A Lifer's Diary, Part 7: Simulated Game #2
I am once again about to simulate another Game of Life with my custom set of spinner, this time using the Generation III rule set. For this game, there will once again be six players: Bob, Eddie, John, Mary, Rachel, and Sarah. Also, the tie-breaker rule I introduced earlier in this series is in effect for the first time, and I will also take snips for every significant action in this simulated game. As usual, all players will start with $10,000 and 3 randomly selected Share the Wealth Cards.
The inventories of each player at the start of each round will be displayed in a table using the following format:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career/Salary ($) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 10k | None | 0 | 3 | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| John | 10k | None | 0 | 3 | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| Rachel | 10k | None | 0 | 3 | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| Sarah | 10k | None | 0 | 3 | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| Mary | 10k | None | 0 | 3 | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| Eddie | 10k | None | 0 | 3 | None | 0 | 0 | None |
Table 1. The inventories of each player at the start of this simulated Game of Life using the Generation III rule set.
As usual, the formula for a player's net worth at any given moment during the game is as follows: (Cash on Hand + ($10,000 x # of children) + Property Resale Value) - (($20,000 loan value x # of unpaid loans) + ($5,000 interest x # of unpaid loans)
The players will now spin to see who goes first. Below is a summary of the results:
| Name | Number Spun |
|---|---|
| Bob | 6 |
| John | 7 |
| Rachel | 3 |
| Sarah | 2 |
| Mary | 10 |
| Eddie | 3 |
Table 2. The numbers spun by each player at the start of this simulated game. Mary goes first, and play will then continue from top to bottom; therefore, after Mary's turn, Eddie's turn comes next, followed by those of Bob, John, Rachel, and finally Sarah to complete a full round of turns.
First up is Bob, who spins a 6.
Next is John. He spins a 7, and is currently going to spin first - for now.
Rachel then spins a 3, which means she is currently last in the starting order.
Sarah now spins a 2, so she will be the last one to take her turn each round.
Mary then spins a 10, making her the first player to take a turn during each round...
… because Eddie spun a 3. However, since play continues from the top down (to simulate the tabletop's clockwise order) from the player who spun the highest number, he will be the second player to spin during each turn. Next is Bob, then John, followed by Rachel, and finally Sarah, before looping back to Mary at the start of the next turn.
In this game, Mary chose the green mover to represent herself, while John picked the yellow mover. Bob went for the red mover, Rachel opted for the purple one, and Sarah took the blue one, leaving Eddie with the orange mover. Each player will now be given 3 Share the Wealth (STW) cards, and in addition to this, they have the option of buying exactly one Long-Term Investment (LTI) on any one number from 1 through 9 for $10,000 before they retire.
Mary will start with a Collect Card, a Pay Card, and a Spin to Win x2 card.
Eddie's initial inventory includes 2 Pay Cards and a Collect Card.
Bob starts off with an Exemption Card, a Collect Card, and a Spin to Win x4 card.
John begins the game with 2 Spin to Win x4 cards and a Spin to Win x2 card.
Rachel starts out with 2 Spin to Win x2 cards and a Spin to Win x4 card.
Last but not least, Sarah chooses a Collect Card, a Pay Card, and an Exemption Card.
Now that every player has confirmed their starting order and drawn three Share the Wealth Cards each, the game can finally begin.
A key for the various types of Share the Wealth Cards is provided below.
| Type | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Pay | P |
| Collect | C |
| Spin to Win x2 | S2 |
| Spin to Win x4 | S4 |
| Exemption | E |
Round 1
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career/Salary ($) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 10k | None | 0 | 3 (1E, 1C, 1S4) | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| John | 10k | None | 0 | 3 (1S2, 2S4) | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| Rachel | 10k | None | 0 | 3 (2S2, 1S4) | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| Sarah | 10k | None | 0 | 3 (1C, 1P, 1E) | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| Mary | 10k | None | 0 | 3 (1C, 1S2, 1P) | None | 0 | 0 | None |
| Eddie | 10k | None | 0 | 3 (2P, 1C) | None | 0 | 0 | None |
Turn 1 (Mary)
Mary goes first. At the start of her turn, she chooses a career. She then draws a regular Career Card, and receives the Athlete, which has a starting salary of $60k.
Above and below: Mary's choices at the start of this simulated game.
She immediately purchases a Long-Term Investment on number 7 for $10,000; this leaves her with $0.
Mary spun a 2 on her first turn.
She spins a 2, passing the first Pay Day space in the process, and lands on the space immediately after it, which reads: "Rent apartment. Pay $5,000." She immediately chooses to use her Pay Card on Bob, who immediately counters by using his Exemption Card. Both players are left with 2 STW Cards each; Mary ends her turn with $55,000.
Turn 2 (Eddie)
Eddie goes to college and immediately incurs $125,000 in debt, due to having to borrow $100,000 for payment of tuition fees.
Eddie chose to go to college at the start of the game.
He buys a Long-Term Investment on number 1, thus leaving him with $0. He then spins a 1, receiving $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment, and lands on the space that reads: "Scholarship! Collect $20,000." Mary immediately uses a Collect Card on him; both players receive $10,000 each. Mary and Eddie end this turn with $65,000 and $15,000, respectively, with the former now having only one STW card left.
Eddie spun a 1 on his first turn.
Turn 3 (Bob)
Bob (who had used an Exemption card on Mary's first turn) is next. He chooses a career. Much to his relief, he draws the Entertainer, which starts off with a $50,000 salary. Right before his first spin, he buys a Long-Term Investment on number 9.
Above and below: Bob's choices at the start of the game.
By spinning a 10 on his very first turn, he passes two Pay Day spaces, receiving $50,000 from each one. He then lands on the space that reads "Volunteer at Soup Kitchen. LIFE", and earns a Life Tile for his troubles.
Bob spun a 10 on his first turn - the first player in this game to do so.
Bob ends his turn with $100,000, which puts him in the lead for now.
Turn 4 (John)
John goes to college, borrowing $100,000 for tuition fees as he does so. This leaves him $125,000 in debt.
John has gone to college.
At the start of his first turn, he purchases a Long-Term Investment on number 2. He then spins a 2, earning $5,000 from his newly purchased investment, only to land on a space that reads "Buy books and supplies. Pay $5,000."
John spins a 2 on his first turn.
John ends his turn with $0, but at least he is ahead of Eddie on the board.
Turn 5 (Rachel)
Rachel chooses a career. She picks the Salesperson, which is the least lucrative career of all, but she plans to trade it in for a higher-paying one later on.
Rachel starts out as a Salesperson - the worst possible start, but can she overcome it?
Rachel buys a Long-Term investment on number 8. She then spins a 3.
Rachel spins a 3 at the start of the game.
She passes a Pay Day space, receiving her $20,000 salary, and lands on the space that reads "Inheritance! Collect $20,000." She receives an additional $20,000, but has to give half of that to Eddie, who used a Collect card on her during this turn. She ends her turn with $30,000; Eddie now has two Share the Wealth cards left to go with his $25,000.
Turn 6 (Sarah)
Sarah goes to college, taking on $125,000 in debt (as a result of having to borrow $100,000 for paying tuition fees). She buys a Long-Term investment on number 4.
Sarah also spins a 2 on her first turn.
She spins a 2, causing John to receive $5,000 from his Long-Term investment. This takes her past the space he is currently occupying and onto the next one. It reads "Make new friends for life. LIFE". She receives a Life Tile, but currently has $0 in the bank.
Round Summary
Sarah has followed John and Eddie into going to college; the other three players have each chosen a normal career. Rachel got the short end of the stick by starting out as a Salesperson, but she wants to swap it for a more lucrative career when she gets the chance. Mary and Bob have the highest-paying careers of anyone who did not go to college, and a few players even managed to use at least one of their Share the Wealth Cards. All in all, this game is off to an entertaining start - there are now 20 Life Tiles left in the draw pile.
Round 2
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career/Salary ($) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 100k | Entertainer (50k) | 1 | 2 (1C, 1S4) | None | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 5k | None | 0 | 3 (1S2, 2S4) | None | 0 | 125k | 2 |
| Rachel | 35k | Salesperson (20k) | 0 | 3 (2S2, 1S4) | None | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 0k | None | 1 | 3 (1C, 1P, 1E) | None | 0 | 125k | 4 |
| Mary | 65k | Athlete (60k) | 0 | 1 (1S2) | None | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 25k | None | 0 | 2 (2P) | None | 0 | 125k | 1 |
Turn 7 (Mary)
It is now Mary's turn to spin. She spins a 7, taking her past a Pay Day space and earning her $5,000 from her Long-Term investment. The space she lands on reads "Elope! Move to Get Married." She advances to the Get Married space, passing another Pay Day space in the process, and receives a Life Tile.
Mary then spins for wedding gifts. She spins a 3, which means she does not receive any wedding gifts, but at least she's happily married.
Mary then spins a 2 (this is John's Long-Term Investment number, so he receives $5,000 from the bank, and so $10,000 is now currently all he has) and lands on the space that reads "Happy honeymoon! LIFE". She receives another Life Tile.
Mary ends her turn with $185,000 and 2 Life Tiles.
Turn 8 (Eddie)
Eddie spins a 7. He advances to the space that reads: "Final tests and term paper. Skip next turn."
He does not gain or lose any money, but must skip his next turn. Mary, on the other hand, receives another $5,000 from her Long-term Investment return, taking her cash on hand to $190,000.
