Update on Mogul

So a week or so after I wrote about the real estate "game" Mogul, we decided to try it out. More accurately, my wife and daughter tried it out while my son and I thrashed Liverpool (we play Man United) in FIFA 09. My daughter (the smarty pants) wanted to play the game and I told her that if she read the rules and learned how to play, then I'd play. She somehow coerced my wife into this effort while my son and I quickly disappeared to pursue a more brainless activity.

After about an hour and a half (during which time my son and I crushed much of the Premier League with our now dominating Manager Mode team), I heard the cry of "uncle" from the other room. As we all sat down soon thereafter, I got their thoughts on the game. Here's what they had to say about Mogul:

• It's very, very, very complicated. It is Monopoly on mega-steroids. It makes chess look easy. It's certainly not a fun sit-down-with-the-wife-and-kids-for-a-fun-evening sort of game (FYI, our favorite games currently are Apples to Apples, Go to the Head of the Class, and Uno.)

• It's very, very, very realistic. From what they could tell (they're not real estate investors), the game did a great job of simulating many of the decisions that go into real estate investing as well as the general trials and tribulations of life (some would call this luck) that can bounce you one way or the other.

So there you have it -- something you could have probably guessed about a $100 game: it's more of a teaching tool than a game played for fun/enjoyment. The key audience for this is someone who wants to learn more about real estate investing, not someone looking for a fun time (though I'm sure it could be fun for those learning.) It's closer to an investment in a seminar or class than it is buying a game, so looked at that way, maybe $100 isn't that bad.

If you're interested in winning a free game (hey, it's a $100 value!), sign up for my newsletter. I'll be giving away a game or two via email over the next few weeks.

Comments

[Matt H]

Here is another game to try: http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/magazine/17-04/mf_settlers