It has been said the game of life is hard to play, but in this particular case one might have to disagree.
"The Game of Life" first entered American homes as a parlor game in 1860 under the title "The Checkered Game of Life." Today it is more commonly known simply as "LIFE."
Who would have ever guessed that a board game based off a simple reality, day to day life, would ever be so popular? The game, which traditionally accommodates two to six players, begins at college and moves through life to marriage, buying a home, and retirement. Variables in the games are controlled by cards, such as what job a person will have and what their salary will be. There are even twists that mirror real life; bankruptcies, lotteries, children, and lawsuits all contribute to the outcome of the game. The winner of the game is the one who retires with the most money, which might say something about American ideals.
Over the 150 years that "LIFE" has been played it has taken on many variations and several modifications. "The Game of Life" has been adapted into specialty games including "The Game of Life: Rock Star Edition", "Star Wars-the Jedi's Path", and "The Wizard of Oz Collector's Edition". Some versions of the game today can even be played with up to ten players and other versions appear online. Like most everything else today, LIFE has an official Facebook page that has a following of over 626,000 people.
As time has passed the game has changed with the world around it, but it has always retained its simple concept. "LIFE" is a game everyone can understand, because young or old everyone is already in the game before they even pick up the box.