Unlike Monopoly, which assumes a level socioeconomic playing field, The Social Justice Game (SJG) more closely reflects actual inequities under the current American economy. By effecting real-world economic disparities at the start of the game, SJG aims to stimulate a frustration so comically absurd that gameplay evolves into a discussion among the players around the systemic inequities of contemporary capitalism.
We kid because we love!
The Social Justice Game: A Game About Cents & Sensibility represents an educational
parody of the
game Monopoly, and more
generally, of capitalism.
Because the true goal is to play SJG reflexively and thoughtfully in order to learn as much as one can about socioeconomics, "winning" the game may take different shapes. Certainly, players may "lose" the game by going bankrupt ("unable to pay outstanding loans when they are due").
The primary goal for each player is to avoid bankruptcy—to survive and thrive, earning enough money to comfortably navigate the costs, penalties, and unexpected twists of fate which arise. The surest way to do that is to purchase properties which produce rent from other players. While Unemployed and Employees will find it difficult to purchase properties initially, they are able to take loans. They may also rise socioeconomically through joining the military or attending college.
Changing the
Rules
Remember, this game is what you make it. Players may change the rules
of
the game any time by skipping a turn and proposing a rule.
A player enters bankruptcy as soon as her total cash dips below $0 dollars and she is unable to take out a loan. Players may avoid bankruptcy in several ways:
- All players may sell property back to the bank or to another player for what the bank/player is willing to pay for it.
- No player may hold more than 1 loan at a time from the bank. Players may hold only 1 loan at a time from each of the other players.
- Employees, Managers and Owners may request loans from another player or from the Bank. The lending player (the player playing the Bank) may specify the loan period and interest.
- Unemployed players may request loans from other players but not the bank, as the unemployed typically do not qualify for bank loans. The lending player may specify the loan period and interest.
The Owner player rolls first, at the start of the game. At the start of the player’s turn, she rolls the die indicated on her Role Card and moves her Movement Token to the indicated square. The player interacts with the square she has landed on. A player may purchase any property square she lands on if it’s for sale and improve it (and any other properties she owns) on the same turn. Play then rotates clockwise around the board to the next player.
No Property
Auctions
Unlike Monopoly, there is no public auction for a property when a
player lands on it and chooses not to purchase it.
Players improve their rents on owned properties by adding houses. When purchasing houses, players place the appropriate one-, two-, or three-house token on their property card to keep track of the number of houses owned.
- Gentrification — Gentrification is the process by which players may forcibly purchase any property which is unimproved (has no houses) when landing on it. A player may forcibly purchase a property from the current landlord for the original price and must add at least 1 house to the property immediately. The original landlord may not refuse the sale.
- Building Community — In contrast to gentrification, any player who donates a house to any property owned by another player never need pay rent when landing on that square. However, players may not donate a house to a property which already has 3 houses.
Adding
Houses
A player may add houses to any property she owns at the end of her turn.
Every rule in SJG exists through the democratic agreement of the players. Players may loan each other money, form specific agreements, and even create new rules. If any player whose turn it is wishes to add, eliminate or change a rule, that player may forfeit their turn to propose a rule and call a vote. With a simple majority affirming it, the game rule is adopted.
A proposed rule should pertain to all players, and not simply the person making the rule. Consider the following rule proposed by an Unemployed player:
BAD
I propose that each payday, the rich players all have to pay me half their salary.
This rule seems vague — what is a "rich" player? It’s not a valid rule, nor is likely to win the simple majority of votes to pass. If the player wants to fight the economic injustice she feels, she might try:
BETTER
I propose that Owners — whose earning potential is disproportionately larger than
unemployed and employees — subsidize non-owner payments for Flint Water and Enron
Electric, charging us only $20 each for Flint Water and Enron Electric each payday.
This rule proposal is likely to be more successful because it offers a persuasive rationale and because it reduces the value of the Owner’s utilities, rather than removing their value entirely. This rule would benefit Managers directly, and a Manager might support such a rule.
Players landing on any Change square must draw a card from the Change Cards deck. Read the card aloud to the other players and follow the instructions. Some Change Cards work in a player's favor, others against.
Read
Closely
Most cards apply only to specific roles. Read the card
closely to discover which roles the card applies to, and any additional special instructions.
