is marriage, buying a house, etc. I don’t really like that there is a specific order and time when each must be performed. It reflects a very limited worldview of how life should occur and which one lifestyle should be pursued. Sure when you get married you can put a same sex peg next to your own but you still have to do it at a specified time. It’s the “grow up, get job, get married, buy house path” that everyone must follow. It isn’t like there are people who have purchased a house before marrying, or people who don’t get married until later in life due to career or not finding a suitable match. Heck some people never marry. Some people never buy a house and choose to rent.

This brings me to the “must buy when you must buy” house option. Buying a house when you aren’t able to afford it is a bad idea in real life. Yet in game it’s a must do. And you can’t buy the exact same type of property as someone else, as if there aren’t trailer parks full of trailers or neighbourhoods full of McMansions. The Game of Life is just teaching some really bad financial concepts here.

Speaking of bad financial concepts, the loan process is handled poorly. In the game you can put off paying massive debts until you retire. Oh and no matter when you pay back a loan it’s the same single flat interest charge. I would love to get one of those loans in real life. Pay off my real debts and laugh my rear end off at the new loaner. It teaches that you can accrue and ignore debt, which is a terrible lesson.

The one thing I really enjoy is the way children are obtained. There is no planning, just surprise twins! Of course the little girl who dreams of a big family never lands on a kid space while the boy who hates the idea of kids needs a second car to fit his brood. It can really crush the spirit of the barren or “accident” prone players.

Why is it that I still get a little fun out of this game? Is it a sense that I wish my life went so easily? Do I have some small part of me which wants a traditional lifestyle? Do I have a dark side that enjoys seeing others fail at life? Or is the game actually fun? I really don’t know.

The Game of Life, a game you will buy because it’s popular and a game you won’t play because it teaches all the wrong lessons about real life.