Turn 9 (Bob)
Bob spins a 3. He passes a Pay Day space and lands on the space immediately after it, which reads: "Win a race! Collect $10,000."
Sarah decides to use a Collect Card on Bob; this leaves them with $5,000 and $155,000, respectively, by the end of this turn.
Turn 10 (John)
John spins a 5. He advances to the space immediately before the one Eddie currently occupies.
The space John landed on reads "Honor Roll! LIFE", which means that John receives a Life Tile. He, like Eddie, did not gain or lose any money during his turn.
Turn 11 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 2, causing John to receive $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment, leaving him with $15,000.
She passes a Pay Day space before landing on the very next space. It reads: "Adopt a pet from Animal Shelter. LIFE", and so she receives a Life Tile. For her troubles, she ends her turn with $50,000.
Turn 12 (Sarah)
Sarah also spins a 5 on her turn during this round. She passes John, but with Eddie occupying the space Sarah would otherwise have landed on, she advances to the next unoccupied space, which reads "Graduation day. LIFE".
She receives another Life Tile, taking her total to two so far, but her cash on hand remains constant after this turn.
Round Summary
Mary is the first to get married, and Bob may be next. Eddie must skip his next turn, and will be the last player to graduate. With Mary receiving two Life Tiles, and Rachel, John and Sarah collecting one Life Tile each, there are now only 15 Life Tiles left in the draw pile.
Round 3
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career/Salary ($) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 155k | Entertainer (50k) | 1 | 2 (1C, 1S4) | None | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 15k | None | 1 | 3 (1S2, 2S4) | None | 0 | 125k | 2 |
| Rachel | 50k | Salesperson (20k) | 1 | 3 (2S2, 1S4) | None | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 5k | None | 2 | 2 (1P, 1E) | None | 0 | 125k | 4 |
| Mary | 190k | Athlete (60k) | 2 | 1 (1S2) | None | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 25k | None | 0 | 2 (2P) | None | 0 | 125k | 1 |
Turn 13 (Mary)
It is now Mary's turn to spin. She spins a 2 on this turn.
The space she lands on reads "Car accident. Pay $10,000." She ends her turn with $180,000; meanwhile, John receives $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment, and now has $20,000.
Turn 14 (Eddie)
Eddie does nothing this turn, since he has to skip it due to landing on the only space on the board that required him to do so during his previous turn. He is almost guaranteed to receive a College Career Card on his next turn, though.
Turn 15 (Bob)
Bob spins a 5, taking him to the Get Married space.
He receives a Life Tile before spinning for wedding gifts. However, he doesn't receive any wedding gifts either, since he spun a 1.
While Eddie receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return (which puts his account at $30,000), Bob wonders what went wrong - but he has little time to dwell on his past mistakes. So he spins again, and this time it's a 4, which means that Sarah receives $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment.
Unfortunately, Bob has to pass over the space he would usually land on (since Mary currently occupies it), and lands on the next empty space. This one reads "Job relocation. Pay $20,000." Feeling somewhat crestfallen, Bob ends his turn with $135,000 and 2 Life Tiles.
Turn 16 (John)
John spins an 8, taking him to the College Career Choice space. Rachel receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return as a result, bringing her account to $55,000.
John's choices for a College Career were the Lawyer (above) and Computer Designer (below).
John then spins a 7. This yields another Long-Term Investment, this time for Mary, who now has $185,000.
As for John, he passes a Pay Day space and lands on the space that reads: "Volunteer at soup kitchen. LIFE", which earns him a Life Tile. He now has $105,000 and 2 Life Tiles.
Turn 17 (Rachel)
It is now Rachel's turn. She spins a 9, passing a Pay Day space in the process, and reaches the Get Married space, whereupon she receives a Life Tile. Bob also received $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment and now has $140,000.
Rachel then spins a 1 (Eddie's long-term investment number - he now has $35,000). The space she lands on reads "Wedding reception! Pay $20,000". She pays the bank $20,000, but has no choice other than to do so, since she has no Pay Cards in her inventory.
She ends her turn with $50,000 - which isn't a lot, but should be sufficient for her at the moment - and 2 Life Tiles.
Turn 18 (Sarah)
Given that Sarah ended her turn on the space immediately before College Career Choice, she is guaranteed to receive a College Career on this turn. Her turn begins with a spin of 1 (Eddie's Long-Term Investment Number) - enough to take her to the College Career Choice space.
She then draws two of the five remaining College Career Cards. The first of these is the Computer Designer; the second of these is the Doctor, much to her relief. She immediately selects the latter option and spins again.
Sarah's college career options upon graduation. She picks the Doctor after realizing that its starting salary is twice as lucrative as that of the Computer Designer
She spins a 7 (Mary's Long-Term Investment number - that player now has $190,000), taking her past a Pay Day space, to the same space John is sitting on. However, with that space already occupied, she has to advance to the next free space, which reads: "Engagement party! LIFE", and she therefore receives a Life Tile in addition to her salary. She now has $110,000 (enough to pay off most, though not all, of her debt) and 3 Life Tiles, making her the first person in this game to have that many. In addition, Eddie now has $40,000, having received another Long-Term Investment return during this turn.
Round Summary
Mary, Bob and Rachel have gotten married, although of those three, only the former two have managed to establish a sizable bank account so far. John and Sarah have finally graduated - with the most lucrative careers, to boot. Ernie had to skip his turn, but could graduate on the next one. Speaking of which, it is highly likely (though not actually certain) that at least one player will buy a Starter Home during their next turn. There are now 11 Life Tiles left in the Draw Pile; Sarah currently leads the field in Life Tiles with three, whereas everyone else currently has one or two each. Looking ahead, there is also a chance that at least one player will add at least one child to their family during the next round, which will begin shortly. Also, it is very likely that at least one player will receive a Pay Raise for the first time during the next round. Finally, this is the first round in this game during which no Share the Wealth Cards were used.
Round 4
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career/Salary ($) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 145k | Entertainer (50k) | 2 | 2 (1C, 1S4) | None | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 105k | Lawyer (90k) | 2 | 3 (1S2, 2S4) | None | 0 | 125k | 2 |
| Rachel | 50k | Salesperson (20k) | 2 | 3 (2S2, 1S4) | None | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 110k | Doctor (100k) | 3 | 2 (1P, 1E) | None | 0 | 125k | 4 |
| Mary | 190k | Athlete (60k) | 2 | 1 (1S2) | None | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 35k | None | 0 | 2 (2P) | None | 0 | 125k | 1 |
Turn 19 (Mary)
Again, it is now Mary's turn. She spins a 9 (Bob's Long-Term Investment number - he now has $145,000), taking her past a Pay Day space (specifically, the first Pay Raise space); she collects her $60k salary (since Pay Raises do not take effect until the next time the player who acquired them reaches a Pay Day space, unless that player changes careers before then) and reaches the Buy a Starter Home space with $250,000 in her pocket.
Mary's next action is to buy a Starter Home. Nobody has done so yet, so all six options remain available. She chooses the Tudor Style - the most expensive option at $180,000. This leaves her with $70,000.
She spins again, as usual. This time, it's a 3. The space she lands on reads "Buy flat-screen plasma TV. Pay $5,000." It's a small payment, which leaves her with $65,000.
Turn 20 (Eddie)
It is once again Eddie's turn. Having skipped his previous one, he is raring to go. He starts by spinning a 7 (Mary's Long-Term Investment number - she now has $70,000) and reaches the College Career Choice space.
Eddie then draws two of the four remaining College Career Cards that have not yet been taken. The first of these is the Computer Designer, whose salary range is between $50,000 to $80,000. The second of these is the Accountant, with a salary range of $70,000 to $110,000.
Ernie's College Career choices upon graduation are decent, but the two best possible ones have long since been taken.
He then spins a 1; in doing so, he receives his salary and a Long-Term Investment return simultaneously, and now has $85,000.
Turn 21 (Bob)
Bob spins a 10, taking him past a Pay Raise space; he receives his $50,000 salary (which leaves him with $195,000), followed by a Pay Raise, and reaches the Buy a Starter Home space.
His next action is to buy one of the five Starter Homes still available. He chooses the Small Cape (which costs $160,000) and spins again with $35,000 in his pocket.
His second spin is an 8. This takes him past a Pay Day space (causing him to receive $60,000 now that his recently acquired Pay Raise is in effect) and to a space that reads "Vote! LIFE". Rachel, meanwhile, receives a Long-Term Investment return and now has $55,000.
He receives a Life Tile; he now has three in total, which ties him for first place with Sarah in terms of Life Tiles. And did we mention that Bob has $95,000 in the bank as well?
Turn 22 (John)
It is now John's turn to spin. He spins a 4 (Sarah's Long-Term Investment number - she now has $115,000), passes a Pay Day space, and reaches the Get Married space, earning a Life Tile in the process.
Before he spins for wedding gifts, he ponders his current situation: he has 3 Life Tiles (matching Bob and Mary) and $205,000. To his relief, he spins an 8; although Rachel receives $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment, John is able to collect $10,000 in wedding gifts per opponent. He now has $255,000; Bob, Mary, Rachel, Ernie and Sarah are left with $85,000, $60,000, $50,000, $75,000, and $105,000 respectively.
John spins again. Yet again, it's an 8, which means that Rachel receives yet another Long-Term Investment return, leaving her with $55,000.
He passes a Pay Raise space, collects his salary, and reaches the Buy a Starter Home space with $355,000. He picks the Log Cabin, and immediately after buying it for $120,000, he pays off all of his debt. This leaves him with $110,000.
