Having played Monopoly for Nintendo Switch quite a lot, it’s clear that there are some rules and instructions that are obvious, and some that are a little less clear.
It’s no good if you don’t know what you’re doing, so here’s a guide to help you with anything you’re stuck on so that you can get the most out of this property trading game and really enjoy it.
And if you want to know how good the game is, check out my Monopoly for Nintendo Switch review which tells you whether it’s worth picking the game up for yourself.
How to Play Monopoly on Switch
You can play Monopoly for Nintendo Switch in three main ways:
- Following the traditional Monopoly rule set
- Using classic house rules to adjust the game
- Playing to a set goal – e.g. first to build a hotel, or first to earn $500 in rent
How do you play Monopoly on the Nintendo Switch?
Monopoly on Nintendo Switch has a number of different game modes, but generally, it’s the same as the physical board game. The other modes are just house rule variations, which you could also play using the physical board game yourself if you wanted to.
The default game mode for Monopoly on Nintendo Switch is the same as the more modern version of Monopoly – with a speed die and action cards – but you can disable those if you’d rather play the classic rules, and you can add your own House Rules too.
With Monopoly for Switch, there are a lot of options to help you play the game however you want to.
How do you win Monopoly on the Nintendo Switch?
You win at Monopoly on the Switch in the same way that you would win a game of Monopoly with the physical board – by being the last player left when all others have gone bankrupt.
Alternatively, you can choose a special ‘Goal’ for the game. This means that you pick a task that you need to complete to win the game. Goals are great as they add an extra layer of fun, and can make the game shorter.
Monopoly Switch Goals include:
- First player to build a hotel wins (games last 25 minutes on average)
- First player to simultaneously own a number of properties wins (games last 30 minutes on average)
- First player to earn a total of $500 in rent wins (games last 40 minutes on average)
- First player to own $2000 in cash wins (games last 45 minutes on average)
- First player to own a number of completed property sets wins (games last 45 minutes on average)
Set-Up
Why does Monopoly on Switch take so long to load?
This is a common question, but Monopoly on Switch doesn’t have to take a long time to load.
You can skip a lot of the Monopoly Switch starting logos by pressing the plus ‘+’ button on the right Joy-Con, and then the game itself doesn’t take long to set up at all.
If the loading times are bugging you, and you’re using a cartridge version of the game, consider buying it digitally instead (and maybe trading in your cartridge against another game, or selling it).
If you buy the game digitally and download it to your Switch’s internal memory, then it should shave a few seconds off the loading time. Just make sure you’ve got the space for it if you download a lot of games. It requires 2.8GB of space on your Switch.
How to change names in Monopoly Switch
It’s a quirk of the game, but you can’t set custom player names in Monopoly for Nintendo Switch. Human players have to either be tied to a profile on the console or named a generic “Player 1” or “Player 2” (etc.) name.
There is a way around this – you can set up players with a profile on the Switch console itself. Each console lets you have up to eight profiles at once, giving everyone their own space to save files.
If you’re playing with friends, you can add their profiles and then delete them later if you need to.
To add a user to your Switch console, on the Switch Home menu go to System Settings, then User, then Add User.
Once you’re ready, just add the players to your game by pressing right or left until you are highlighting an empty space, press A to add a player, then press X to cycle through to the right profile.
How to add multiple House Rules in Monopoly Switch
Strangely, you can’t choose more than one House Rule in the Switch version of Monopoly. You can either set one goal, or one House Rule, but that’s it.
It’s a shame, as there are six official House Rules and it would be nice to add multiple House Rules at once, but you’ve still got a lot of options to choose from.
Number of Players
How many players can play Monopoly on Switch?
You can play Monopoly on Switch with up to six people at once – either real people or computer-controlled AI.
Most modern Monopoly board games only come with enough tokens for four or six people but technically you can play with up to eight players if you add your own tokens.
Suggested read: How Many People Can Play Monopoly?
Is Monopoly on Switch local multiplayer?
Monopoly on Nintendo Switch allows for both local and online multiplayer. When playing local multiplayer, up to six of you can play at any one time.
