The Landlord's Game is a board game conceived by political activist and game designer Lizzie Magie in 1903 and documented as a work in 1904. It is widely known as the prototype of the later global hit Monopoly, but its original purpose was not entertainment. Instead, it was designed as an educational and political simulation to spread the ideas of economist Henry George, especially the Single Tax theory. Magie created the game to let players experience how private land ownership and the monopolization of rent can widen economic inequality.
A defining feature of the game is its two-rule structure on the same board. One set of rules, the “monopoly” rules, allows players to accumulate land and drive others into bankruptcy. The other, the “prosperity” rules, distributes land-value benefits across society so that all players can become wealthier. By changing only the rules, the game demonstrates how social behavior and outcomes shift dramatically, making the effects of institutional design on economics and ethics visible through play.
Over time, players modified the game, and eventually only the monopoly rules were preserved and commercialized as Monopoly. As a result, Magie’s critical intent and her own role were long forgotten. Even so, The Landlord's Game remains an early example of a game used to express and critique social systems and values, and it is regarded as a pioneering work in serious games and art games.