Turn 23 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 9, passing a Pay Raise space in the process en route to the Buy a Starter Home space. Bob now has $90,000, having received a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return.
Rachel then buys a Starter home. She goes for the cheapest option available, the Mobile Home, which costs $80,000. This uses up all of her budget; she now has $0.
Rachel spins again; this time it's a 10. She passes a Pay Day space and collects her $30,000 salary. The space she lands on reads "Twins! LIFE".
She receives a Life Tile (her third so far) and adds two children to her family. In addition, she receives $5,000 in baby gifts from her opponents. At the end of this turn, Rachel now has $55,000; Sarah has $150,000, John has $255,000, Bob has $85,000, Ernie has $70,000, and Mary has $55,000.
Turn 24 (Sarah)
This time, it is now Sarah's turn. She pays off four-fifths of her debt, leaving her with $5,000. She then spins a 7 (Mary's Long-Term Investment number, which takes her back to $60,000). This takes her past a Pay Day space and to the Get Married space. She now has $105,000 and 4 Life Tiles.
Sarah then spins for wedding gifts. She does not receive any, however, since she spun a 3. She pays off the rest of her debt and now has $80,000.
Sarah spins again. This time it's a 9, which is Bob's Long-Term Investment number, thus taking him to $90,000.
Meanwhile, Sarah passes a Pay Raise space, collects a Pay Raise, and reaches the Buy a Starter Home space. She buys the Ranch Style for $140,000.
She now has $40,000 and spins again. This time, it's a 1.
The space she lands on reads "Win lottery! Collect $50,000", and she ends her turn with $190,000. Ernie receives $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment and now has $80,000. Bob uses a Collect Card on Sarah, who replies by using an Exemption Card; both players now have only one Share the Wealth Card each.
Round Summary
The competition is finally heating up - everyone except Ernie has bought a Starter Home, and Rachel is the first player in this game to have children. There is still a long way to go before the finish, though, and right now, it's anyone's game - even Rachel could sneak back into contention if things go her way. So far, 14 of the 22 Life Tiles in the draw pile have been taken; therefore, there are now just 8 Life Tiles left in the draw pile.
Round 5
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career/Salary ($) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 90k | Entertainer (60k) | 3 | 1 (1S4) | Small Cape (180k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 255k | Lawyer (100k) | 2 | 3 (1S2, 2S4) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 55k | Salesperson (30k) | 3 | 3 (2S2, 1S4) | Mobile Home (80k) | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 80k | Doctor (110k) | 4 | 1 (1P) | Ranch Style (160k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 60k | Athlete (70k) | 2 | 1 (1S2) | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 80k | Accountant (70k) | 0 | 2 (2P) | None | 0 | 125k | 1 |
Turn 25 (Mary)
It is Mary's turn to spin this time around. She knows that there are three other players occupying a set of directly adjacent spaces, and keeps this in mind during her turn.
She spins a 7 and receives $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment. After passing a Pay Day space and collecting her $70,000 salary, she reaches the space Rachel currently occupies, and must advance to the nearest empty space. That space reads "Get best seats at the big game. Pay $20,000." After making this payment, Mary ends her turn with $115,000.
Turn 26 (Ernie)
Now it is Ernie's turn. He spins a 5 and lands on the space that reads "Elope! Move to Get Married."
He passes another Pay Day space (bringing his cash on hand to $150,000) en route to landing on the Get Married space, whereupon he earns a Life Tile for the first time. He then spins for wedding gifts.
To his dismay, he spins a 2, and therefore does not receive any wedding gifts. However, John received a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return, and that player now has $260,000.
Ernie spins again, and this time it's a 10. He passes a Pay Raise space (taking his total to $220,000) before landing on the Buy a Starter Home space. He buys the Condo, since it's the only Starter Home available to him after all the other players bought one each of the remaining Starter Homes. He now has $120,000.
Ernie then spins a 1, receiving a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return in the process. Unfortunately, with Sarah still occupying the space immediately after the Buy a Starter Home space, he must advance to the next empty space. That space reads "Lose your job. Take new Career Card." Oh dear! Not only has he lost his high-paying College Career, he must also return every Pay Raise he currently has.
Turn 27 (Bob)
Bob, feeling somewhat relieved now that Ernie has lost his job and gained a less lucrative one in its place, takes his turn. He spins a 2, causing John to once again receive a Long-Term Investment (that player now has $265,000).
He advances to the same space Rachel is currently occupying, but with Mary occupying the very next space, Bob lands on the space after that one. It reads "Attend Hollywood movie premiere. LIFE". He now has 4 Life Tiles (moving into a tie for first place with Sarah for now), but has not gained or lost any money during his turn.
Turn 28 (John)
John spins a 5 on this turn. The space he lands on reads "Take a Share the Wealth Card".
John received an Exemption Card during this turn.
He draws a random Share the Wealth Card, and to his amazement, it turns out to be an Exemption Card. He, like Bob on the previous turn, did not gain or lose any money on this specific turn.
Turn 29 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 6. She passes a Pay Day space, then lands on the space immediately after it. It reads "Learn sign language. LIFE", so she collects a Life Tile in addition to her salary.
Turn 30 (Sarah)
Now it is Sarah's turn. She spins a 7 and passes a Pay Day space, before landing on the space that reads "Vote! LIFE".
After collecting her salary (which now includes a Pay Raise for the first time ever), Sarah ends her turn with $190,000 and 5 Life Tiles.
Round Summary
There has been quite a lot of activity lately - Ernie finally has gotten married and bought a Starter Home like everyone else did during the previous round, only to lose his job and Pay Raise (although he could try to reclaim it later), while everyone else is enjoying their Pay Raises (if they haven't already), and John has even acquired an Exemption Card for good measure. And there is a good chance that at least one player could return to school during the next round - we just hope that anyone who does so makes the best possible decision when given the chance to either upgrade or replace their career. Also, with 18 of the 22 Life Tiles in the draw pile having been taken, there are now just 4 Life Tiles still in the pile - but who will claim them? One thing's for sure: once the draw pile is empty, players will only be able to take Life Tiles from each other.
Round 6
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 90k | Entertainer (60k) | 4 | 1 (1S4) | Small Cape (180k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 265k | Lawyer (100k) | 2 | 4 (1E, 1S2, 2S4) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 85k | Salesperson (30k) | 4 | 3 (2S2, 1S4) | Mobile Home (80k) | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 190k | Doctor (110k) | 5 | 1 (1P) | Ranch Style (160k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 115k | Athlete (70k) | 2 | 1 (1S2) | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 125k | Hair Stylist (30k) | 1 | 2 (2P) | Condo (105k) | 0 | 125k | 1 |
Turn 31 (Mary)
Mary goes first, as usual. She spins a 5 on this turn.
Mary passes a Pay Day space, but instead of landing on the space immediately after it (which Rachel currently occupies), she advances to the next empty space. It reads "Lawsuit. Sue another player for $100,000." She sues John, who responds by using the Exemption Card he just acquired. By the end of this turn, Mary has $185,000.
Turn 32 (Eddie)
Eddie, desperate to recover from his latest setback, pays off all of his debt right away, leaving him with $0. He then spins an 8. This is Rachel's Long-Term Investment number, so she receives $5,000, taking her total cash on hand to $90,000 - but not for very long.
After passing a Pay Day space and receiving his new $30,000 salary, he lands on the space that reads "Twins! LIFE". He receives $5,000 in baby gifts from each of his opponents and ends his turn with $55,000. Mary, Bob, John, Rachel and Sarah now have $180,000, $85,000, $260,000, $85,000 and $185,000, respectively.
Turn 33 (Bob)
Bob starts his turn by spinning a 4. This is Sarah's Long-Term Investment number, so she receives $5,000 at the start of Bob's sixth turn.
Bob passes a Pay Day space and receives his $60,000 salary, taking his cash on hand to $145,000. But the space he would normally land on is already occupied, as is the one immediately after it, so he advances to the nearest empty space. That space is a Spin to Win space, and it's the first time in this game that anyone has landed on such a space. The standard procedure for landing on a Spin to Win space is that everyone chooses whether or not to attempt to Spin to Win (starting from the player who landed on that space), and those who do so must choose one, two or four numbers on the spinner depending on whether or not they used a Spin to Win Card of either type, before choosing the amount they want to wager in $5,000 increments from $5,000 to $50,000. For each player, if the number spun does not match the ones they chose, they must pay the bank the exact amount they wagered, but if the number spun matches any of their chosen numbers, they will receive 10 times their wager from the bank.
For this first Spin to Win, Bob decides to use his Spin to Win x4 card (his last remaining Share the Wealth Card, in fact), and chooses the numbers 1, 2, 6, and 10. John also uses a Spin to Win x4 card, and picks the numbers 2, 5, 6, and 7. Rachel follows suit by using a Spin to Win x4 card, and she selects 1, 6, 7, and 8. Sarah picks the number 4, but her lack of Spin to Win cards prevents her from choosing any other numbers. Mary uses a Spin to Win x2 card, and takes the numbers 2 and 9. Finally, Eddie selects the number 3, but like Mary, he cannot choose any other numbers due to not having any Spin to Win cards. All six players bet $50,000, which is fully justified considering that each of them has at least that much in their bank account.
Now comes the moment of truth as Bob attempts to Spin to Win. After all wagers have been placed, he spins the wheel, as per the Spin to Win procedure, but to his shock and disbelief, it lands on 9 - and Mary is the only player to select that number on this particular Spin to Win.