-
Unemployed
Caught by the social safety net, the Unemployed person receives food, medical, and other forms of minimal assistance from the state and federal governments. This player rolls a red 4-sided die () for movement and receives $200 each time passing payday. -
Employee
Thanks to skill in a trade or earned through obtaining a college degree, Employees are happy to have a job in this economy. They live above the poverty line, but may live paycheck to paycheck unless they are both disciplined and adept at managing their own meagre finances. This player rolls a green 6-sided die () for movement and receives $500 each time passing payday. -
Manager
Thanks to experience in a field, a graduate degree or other professional development, a manager is an employee who has ascended to a position of leadership. This player rolls a purple 8-sided die () for movement and receives $1,000 each time passing payday. -
Owner
Owing to the vagaries of fate or perhaps an arduous struggle upwards, this role represents the wealthiest class in the game. This player rolls a blue 10-sided die () for movement and receives $3,000 each time passing payday. -
Military Token
The player places the military token on her Role Card (until she next passes Payday) as a reminder that she is actively serving in the military, and must roll a six-sided die on her turn (in addition to her movement roll) to see if she is killed in combat. -
House Tokens
The player places one-, two-, or three-house token on any property she improves.
-
Payday
Each player receives her payday salary at the beginning of the game, and each time when landing upon or passing through the Payday square.
-
Go to College
When passing through this square, Unemployed and Employees may choose to stop on this square and attend college. Managers and Owners will have already attended college.
- If Unemployed — The player pays $2,000 to the bank for her undergraduate degree and immediately becomes an Employee.
- If an Employee — The player pays $1,000 to the bank for her graduate degree and immediately becomes a Manager.
Players may apply only once for financial aid by rolling a six-sided die:
Roll Result 1-2 Rejected 3-5 Partial Scholarship. Tuition reduced by half. 6 Full ride. Tuition waived. -
Join the Military
When joining the Military, player places the Military Token on her Role Card. When passing through this square, Unemployed and Employees may choose to stop on this square and join the military, with the following results:
For the rest of the game:
- Wages — If Unemployed, the player immediately becomes an Employee (enlisted). If an Employee, the player immediately becomes a Manager (officer).
- GI Bill — Any future college tuition paid is reduced by half.
- VA Benefits — Any future hospital bills paid are reduced to $50.
While Actively Serving (until player next passes through the Payday square):
- Movement — The player subtracts 1 from her movement roll each turn.
- In Harm’s Way — Player must roll a 6-sided die each turn in addition to her movement roll. If she rolls a 1, she must roll again. If she then rolls a 1 she is killed in combat. Her country thanks her for her service.
-
Visit the Hospital
When landing on this square, players must pay out of pocket in medical bills. Unemployed players pay $400. Other players pay less according to their role cards. If the player cannot afford this, she may sell any properties or utilities she owns and/or request a loan (see "Bankruptcy").
-
Go to Jail
When sent to jail, the player must place her token on the Jail space in the middle of the board and roll a red 4-sided die () to determine how many turns she must miss before moving again. Upon release, the player proceeds to the Payday square but receives no pay. Owners avoid jail entirely, as may those who have collected certain Change cards.
-
Back Taxes
Any player landing on this square proceeds directly to Payday but receives only half their pay, owing the other half to the IRS for back taxes. (Pay the Bank directly.)
-
Enron Electric
This privatized energy utility is owned by the Owner at the start of the game, who sets, raises and lowers rates at will. The owner of Enron Electric:
- Collects $50 from each player each time they pass payday
- Collect $25 from players landing on the square.
-
Flint Water
This privatized water utility is owned by the Owner at the start of the game, who sets, raises and lowers rates at will. The owner of Enron Electric:
- Collects $50 from each player each time they pass payday
- Collect $25 from players landing on the square.
-
Froogle
This square represents an aggregate of the various telecom services, mobile devices, and apps we use to stay digitally socially connected. The owner of Froogle sets, raises and lowers rates at will. The owner of Froogle:
- Collects $50 from each player each time they pass payday
- Collect $25 from players landing on the square.
-
Property Squares
The Bank issues Title cards to any player who may then collect rent from any player landing on the square. As houses are added (up to 3) to any property square, the rent increases. A player must first land upon a square to purchase it.
-
The White House
When an Owner lands on this square, she should 1) give a short stump speech outlining which rules she will change from the list below, and 2) call a vote. If a majority of players vote affirmatively, the player becomes the President for that turn. Once president, she formally declares any rule changes. As in real life, the new rules may or may not be exactly what she promised in her stump speech. These are the areas in which she may create rules:
- Government Bailout — The President may set rates for players landing on the Enron Electric and Flint Water squares.
- Affordable Care — The President may set rates for players landing on the Hospital square.
- Net Neutrality — The President may set the rates for players landing on the froogle square.
- Presidential Pardons — The president may set the number of rounds players spend in jail or free a player currently in jail.
- Bring the Troops Home — The president may remove any player under active service in the military from ‘Harm’s Way’ (eliminating the need for that player to roll a 6-sided die).