Women and Board Games: Lizzie Magie and the True Origins of Monopoly

For decades, Charles Darrow has been credited with the invention of Monopoly, one of the world’s most popular board games. Darrow, an unemployed salesman, supposedly invented the board game during the Great Depression. However, this narrative erases the accomplished woman, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie, whose original board game, The Landlord's Game, was the true inspiration for Monopoly.

Source: Image courtesy of Thomas Forsyth, owner of the registered trademark "The Landlord's Game®" (see http://landlordsgame.info/)

In 1903, thirty-eight years before Darrow received his patent, Magie filed her own patent for The Landlord's Game. This wasn't just any board game—it was a sophisticated economic simulation designed to demonstrate the destructive nature of land monopolism. Magie, a stenographer, writer, and inventor, created two sets of rules for her groundbreaking game: one that rewarded monopolistic behavior and another that shared wealth more equitably. Her goal was to show players how the concentration of land ownership inevitably led to the impoverishment of tenants and the enrichment of landlords.

Magie was deeply influenced by the economic theories of Henry George, particularly his ideas about land value taxation. Through gameplay, she wanted to illustrate George's argument that private ownership of land created systemic inequality. Players would experience firsthand how monopolistic practices enriched a few while impoverishing many—a lesson that remains strikingly relevant today.

What makes Magie's story particularly compelling is how it reflects the broader struggles of women in what we now call "nerdy" or intellectual culture. Long before the term existed, Magie was operating in spaces dominated by men: economics, game design, invention, and social theory. She was creating complex systems and mechanics, engaging with economic philosophy, and using game theory as a vehicle for social commentary—all hallmarks of what we might recognize today as geek culture.

Magie's erasure from Monopoly's origin story mirrors patterns we see throughout history, where women's contributions to intellectual and creative fields have been minimized or attributed to men. In gaming culture specifically, women have consistently been innovators and participants, yet their contributions have often been overlooked or dismissed. From early computer programmers (such as Ada Lovelace) to modern game designers (such as Roberta Williams), women have shaped the foundations of what we consider nerdy pursuits, despite facing exclusion from these communities.

Magie’s authorship has also been conveniently forgotten. The irony is profound: a game designed by a woman to critique capitalism was transformed into a celebration of capitalist success supposedly created by a man. When Parker Brothers bought Magie's patent in 1935, they were primarily interested in securing their legal position for Darrow's version. Magie received $500 and no royalties, while Darrow became wealthy and famous as the game's supposed inventor.

Magie's story also highlights how women have long used creative media to engage with complex social and political issues. Her game wasn't just entertainment—it was activism through design, using the medium of play to communicate serious economic criticism. This intersection of creativity, social consciousness, and systematic thinking embodies much of what makes nerdy culture valuable: the ability to use specialized knowledge and creative tools to understand and critique the world.

Today, as we recognize the vital contributions of women in gaming, technology, and intellectual culture, Lizzie Magie's story serves as both inspiration and cautionary tale. Her narrative reminds us that the foundations of our favorite pastimes often have more complex and inclusive origins than popular narratives suggest.