This was the number spun during the first Spin to Win - but Mary (who wagered $50,000) was the only player to select it.
The upshot is that Mary receives $500,000, whereas everyone else has to pay $50,000 each (although Bob received $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment, which softens the blow slightly). Mary therefore now has $685,000. Meanwhile, Bob, John, Rachel, Sarah and Eddie are left with $100,000, $210,000, $35,000, $135,000, and $5,000, respectively.
Turn 34 (John)
John, taken aback at the result of the latest Spin to Win (especially after having had to use his newly acquired Exemption Card), immediately regains his composure and spins a 6. He passes a Pay Day space (which takes his total to $310,000, now that his salary has increased to $100,000) and lands on an orange space that reads: "Return to school. Pay $50,000 OR Continue on the Path of Life". He then chooses the former and pays $50,000, leaving him with $260,000.
John has chosen to return to college.
John spins again. This time, it's a 1, so Eddie receives $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment, and that player therefore has $10,000. Meanwhile, John lands on a space that reads "Take a double course load for extra credit. Spin again.", and so he spins yet again, this time yielding a 2 - his Long-Term Investment number, and thereby giving him a $5,000 return.
He advances to the space that reads "Employer provides scholarship! Collect $20,000". After collecting $20,000 from the bank, John now has $285,000 by the end of his turn.
Turn 35 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 2. This would have taken her to a Spin to Win space, but with Bob currently occupying that space, she advances to the nearest empty space. Meanwhile, John receives yet another $5,000 Long-Term Investment return, and now has $290,000.
The space Rachel lands on reads "Lose your job. Take new Career Card."
After losing her original job as a Salesperson, Rachel gained a new job as a Mechanic.
She draws the Mechanic Career Card, then returns her original Career Card (the Salesperson) and her one and only Pay Raise to the bank. She still has $35,000 by the end of this turn.
Turn 36 (Sarah)
Sarah spins a 10 at the start of her turn.
She passes a Pay Day space and collects her $110,000 salary, thus leaving her with $245,000, but with the space she would normally have landed on already occupied by someone else (as is the one immediately after it), she advances to the orange Return to School space. She decides to follow John by returning to school and paying $50,000; she now has $195,000.
Sarah then spins again, and this time it's a 7. Since this is Mary's Long-Term Investment Number, that player receives $5,000 and now has $690,000.
As for Sarah, she lands on another orange space. This one reads "Change Career or Get $20,000 Pay Raise." She decides to play it safe and take the $20,000 Pay Raise.
Sarah spins once again. Her third and final spin during this turn is a 6. This takes her past a Pay Day space (from which she collects her $130,000 salary) and to a Take a Share the Wealth Card space. She draws an Exemption Card and ends her turn with $325,000.
Sarah managed to snag an Exemption Card during her sixth turn.
Round Summary
Mary has, against all odds, taken the lead by winning the maximum possible amount from a Spin to Win, whereas all of her opponents lost $50,000 each - Bob in particular feels hard done by, given that he was the first player in this game to land on a Spin to Win space. John has chosen to return to school, as did Sarah, with the latter also taking a $20,000 Pay Raise during this round, and acquiring an Exemption Card for good measure. Eddie had twins, just like Rachel did earlier. Speaking of Rachel, she also lost her job, but at least in her case, it's not a downgrade considering how low her original career's initial salary was. There are now only 3 Life Tiles left in the draw pile, since Eddie collected one of them during this round - it won't be long before the players are forced to take Life Tiles from each other.
In the meantime, Mary must now be more vigilant than ever before; she may be in the lead right now, but other players, especially John and Sarah, also have eyes on the coveted top spot. Even Bob could catch up if things improve for him over the next few turns. As for Eddie and Rachel, catching up to the top four will be more challenging for them, to say the least, but we can't rule it out just yet. Finally, whereas Bob and Mary no longer have any Share the Wealth Cards in their possession, every other player has two each.
Round 7
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 100k | Entertainer (60k) | 4 | 0 | Small Cape (180k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 290k | Lawyer (100k) | 2 | 2 (1S2, 1S4) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 35k | Mechanic (30k) | 4 | 2 (2S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 325k | Doctor (130k) | 5 | 2 (1P, 1E) | Ranch Style (160k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 685k | Athlete (70k) | 2 | 0 | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 5k | Hair Stylist (30k) | 2 | 2 (2P) | Condo (105k) | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 37 (Mary)
As usual, Mary goes first. She spins a 9; this is Bob's Long-Term Investment number, so he receives $5,000 and now has $105,000.
Mary chooses to return to school, paying $50,000 in the process; this leaves her with $635,000.
Mary then spins an 8. Since this is Rachel's Long-Term Investment number, that player receives $5,000, for a total of $40,000 as of this spin.
Meanwhile, Mary advances to the Change Career or Get $20,000 Pay Raise space. She chooses not to change careers, and takes a $20,000 Pay Raise instead.
Mary spins yet again; this time it's a 2, which yields a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return for John, who now has $295,000.
The space Mary landed on reads "Run for Congress! LIFE", and so she receives a Life Tile (taking her total to 3 so far) to go with her $635,000. After this turn, there are now only 2 Life Tiles left in the draw pile.
Turn 38 (Eddie)
Eddie spins an 8. Rachel receives another $5,000 Long-Term Investment return, and now has $45,000.
Given that the space Eddie would normally land on is already occupied (as is the one after it), he reaches the Return to School space, having passed a Pay Day space on the same spin; after collecting his salary, he now has $35,000. However, Eddie continues on the Path of Life - he does not want to go into debt again just to get a better career.
Eddie spins another 8. Rachel now has $50,000 thanks to receiving another Long-Term Investment return during this turn. After passing a Pay Raise space (from which he collects his $30,000 salary), he lands on a Lawsuit space. He sues Sarah for $100,000, only for her to use the Exemption Card she'd collected on her previous turn, much to his dismay. He now has $65,000.
Turn 39 (Bob)
Shaken after the events of the previous round, Bob spins a 6.
Bob chooses to return to school and pay $50,000; he now has $55,000.
Bob spins again; this time it's a 1 (Eddie's Long-Term Investment number, from which he collects $5,000). The space Bob lands on reads "Take a double course load for extra credit. Spin again."
Bob makes another spin, and the spinner lands on 6. He therefore advances to the Change Career space.
However, Bob chooses not to change careers, and instead takes the $20,000 Pay Raise.
Bob's fourth and final spin for this turn is a 5. He passes a Pay Day space, collecting a $80,000 salary as he does so, only to land on the space that reads "Take family cruise vacation. Pay $25,000 + $5,000 per child." Fortunately, he only has to pay $25,000, since he currently has no children. By the end of this turn, Bob has $110,000, whereas Eddie now has $70,000.
Turn 40 (John)
John spins a 2 and receives another $5,000 Long-Term Investment return.
He lands on the space that reads "Join Honor Society. LIFE", and receives a Life Tile. He now has 3 Life Tiles and $300,000, but there is now only one Life Tile left in the draw pile.
Turn 41 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 9 (Bob's Long-Term Investment number - he now has $115,000).
She reaches the Return to School space, but chooses to continue on the Path of Life. She then spins a 9 (again, Bob's Long-Term Investment Number) for the second time this turn.
Rachel passes a Pay Raise space and collects her $30,000 salary, before landing on another Pay Day space due to Mary already occupying the space immediately before it (which Rachel would normally have landed on). She receives her salary again (this time $40,000) and ends her turn with $120,000; Bob, meanwhile, has $120,000 by the end of this turn.
Turn 42 (Sarah)
Sarah spins a 2.
She lands on a Lawsuit space and decides to sue John for $100,000. It works this time around - Sarah now has $425,000, while John is left with only $205,000, given that he also received a $5,000 Long-Term Investment Return on this turn, but this is hardly adequate compensation for being sued.
Round Summary
Mary and Bob have returned to school, and both of them have taken the $20,000 Pay Raise. Eddie and Rachel, on the other hand, have continued on the Path of Life, mainly out of a need to avoid unnecessary debt (either from the initial payment or by landing on any of the Pay Spaces between the Return to School and Change Career spaces). There is now only one Life Tile left in the draw pile. And with Sarah having sued John, this game could turn into a two-horse race between her and Mary, unless any of the other four characters are able to stage a comeback.
Round 8
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 120k | Entertainer (80k) | 4 | 0 | Small Cape (180k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 205k | Lawyer (100k) | 3 | 2 (1S2, 1S4) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 120k | Mechanic (40k) | 4 | 2 (2S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 425k | Doctor (130k) | 5 | 1 (1P) | Ranch Style (160k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 685k | Athlete (90k) | 3 | 0 | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 70k | Hair Stylist (40k) | 2 | 2 (2P) | Condo (105k) | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 43 (Mary)
Mary goes first. She spins a 7 and receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return.
She passes a Pay Day space, receiving her $90,000 salary, before landing on the space that reads "Art auction. Pay $20,000." By the end of this turn, she has $760,000.
Turn 44 (Eddie)
Eddie goes next. He spins an 8; this is Rachel's Long-Term Investment number, so she receives $5,000 on this turn, ending it with $125,000.
Eddie passes a Pay Day space on this turn, collecting $40,000 as he does so. He advances to the space Mary currently occupies; however, it is impossible for more than one player to occupy the same space, so he moves to the next empty space. Luckily for him, it's a Pay Raise space, and so his salary increases to $50,000, effective from the next Pay Day space after this one. He collects $40,000 again, and finishes his turn with $150,000.
