
Thanks to NJ, this is the worlds most popular board game
You can never underestimate New Jersey's influence across the globe. It's just like the famous bridge says, "Trenton Makes, The World Takes."
But to be fair, it really goes beyond Trenton. More accurately, it should read something like, "Jersey Makes, The World Takes." Not knocking on Trenton though as they are crucial when it comes to worldwide influence.
And that influence comes in many forms. From manufactured products to breakthrough discoveries and deep-rooted history, New Jersey has it all. Thomas Edison and George Washington are only two such examples of individuals with ties to New Jersey that had a worldwide impact.
Even today New Jersey continues to play a role into how the world is shaped. Of course, it's not just limited to the invention of the lightbulb or the founding of an entire nation.
Sometimes, it can even boil down to the simple pleasures found around the house. And that includes games. Yes, New Jersey played a crucial role when it comes to the worlds most popular board game.
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Fun & Games
Before we get to the Jersey influence, have you ever wondered what the world's best-selling game is? As it turns out, it's Chess.
Across the world, there is no board game that sells in larger numbers than Chess. According to fun.com, "more than 3 million units are sold yearly in the U.S. alone" of the classic board game.
That's a lot of board games. It's no wonder you find people playing Chess in the parks all around the world.
Best-Sellers
The second best-selling board game in the world is Checkers. According to fun.com, "50 billion units sold since [the] introduction" of the game.
And much like Chess, you'll also find people playing Checkers in parks all across the world. Two very popular games that'll surely be around for many years to come.
As for the third highest-selling game? That's where we begin turning our attention to New Jersey.
Monopoly Rules
As it turns out, Monopoly is the third best-selling board game globally, with approximately 275 million units being sold every year. A great game based on the streets of Atlantic City and played by families across the world.
Obviously, it's nice to see a Jersey-based game that was invented here be one of the top best sellers, but it's not in the number-one position. At least, not in the category of best-sellers.
As for what games are the most popular, that's where things change. Monopoly might be the third best-seller worldwide, but it comes in at number one as the overall most popular board game to play.
A World-Record
Not only is the New Jersey-based game the most popular board game to play worldwide, but it's also a record breaker.
According to fun.com, Monopoly "holds the Guinness World Record for being played by the most people: 500 million people worldwide." That's quite an accomplishment for something based on the streets of Atlantic City dating back to 1935.
But it also makes sense since multiple people can play Monopoly at once, including groups of eight in a single game. You can't do that in Chess or Checkers, which are both limited to just two people at once.
All-time Most Popular
So even though Monopoly is the third highest-selling board game on the planet, it still takes the top spot in overall popularity. And that would never be the case if it weren't for the Great Garden State.
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The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.