In my childhood, I didn't get to play video games quite often because my parents didn't allow me to. So, to entertain myself at those times, I had to invite friends in and play the old board game version of Monopoly, which money is made of craft papers and will very likely disappear with each round.
As I've grown up now, the classic Monopoly experience can't satisfy me anymore, so I need a more intriguing game with a lot of twists. And luckily, Billion Road has come to my must-play list, as you're not only going to buy assets, but also throw monsters at your competitors to obstruct them as well!
Below is the trailer of the Switch version of the game which came out one year ago, which you can have a look at its vibrant gameplay:
The concept of Billion Road
Billion Road follows a very simple final objective: If you're the richest at the end of the game, you'll be the final winner. To be more specific, you'll take control of an investor traveling around Japan to purchase buildings, landmarks or take control over certain businesses to gain as much money as possible.
There are several ways to gain money, which you won't need much time to get used to. The simplest and most sustainable way is to land on a property square that you can invest some money on, such as a restaurant in Giza that specializes in sushi, or anime-manga stores in Akihabara. Through this game, you can learn a lot about the Japanese landscape and cultures that many other countries admire.
However, you won't get your income right the moment you invest in the property. Instead, you'll have to continue on your journey until the in-game March, when you can collect your pay for those investments. And like other Monopoly-inspired games, there are all so some random chances at item squares. Over 30 items will either help you become wealthy earlier, or hinder your plan with unexpected events.
Adding more luck elements to the journey, your journey to becoming the richest figure in Japan will base on the dice rolls. They will decide how far you'll get, and which locations will you end your turn on, so you'd still need a little bit of luck to be successful. That's how life functions, right!
And remember about the random monsters I've said earlier? There are over 50 types of monsters that you can make use of on your journey, each has its distinctive effects. You'll encounter them at some times on your trips, and you can make use of them to mess your opponents up. The monsters can push them back, destroy their properties, and overall make them look miserable.
But the monsters are not always good for you, as they have their own moods. On one bad day, they might turn around and mess up your own business instead. They might use your money to make purchases, either good or bad, and becoming one of the most unpredictable factors in your journey with a nick of time.
Game modes and release date
Billion Road provides players with two separate play modes, which you can enjoy either on your own or with your friends. It's a great game to try both on your own our with your family, which you can teach your children a lot about investment, math, and luck!
The Tournament Mode is the single-player mode, in which you can enjoy your journey to become the conqueror of Japan in 30 in-game years. But if you want to invite your friends to this bandwagon, the Skirmish Mode will be your choice.
Billion Road is now available on Nintendo Switch, and it will come out for PC via Steam in March 2020.