Turn 45 (Bob)
Bob spins a 3.
He advances to a Lawsuit space, but it and the next two spaces (the last of which is a Pay Raise space) are already occupied, so he collects his $80,000 salary (rising to $90,000 on the next Pay Day space) and advances to the next empty space. It reads "Visit Grand Canyon! LIFE". He receives a Life Tile and ends his turn with $200,000 and 5 Life Tiles. However, from this point onwards until the rest of the game, the draw pile is empty, and any player landing on a Life Tile space must take a Life Tile from an opponent, if possible.
Turn 46 (John)
John spins an 8. Rachel realizes that it's her Long-Term Investment number, so she receives $5,000 from the bank and now has $130,000.
John advances to the Change Career space, but instead of changing careers (which is inadvisable for him right now anyway), he takes a $20,000 Pay Raise and spins again.
John's second spin is a 2. This is his Long-Term Investment number, so he receives $5,000 from the bank, taking his cash on hand to $210,000. He lands on the space that reads "Run for Congress! LIFE". However, with the draw pile empty, he must take a Life Tile from any opponent. After a brief period of deliberation, he chooses to take a Life Tile from Bob, leaving both players with 4 Life Tiles each.
Turn 47
Rachel spins a 6.
She advances to the space Mary landed on at the start of this round, but with it and the next three spaces also occupied, she moves forward to the nearest empty space, passing a Pay Raise space (from which she collects her $40,000 salary) in the process. However, she then lands on a Taxes Due space. After paying $10,000 in taxes, her bank balance now stands at $160,000, and her salary has increased to $50,000.
Turn 48
Sarah also spins a 6.
She passes a Pay Raise space and collects her $130,000 salary (this will increase to $140,000 for the next Pay Day space, at least). She then lands on the space that reads "Donate to African orphans. Pay $40,000. LIFE". Immediately she looks for a Pay Card, and after finding out that she still has one left, she uses it on Mary. And with the draw pile empty, she takes a Life Tile from Rachel, who now has 3 Life Tiles to Sarah's 6. When all is said and done, Sarah's bank balance stands at $535,000, which compares favorably with Mary's $740,000, although Sarah no longer has any Share the Wealth cards.
Round Summary
Things are really heating up now. Sarah is slowly closing in on Mary, but Bob and John are a surprisingly long way back, while Eddie and Rachel have fallen even further behind. The draw pile is empty, and players can now only acquire Life Tiles from each other. However, there is still quite a long way to go before the end of the game, and who knows what will happen in the later turns? That question will be answered in short order.
Round 9
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 200k | Entertainer (90k) | 4 | 0 | Small Cape (180k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 210k | Lawyer (120k) | 4 | 2 (1S2, 1S4) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 160k | Mechanic (50k) | 3 | 2 (2S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 535k | Doctor (140k) | 6 | 0 | Ranch Style (160k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 740k | Athlete (90k) | 3 | 0 | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 150k | Hair Stylist (50k) | 2 | 2 (2P) | Condo (105k) | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 49 (Mary)
It is now Mary's turn to spin. She spins a 9 - this is Bob's Long-Term Investment Number, so he receives $5,000.
Mary passes a Pay Raise space and collects her $90,000 salary, before landing on another Pay Day space and earning her new $100,000 salary. By the end of this turn, Mary has $930,000, while Bob has $205,000.
Turn 50 (Eddie)
Eddie goes next. He too spins a 9, and passes a Pay Day space (the exact same one Mary just landed on), collecting his $50,000 salary in the process.
However, he lands on a Lose Your Job space, and in addition to having to return all of his Pay Raises, he must also trade in his Career Card for another one. He draws the Salesperson and shrugs.
He ends his turn with $200,000, but any chance of victory for him may well be long gone, barring a miraculous turnaround.
Turn 51 (Bob)
Bob spins a 7.
He passes a Pay Day space, but doesn't land on it (or the next space, for that matter, given that both are still occupied), so he advances to a Take a Share the Wealth Card space - the last such space on the board. He draws an Exemption Card, and after collecting his salary, he now has $295,000. In addition, Mary also receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return, taking her total to $935,000.
Turn 52 (John)
John spins a 10.
In doing so, he passes two Pay Day spaces (the latter of which is a Pay Raise space that boosts his salary to $130,000 going forward), collecting his salary from each one, and reaches a Taxes Due space. However, with Rachel currently occupying that space, he advances to the next empty space. It reads "Sports camp for the kids. Pay $5,000 per child." John hasn't had any children yet, so he doesn't have to make a payment to the bank; as such, he has $450,000 by the end of this turn.
Turn 53 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 5.
She advances to the space that reads "Buy an SUV. Pay $40,000". After making the payment, she now has $120,000.
Turn 54 (Sarah)
Sarah also spins a 5.
After passing a Pay Day space and collecting her salary, she reaches the space Bob recently landed on, and advances to the next free space. It reads "TV dance show winner! Collect $100,000". As a result of landing on that particular space, she now has $775,000.
Round Summary
After the events of this round, Mary and Sarah are closer than ever in terms of net worth (not counting Life Tiles). Speaking of Life Tiles, even though the draw pile is empty, nobody has managed to take a tile from anyone else. Meanwhile, along with John, Bob is once again earning a decent amount of money, but Rachel has encountered yet another setback (in the form of a sizable $40,000 payment to the bank) at a time when she can hardly afford many more. And yet it's nothing compared to what Ernie had to endure - after losing his job yet again, he ended up with the Salesperson, the least lucrative career of all, and is almost certainly out of the running for victory, unless he gets really lucky for the rest of the game.
After 9 rounds, the players are roughly halfway through on the Path of Life. What will happen next? Let's find out!
Round 10
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 295k | Entertainer (90k) | 4 | 1 (1E) | Small Cape (180k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 450k | Lawyer (130k) | 4 | 2 (1S2, 1S4) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 120k | Mechanic (50k) | 3 | 2 (2S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 775k | Doctor (140k) | 6 | 0 | Ranch Style (160k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 935k | Athlete (100k) | 3 | 0 | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 200k | Salesperson (20k) | 2 | 2 (2P) | Condo (105k) | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 55 (Mary)
Mary spins first. She spins a 2, and advances to the space Bob just landed on. However, given that this space (and the one immediately after it) is still occupied, she advances to the nearest empty space.
That space reads "LAWSUIT. Sue another player for $100,000." She chooses to sue Bob, who immediately negates the lawsuit with the Exemption Card he'd recently acquired, and so she doesn't gain any money from him. Meanwhile, John laughs as he earns a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return, leaving him with $455,000.
Turn 56 (Eddie)
Eddie spins a 7.
While Mary receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return and now has $940,000, Eddie advances to another orange space.
He takes the Family Path and spins again; this time, the spinner lands on 9.
Eddie passes a Pay Day space and collects his salary, before landing on a space that reads "Baby boy! LIFE". He receives a Life Tile (which he takes from Sarah, who now has 5 Life Tiles), and $5,000 from each of his opponents. He ends his turn with $245,000; Mary, Bob, John, Rachel, and Sarah now have $935,000, $290,000, $450,000, $115,000, and $770,000, respectively.
Turn 57 (Bob)
Having used his newly acquired Exemption Card sooner than he'd liked, Bob spins a 7. Mary receives another $5,000 Long-Term Investment return, and now has $940,000.
Bob ignores the Family Path, instead continuing on the Path of Life.
Bob then spins a 6. He passes a Pay Raise space, collects his $90,000 salary (rising to $100,000 from the next Pay Day space he reaches), and eventually lands on the space that reads "Find buried treasure! Collect $500,000." By the end of this turn, he now has $880,000 - enough for him to take the lead, for now.
Turn 58 (John)
John spins a 6.
After passing a Pay Day space and collecting his $130,000 salary, he lands on the same Lose Your Job space that Ernie landed on earlier. He trades in his current job as a Lawyer for something less lucrative; after drawing the Hair Stylist Career Card, he ends his turn with $580,000.
The upshot is that in complete contrast to Bob, who is now back in contention at the very least, John will have a tough time even challenging for a podium spot.
Turn 59 (Rachel)
Rachel spins an 8 and receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment Return, taking her total so far to $120,000.
After a brief deliberation, Rachel takes the Family Path.
She spins a 1. Eddie receives $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment and now has $250,000.
As for Rachel, she lands on the space that reads "Baby girl! LIFE". She takes a Life Tile from Sarah, leaving both players with 4 Life Tiles each. Meanwhile, Rachel collects $5,000 from each of her opponents, and now has $145,000. By the end of this turn, Mary, Eddie, Bob, John, and Sarah have $935,000, $245,000, $875,000, $575,000, and $765,000, respectively.
Turn 60 (Sarah)
Sarah spins a 7. Mary receives yet another $5,000 Long-Term Investment return and now has $940,000.
Sarah chooses to continue on the Path of Life.
Sarah then spins a 3. She passes a Pay Raise space, earning her $140,000 salary in the process, with the Pay Raise she acquired taking effect from the next Pay Raise she reaches.
The space she lands on reads "Learn CPR. LIFE". She takes back a Life Tile from Rachel, leaving her with 3 Life Tiles while Sarah once again has 5. By the end of this turn, Sarah now has $905,000 and 5 Life Tiles.
Round Summary
Eddie and Rachel have added an extra child to their respective families, but John has gone backwards while Bob has pulled himself out of the doldrums and back into contention. The three-way fight for first is therefore still on - for now at least.
Round 11
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 875k | Entertainer (100k) | 4 | 0 | Small Cape (180k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 575k | Hair Stylist (30k) | 4 | 2 (1S2, 1S4) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 120k | Mechanic (50k) | 3 | 2 (2S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 905k | Doctor (150k) | 5 | 0 | Ranch Style (160k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 935k | Athlete (100k) | 3 | 0 | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 245k | Salesperson (20k) | 3 | 2 (2P) | Condo (105k) | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 61 (Mary)
Mary goes first yet again. She spins a 4 (which is Sarah's Long-Term Investment number, hence her acquisition of $5,000) and reaches an orange space.
She now has to decide whether or not to take the Family Path. After a brief pause, she decides to ignore the Family Path, and instead continues on the Path of Life.
Mary spins again. This time the spinner lands on 3, and she passes a Pay Raise space, from which she collects her $100,000 salary (increasing to $110,000 on her next Pay Day), but with Sarah already occupying the space ahead of it, Mary must advance to the nearest empty space. That space reads "Buy foreign sports car! Pay $30,000."
After making the required payment, she now has $1,000,500, while Sarah currently has $910,000.
Turn 62 (Eddie)
Eddie goes next. He spins a 2.
This is John's Long-Term Investment number, so he receives $5,000. Meanwhile, Eddie passes a Pay Day space, collects his $20,000 salary, and lands on the space that reads "Buy lakeside cabin. Pay $90,000", before using a Pay Card on John. By the end of this turn, Eddie and John are left with $205,000 and $520,000, respectively.
Turn 63 (Bob)
It is now Bob's turn. He spins a 6.
He passes a Pay Day space and collects his $100,000 salary, before landing on the space that reads "Win Nobel Prize! Collect $100,000". Bob therefore ends his turn with $1,075,000.
Turn 64 (John)
Still reeling from losing his job, John spins the spinner; this time it lands on 9.
He advances to the orange space that reads "Take the Family Path OR Continue on the Path of Life". After a brief pause, he decides to continue on the Path of Life.
John spins again; this time the spinner lands on 5. He passes a Pay Raise space, earning $30,000 from his salary (which will increase to $40,000 from the next Pay Day space he reaches), and lands on a Spin to Win space.
Unlike the last Spin to Win, John and Rachel are the only players to still have Spin to Win cards in their inventories this time around, with the former the only player still in possession of a 4x Spin to Win card (as well as a 2x Spin to Win card). Rachel has a pair of 2x Spin to Win cards, but every other player can only select one number to bet on for this Spin to Win. John uses his 4x Spin to Win card and picks 2, 3, 7, and 10; Rachel uses one of her 2x Spin to Win cards, and selects 1 and 9. Mary, Sarah, Bob, and Eddie choose 4, 5, 6, and 8, respectively. All six players wager $50,000 each; with the wagers and numbers set, John is ready to Spin to Win.
The spinner lands on 6, which means that Bob wins $500,000 (in addition to a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return), and now has $1,580,000. Everyone else has lost $50,000 each; therefore, Mary, Eddie, John, Rachel, and Sarah now have $955,000, $155,000, $500,000, $70,000, and $850,000, respectively.
Turn 65 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 5.
She passes a Pay Day space and collects her $50,000 salary. The space she would normally have landed on is already occupied, so she advances to the next free space - which happens to be a Lawsuit space. She sues Bob for $100,000 (who else would you expect to get sued considering the circumstances?) and now has $270,000, but Bob still has $1,480,000 in his possession.
Turn 66 (Sarah)
Sarah spins a 6.
She collects her $150,000 salary and also advances to the same space Eddie landed on during this round, but with it and the very next space also currently occupied, she moves to the next empty space. It reads "Adopt a pet from animal shelter. LIFE", and so she acquires a Life Tile. With the draw pile empty, however, she must take a Life Tile from an opponent, and this time she takes a Life Tile from Eddie, who now has just two Life Tiles to Sarah's 6. By the end of this turn, Sarah has exactly $1,000,000 on hand.
Round Summary
By winning $500,000 from a Spin to Win after having collected $100,000 earlier this round, Bob has finally broken away from the pack after having reeled in the frontrunners. Not even a Lawsuit from Rachel can dampen his spirits, while Mary and Sarah are locked in a close battle for second. John has fallen even farther behind after losing $50,000 in Spin to Win (having already lost $60,000 to a Pay Card from Eddie), but at least he's better off financially than Eddie is right now. And Rachel has somehow managed to haul herself off the bottom and into fifth.
Round 12
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 1.48m | Entertainer (100k) | 4 | 0 | Small Cape (180k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 500k | Hair Stylist (40k) | 4 | 1 (1S2) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 270k | Mechanic (50k) | 3 | 1 (1S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 1m | Doctor (150k) | 6 | 0 | Ranch Style (160k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 955k | Athlete (110k) | 3 | 0 | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 155k | Salesperson (20k) | 2 | 1 (1P) | Condo (105k) | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 67 (Mary)
Once again, Mary goes first, and she spins a 2 on this turn.
As John receives $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment, Mary advances to the space that reads "Find buried treasure! Collect $500,000", and she ends her turn with $1,455,000 to John's $505,000.
Turn 68 (Eddie)
Eddie spins an 8.
As a result, Rachel receives $5,000 from a Long-Term Investment return and now has $275,000. Meanwhile, Eddie advances to the Buy a Better Home space, and ponders over whether or not to trade in his Starter Home for a House. He chooses not to do so and spins again.
This time, the spinner lands on 9. Bob receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return and now has $1,485,000. At the same time, Eddie passes two Pay Day spaces (the latter of which is a Pay Raise space) and lands on the Tax Refund space. He receives $5,000 in addition to the $20,000 from each of the two Pay Day spaces he just passed, and now has $200,000.
Turn 69 (Bob)
Bob spins a 7, ensuring that Mary receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return (she now has $1,460,000).
He advances to the Buy a Better Home space and must now decide on whether or not to trade in his Starter Home for a House. He immediately accepts the offer.
Bob trades in the Small Cape (with a resale value of $180,000) for the Penthouse Suite (whose purchase price is $700,000), which requires a net payment of $520,000.
After the trade-in, he now has $965,000, but must spin again. This time, he spins a 9.
Bob passes a Pay Day space and collects his $100,000 salary, before passing a Pay Raise space and collecting his $100,000 salary again in addition to a Pay Raise. However, with Eddie currently occupying the Tax Refund space Bob would normally have landed on, Bob advances to an orange space that reads "The Safe Path of Life or The Risky Path of Life", and must decide which path to take.
Now with $1,165,000 in his bank account, Bob chooses the Safe Path of Life and spins again. This time, he spins a 6.
He passes a Pay Day space, collecting $110,000 from it in the process, before landing on the space that reads "You're a grandparent! LIFE". With the draw pile empty, he takes a Life Tile from Sarah, and both players now have 5 Life Tiles each. Bob ends his turn with $1,275,000.
Turn 70 (John)
John spins a 10.
He passes a Pay Day space, collects his $40,000 salary, and reaches the Buy a Better Home space, but decides against trading in his Starter Home for a new House. He currently has $545,000.
John spins again; this time it lands on 8.
Rachel receives an $5,000 Long-Term Investment return and now has $280,000; meanwhile, John passes a Pay Day space, before landing on a Pay Raise space. After collecting his $40,000 salary twice during his turn, he now has $625,000, in addition to two Pay Raises.
Turn 71 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 3.
She advances to the Buy a Better Home space, but chooses not to buy a better house. She then spins a 6.
In doing so, Rachel passes a Pay Day space and collects her $50,000 salary, before landing on a Lawsuit space. She chooses to sue John for $100,000 and now has $430,000 to John's $525,000.
Turn 72 (Sarah)
Sarah spins an 8.
As Rachel receives $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment (leaving her with $435,000), Sarah advances to the Buy a Better Home space. She chooses to trade in her Starter Home for a new House.
After receiving $160,000 from the sale of her Ranch Style Starter Home, Sarah buys the Luxury Mountain Retreat for $600,000 - a net payment of $440,000. She now has $560,000.
Sarah spins again. This time it's a 4, and she earns $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment. After passing a Pay Day space and collecting her $150,000 salary, she lands on the space that reads "Write best-selling book. Collect $200,000", and now has $915,000.
Round Summary
Rachel has managed to close the gap to John, but both are now well clear of Eddie. Meanwhile, after upgrading to the Penthouse Suite, Bob is enjoying what he thinks is a healthy lead, but Mary may not be as far behind as he thinks. As for Sarah, she has also bought a better house to replace her current one - this game is not yet over by any means!
Round 13
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 1.275m | Entertainer (110k) | 5 | 0 | Penthouse Suite (700k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 525k | Hair Stylist (50k) | 4 | 1 (1S2) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 435k | Mechanic (50k) | 3 | 1 (1S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 915k | Doctor (150k) | 5 | 0 | Lux. Mountain Retreat (600k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 1.46m | Athlete (110k) | 3 | 0 | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 200k | Salesperson (30k) | 2 | 1 (1P) | Condo (105k) | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 73 (Mary)
Mary goes first yet again. She spins a 4.
While Sarah receives a Long-Term Investment return worth $5,000, and now has $920,000 on hand, Mary passes a Pay Day space and collects her $110,000 salary. She lands on a Lawsuit space and decides to sue Rachel for $100,000. Mary ends her turn with $1,670,000 to Rachel's $335,000.
Turn 74 (Eddie)
Eddie spins a 9.
Bob now has $1,280,000, courtesy of a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return, while Eddie advances to the Safe/Risky Path Of Life space, and chooses the Risky Path of Life. He then spins another 9.
Bob receives another Long-Term Investment return worth $5,000 (and therefore has $1,285,000 on hand), while Eddie advances past a Pay Day space (earning his $30,000 salary) and arrives at the space that reads "Redecorate your home. Pay $80,000." Eddie immediately decides to use his last Pay Card on Mary, and both players pay the bank $40,000 each. He now has $190,000 to Mary's $1,630,000.
Turn 75 (Bob)
Bob spins a 5.
After passing a Pay Day space and collecting his $110,000 salary, he reaches another Life Tile space; it too reads "You're a grandparent!", and so he collects another Life Tile, this time from John, who now only has three Life Tiles to Bob's six. Bob ends his turn with $1,395,000.
Turn 76 (John)
John spins a 9.
Bob now has $1,400,000, thanks to the $5,000 Long-Term Investment return he just received, while John reaches the Safe/Risky Path of Life space. He decides to stay on the Safe Path of Life.
John's second spin is an 8. He passes a Pay Day space, before ending his turn by landing on the very next Pay Day space. After collecting his $50,000 twice during his turn, he now has $625,000.
In addition, Rachel received a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return during this turn, and now has $340,000.
Turn 77 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 9. Bob receives yet another $5,000 Long-Term Investment return and now has $1,405,000.
Rachel passes a Pay Day space, collects her $50,000 salary (along with a Pay Raise), and reaches the Safe/Risky Path of Life space. She now has $390,000, but must decide which path to take.
After choosing the Safe Path of Life, Rachel spins again. This time, the spinner lands on 4.
Sarah receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return and now has $925,000. Meanwhile, Rachel passes a Pay Day space, collects her $60,000 salary, and arrives at the space that reads "Visit old soldier's home. LIFE". She decides to take a Life Tile from Bob (who now has five Life Tiles to Rachel's four) and ends her turn with $450,000.
Turn 78 (Sarah)
Sarah spins a 3.
She lands on the space that reads "Buy sailboat. Pay $30,000." After making the required payment to the bank, she now has $895,000.
Round Summary
Everyone except Mary has passed the Buy a Better Home space, while Bob has taken one of John's Life Tiles, only to lose it to Rachel soon afterwards. Eddie has used his last Share the Wealth card on John, who continues to hold a tenuous lead over Rachel. But can Bob maintain his lead until the end, or will either (or both) of Mary and Sarah overtake him? Time will tell.
Round 14
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 1.405m | Entertainer (110k) | 5 | 0 | Penthouse Suite (700k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 625k | Hair Stylist (50k) | 3 | 1 (1S2) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 450k | Mechanic (50k) | 4 | 1 (1S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 895k | Doctor (150k) | 5 | 0 | Lux. Mountain Retreat (600k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 1.63m | Athlete (110k) | 3 | 0 | Tudor Style (200k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 190k | Salesperson (30k) | 2 | 0 | Condo (105k) | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 79 (Mary)
It is once again Mary's turn. She spins a 9.
As Bob receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return (he now has $1,410,000), Mary advances to the Buy a Better Home space.
Mary decides to buy a better house. She trades in the Tudor Style (worth $200,000) for the Mansion (which costs $800,000) - a $600,000 net payment. She now has $1,030,000, and spins again.
This time, she spins a 6. She passes a Pay Day space and collects her $110,000 salary, before landing on a Lawsuit space. She sues John for $100,000 and now has $1,240,000 to John's $525,000.
Turn 80 (Eddie)
Eddie spins a 6 on this turn.
He passes a Pay Day space, collects his $30,000 salary, and advances to the space Bob currently occupies, but since two players cannot occupy the same space at any one time, Eddie advances to the nearest empty space. That space reads "Hire maid and butler service. Pay $65,000." After making the necessary payment, Eddie now has $155,000.
Turn 81 (Bob)
Bob spins a 10.
He passes a Pay Raise space (the last such space on the board) and collects his $110,000 salary, before arriving at the final Pay Day space and collecting his salary again (this time $120,000). He ends his turn with $1,640,000.
Turn 82 (John)
John spins a 4.
Sarah receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return and now has $900,000. As for John, he advances to the space Eddie currently occupies, but no player can end their turn on a space that is currently occupied by another player, so John must advance further, to the nearest empty space. In this case, the space in question reads "Go hiking in European Alps. LIFE". With the draw pile still empty, John decides to take a Life Tile from Rachel, who now has three Life Tiles to John's four. John did not gain or lose any money on this turn, though.
Turn 83 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 1.
As Eddie receives $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment, Rachel arrives at the space that reads "Redecorate your home. Pay $80,000." She ends her turn with $370,000 to Eddie's $195,000.
Turn 84 (Sarah)
Sarah spins a 5.
She passes a Pay Raise space and collects her $150,000 salary, before arriving at the Safe/Risky Path of Life space (as veteran players prefer to call it).
Sarah then chooses the Safe Path of Life. Again, she spins a 5.
She passes a Pay Day space, collects her $160,000 salary, and reaches the same space Rachel just landed on, before advancing to the nearest free space. In her case, it reads "You're a grandparent! LIFE". She takes a Life Tile from John, who now has three Life Tiles to Sarah's six. By the end of this turn, Sarah has $1,310,000.
Round Summary
The end of this game is drawing near, with Bob being closer to retirement than anyone else. However, Mary has traded in her starter home (the Tudor Style) for a Mansion worth $800,000, and has yet to pass the last five Pay Day spaces on the board (two of which are Pay Raise spaces). As such, Mary is in the box seat to win, but Bob and Sarah might have something to say about that. The other three players (John, Rachel, and Eddie), on the other hand, are all out of contention beyond any doubt.
So will it be Bob (the Entertainer), Mary (the Athlete), or Sarah (the Doctor) who stands on the top step of the podium? We'll find out before long.
Round 15
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 1.64m | Entertainer (120k) | 5 | 0 | Penthouse Suite (700k) | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 525k | Hair Stylist (50k) | 3 | 1 (1S2) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 370k | Mechanic (50k) | 3 | 1 (1S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 1.31m | Doctor (150k) | 6 | 0 | Lux. Mountain Retreat (600k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 1.24m | Athlete (110k) | 3 | 0 | Mansion (800k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 195k | Salesperson (30k) | 2 | 0 | Condo (105k) | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 85 (Mary)
Mary spins a 10.
She passes a Pay Raise space (earning $110,000 in the process) and reaches the Safe/Risky path space - the last player to do so. Now with $1,350,000 in hand, she decides to take the Risky Path of Life.
Mary then spins a 7 and receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return. She passes a Pay Day space and collects her salary (now $120,000) before arriving at a Lawsuit space.
After a brief hesitation, she decides to sue Eddie for $100,000 again, and now has $1,575,000 to Eddie's $95,000.
Turn 86 (Eddie)
Eddie spins a 9.
Bob receives $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment and now has $1,645,000, as Eddie passes the last two Pay Day spaces on the board (the former of which is the last Pay Raise space, and the latter of which Bob currently occupies) en route to the space that reads "Host entertainment awards party. Pay $35,000."After collecting his salary ($30,000 from the first Pay Day space passed, and $40,000 from the second) and making the necessary payment, he now has $130,000.
Turn 87 (Bob)
Bob spins a 10.
In doing so, he is the first player to retire. He chooses to retire at Millionaire Estates, believing that none of his opponents are brave enough to take Life Tiles from him.
At the time of his retirement, Bob has 6 Life Tiles and $2,345,000.
Turn 88 (John)
John spins a 7.
He passes a Pay Raise space, collects his $50,000 salary, and arrives at a Life Tile space - the last such space on the board. It reads "You're a grandparent!" He takes a Life Tile from Mary (who received $5,000 from a Long-Term Investment), but although he has four Life Tiles to Mary's two, he has only $575,000 to Mary's $1,580,000.
Turn 89 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 6.
She passes a Pay Day space and collects her $50,000 salary, before landing on a Life Tile space. This one also reads "You're a grandparent!". Rachel, whose bank account stands at $420,000, takes a Life Tile from John, who now has three Life Tiles to Rachel's four.
Turn 90 (Sarah)
Sarah also spins a 7.
She passes a Pay Day space and collects her $160,000 salary, before landing on a Life Tile space. This one reads "Go hiking in European Alps." With the draw pile having been empty for quite some time however, she must collect a Life Tile from an opponent; this time, she takes a Life Tile from Mary. That player, however, earned a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return on this turn, and now has $1,585,000 and 1 Life Tile to Sarah's $1,470,000 and 7 Life Tiles.
Round Summary
Bob is the first player to retire, but everyone else is on the home stretch. Sarah and Bob have amassed a sizable inventory of Life Tiles, fearing that Mary, despite only having one Life Tile, will have more cash on hand than either of them by the time she retires. They can forget about the other three players, none of whom can keep up any longer. We'll find out who wins in short order - so hold on tight!
Round 16
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 2.345m | Retired | 6 | 0 | None | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 575k | Hair Stylist (60k) | 3 | 1 (1S2) | Log Cabin (140k) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 420k | Mechanic (50k) | 4 | 1 (1S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 1.47m | Doctor (160k) | 7 | 0 | Lux. Mountain Retreat (600k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 1.585m | Athlete (120k) | 1 | 0 | Mansion (800k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 130k | Salesperson (40k) | 2 | 0 | Condo (105k) | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 91 (Mary)
Mary goes first. She spins a 3 on this turn.
She arrives at the first of three Life Tile spaces that reads "You're a grandparent!", before taking a Life Tile from Rachel, who now has three Life Tiles to Mary's two.
Turn 92 (Eddie)
Eddie spins a 5.
He finally retires, and chooses to do so at Countryside Acres, becoming the first player to retire there. As such, nobody can take Life Tiles from him for the rest of the game.
After selling his house and receiving a $10,000 gift from each of his three children ($30,000 in total), he has $265,000 and two Life Tiles.
Turn 93 (Bob)
Bob is retired, but he still spins for Long-Term Investment returns.
On this turn, the spinner landed on 6, but there are no players with that Long-Term Investment number.
Turn 94 (John)
John spins a 9.
Bob receives $5,000 from his Long-Term Investment and now has $2,350,000. Meanwhile, John passes the last Pay Day space, collecting his $60,000 salary as he does so, and finally retires.
He chooses to retire at Millionaire Estates and receives a Life Tile. After selling his house, he now has $775,000 and 4 Life Tiles.
Turn 95 (Rachel)
Rachel spins an 8.
She receives an $5,000 Long-Term Investment return and passes the last Pay Raise space. She collects her $50,000 salary, but has to pay it right back due to landing on the space that reads "Have family website designed. Pay $50,000." Rachel ends her turn with $425,000.
Turn 96 (Sarah)
Sarah also spins an 8.
She passes the last Pay Raise space and collects her $160,000 salary, before landing on the last Pay Day space and receiving her $170,000 salary. She now has $1,800,000. In addition, Rachel received another $5,000 Long-Term Investment return, and now has $430,000.
Round Summary
With John and Eddie now also on the retired list, that leaves Sarah, Mary, and Rachel as the only players who have not yet retired. Bob is now anxiously waiting for those three players to retire, and will soon find out whether or not he has actually won the Game of Life.
Round 17
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 2.35m | Retired | 6 | 0 | None | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 775k | Retired | 4 | 1 (1S2) | None | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 430k | Mechanic (60k) | 3 | 1 (1S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 1.8m | Doctor (170k) | 7 | 0 | Lux. Mountain Retreat (600k) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 1.585m | Athlete (120k) | 2 | 0 | Mansion (800k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 265k | Retired | 2 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 97 (Mary)
Mary spins a 7.
She receives $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment, before passing a Pay Day space and collecting her $120,000 salary. She arrives at a Life Tile space; this one reads "Go hiking in European Alps." With the draw pile empty, and Eddie already having retired at Countryside Acres, Mary must now choose from Bob, John, Rachel, or Sarah as the source of her next Life Tile. She eventually decides to take a Life Tile from John; both players now have 3 Life Tiles each. Mary ends her turn with $1,710,000.
Turn 98 (Eddie)
Eddie is retired, but must still spin for Long-Term Investments.
He spins a 10 on this turn.
Turn 99 (Bob)
Bob has long since retired, but must still spin for Long-Term Investments.
He also spins a 10 on this turn.
Turn 100 (John)
John is retired, but still spins for Long-Term Investments.
He spins a 7, so Mary receives $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment, and now has $1,715,000.
Turn 101 (Rachel)
Rachel spins a 3.
She passes the last Pay Day space, collects her $60,000 salary, and arrives at the space that reads "Host entertainment awards party. Pay $35,000." She now has $455,000.
Turn 102 (Sarah)
Sarah spins a 4 and receives $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment.
She decides to retire at Millionaire Estates, and receives the last Life Tile stored there.
After selling her house, she has a healthy retirement fund of $2,405,000 and 8 Life Tiles.
Round Summary
Sarah has finally retired, but Rachel and Mary have yet to do so. However, with Bob's final net worth being less than that of Sarah (not counting Life Tiles), it's now much less likely for him to actually win the game.
Round 18
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 2.35m | Retired | 6 | 0 | None | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 775k | Retired | 4 | 1 (1S2) | None | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 455k | Mechanic (60k) | 3 | 1 (1S2) | Mobile Home (80k) | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 2.405m | Retired | 8 | 0 | None | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 1.715m | Athlete (120k) | 2 | 0 | Mansion (800k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 265k | Retired | 2 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Eddie retired at Countryside Acres, so his Life Tile count is italicized.
Turn 103 (Mary)
Mary spins a 10.
She passes the last Pay Raise space, collects her $120,000 salary, then passes the last Pay Day space and collects her salary again (this time $130,000), before arriving at the Pension space. She must now spin for pensions, collecting $10,000 multiplied by the number spun.
She spins a 6 and receives a pension of $60,000, before ending her turn with $2,025,000.
Turn 104 (Eddie)
Eddie continues to spin for Long-Term Investments.
On this turn, he spins a 10.
Turn 105 (Bob)
Bob also continues to spin for Long-Term Investments.
Once again, he spins a 10.
Turn 106 (John)
John has retired, but must spin for Long-Term Investments.
He spins a 3.
Turn 107 (Rachel)
Rachel spins an 8 and receives a $5,000 Long-Term Investment return.
She finally retires, and ends her turn at Millionaire Estates. There are no Life Tiles stored there, but everyone else has either retired or passed the last Life Tile space.
After selling her house and receiving $30,000 of children's gifts ($10,000 per child), she ends her turn with $570,000 and 3 Life Tiles.
Turn 108 (Sarah)
Sarah is retired, but must still spin for Long-Term Investments.
She spins an 8, which means that Rachel receives $5,000 from her Long-Term Investment, and now has $575,000.
Round Summary
Mary is literally one turn away from retirement, and with all other players having retired, her final turn will be the last one of the game before everyone converts their Life Tiles into extra cash.
Round 19
The players' inventories at the start of this round of turns are as follows:
| Name | Cash On Hand ($) | Career (Salary in $) | Life Tiles | STW Cards | Property (value in $) | Children | Debt ($) | LTI Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob | 2.35m | Retired | 6 | 0 | None | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| John | 775k | Retired | 4 | 1 (1S2) | None | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rachel | 575k | Retired | 3 | 1 (1S2) | None | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Sarah | 2.405m | Retired | 8 | 0 | None | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mary | 2.025m | Athlete (130k) | 2 | 0 | Mansion (800k) | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eddie | 265k | Retired | 2 | 0 | None | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Turn 109
Mary spins a 10.
She finally retires and decides to settle down at Millionaire Estates.
After selling her house, she ends up with $2,825,000 - enough to win this game on its own, as we have found out.
Life Tile Bonuses
Now it's time for everyone to cash in every Life Tile they have.
Turn 110 (Mary)
First up is Mary, who reveals the values of both Life Tiles in her possession. The first of her two Life Tiles is worth $10,000.
Mary reveals the value of her other Life Tile - this one has a value of $50,000.
Mary's final net worth is $2,885,000.
Turn 111 (Eddie)
Eddie is next. His first Life Tile is worth $30,000.
Eddie's other Life Tile has a value of $20,000, so his final net worth is $315,000.
Turn 112 (Bob)
Bob is the next player to convert his Life Tiles to extra cash. His first Life Tile is worth $50,000.
Bob's second Life Tile is worth $40,000.
Bob redeems his third Life Tile for $10,000.
The fourth Life Tile in Bob's collection is worth $10,000.
Bob's fifth Life Tile is worth $30,000.
The sixth and last Life Tile in Bob's possession is worth $50,000 - all three $50,000 Life Tiles are now accounted for.
Bob's final net worth is $2,540,000 - enough to put him into second place for the time being.
Turn 113 (John)
John is the next player to redeem his Life Tiles. His first Life Tile is worth $30,000.
John's second Life Tile is worth slightly less, at $20,000.
John's third Life Tile has a value of $30,000.
The fourth and last of John's Life Tiles is worth $10,000.
John's final net worth is thus $865,000 - good enough for third, for now.
Turn 114 (Rachel)
Rachel is the next player to convert her Life Tiles into cash. Her first Life Tile is worth $30,000.
Rachel's second Life Tile has a value of $10,000.
The third and last Life Tile in Rachel's collection is worth $20,000.
Rachel thus ends this game with a net worth of $635,000, for a fifth-place finish. Every Life Tile that has a net worth of either $30,000 or $50,000 is now accounted for.
Turn 115 (Sarah)
With all other players' Life Tiles having been redeemed and their values revealed, Sarah's Life Tile collection comprises two $10,000 Life Tiles, three $20,000 Life Tiles, and three $40,000 Life Tiles. Sarah's final net worth is therefore $2,605,000, which is a lot, but not enough to overtake Mary for the lead, and so Sarah must settle for second place.
Congratulations to Mary for winning the Game of Life!
Commiserations to Bob and Sarah, who came close, but ultimately fell short.
Final Standings
| Name | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| Mary | $2,885,000 |
| Sarah | $2,605,000 |
| Bob | $2,540,000 |
| John | $865,000 |
| Rachel | $635,000 |
| Eddie | $315,000 |
A Note on Final Placements
Had Mary only earned $20,000 from her two Life Tiles (2 x $10,000), and Sarah collected $340,000 (3 x $50,000, 4 x $40,000, and 1 x $30,000) from hers, Mary would have ended up with $2,845,000, which would have been $100,000 more than Sarah's $2,745,000. The actual winning margin, however, was $280,000, so it was not quite as close as I had hoped - but second and third were even closer than I expected, being separated by just $65,000. Moreover, the gap from third to fourth was a massive $1,675,000, although there was only $230,000 between fourth and fifth, and the bottom two players were only $320,000 apart at the end.
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