You can’t mix local and online though – so if you want to play Monopoly Switch online you can’t have more than one player on your console, which is a shame if you were planning on jumping online as a couple to take on a couple of friends.
Suggested read: 6 Ways to Play Monopoly Online With Friends
How many controllers do you need for Monopoly on Switch?
You only need one controller to play Monopoly in Nintendo Switch, even if you’re playing multiplayer. All six players can use the same controller if you want.
However, since the Switch comes with two Joy-Cons as standard you might as well split it between at least those two – it means you don’t need to pass the same controller around all six of you. Have three players assigned to each and it’s a lot easier.
You can add up to four controllers to the Switch, so if you have extra controllers, you can split the players between four if you prefer. This makes it easier if you have a large room and find yourself stretching to pass the controller.
Is Nintendo Switch Monopoly cross-platform?
Monopoly is not cross-platform. The Nintendo Switch version of the game is exclusive to the Switch, and so it would be impossible to play it against people playing Monopoly on different consoles such as the Xbox or PS4.
Monopoly Plus, which is the version used on Xbox One, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows isn’t cross-platform either. This is a shame, because not everyone has the same gaming device, and it would be easier to have a version that you could play with all of your friends.
How to add friends on Monopoly Switch
This is one of the most confusing parts of playing Monopoly online on Nintendo Switch – how to play with friends. Firstly, you’ll need to be friends on the Switch outside of Monopoly. To do this, you’ll need to swap friend codes.
How to swap friend codes on Switch
- On the Switch Home menu, go to your Profile page – the fastest way is to select your icon at the top of the screen (press “Up” when you’re highlighting the games)
- In that menu choose ‘Add Friend’ and then ‘Search with Friend Code’
- You’ll also see your own friend code on this menu – it’s a little subtle, at the bottom right of the screen. Only one of you needs to enter the code.
- Enter your friend’s code or have them enter yours. The other player will then receive a request to Accept.
Once that’s done and you’re now friends on the Switch, one of you needs to set up an online game in Monopoly.
Go to Online Mode and then choose Public, if you’re happy to have other random players join too, or Private.
Once the game is set up and the first player has chosen their token, here’s what the other player needs to do:
- Go to Online Mode
- Choose Custom Match, which will show a list of publicly available games to join
- Press Y to see private matches that friends have live – this should show the game, which can then be joined by pressing A.
Can you play Monopoly on Switch alone?
Monopoly is not a one-player game but that doesn’t mean you can’t play it alone. You can either jump in a public online game and play with strangers, or play with computer-controlled AI players instead.
If you choose AI players then you can set their difficulty too – if you just want to win, set it to Very Easy and it’s almost guaranteed.
How to add AI in Monopoly Switch
Adding AI to Monopoly on Switch is easy. Just select an open slot and press the X button, and the AI will fill the space with a randomly chosen name. You can’t choose their token, that’s randomly assigned too.
Once all AI have been assigned and you press Y to start the game, you can set the AI difficulty – Very Easy, Easy, Normal, or Hard. It’s a blanket option unfortunately, you can only pick one option for all AI – you can’t customize it per player.
Action Cards
What are Action Cards in Monopoly Switch?
In Monopoly for Nintendo Switch, you have the option to use Action Cards. These are single-use cards that you can use to change the flow of the game or gain a small advantage.
If you choose to play with Action Cards, you’ll be given three of these cards at the start of the game, to use whenever you want.
Some examples of action cards include:
- Raise the rents of a chosen color set on the board by 10%
- Choose a player to pay $50 per property to the bank
- You can ignore the ‘Go to Jail’ space once
- You can copy an Action Card from another player
You don’t have to use Action Cards, but it can make the game more fun.
Speed Die
What is the Speed Die in Monopoly Switch?
In Monopoly, the Speed Die is an optional third die that you roll. Once you’ve passed Go for the first time in the game (after circling the board once) you roll the Speed Die with the other two dice and follow the Speed Die rules.
Speed Die Monopoly Switch Rules
- If you roll a 1, 2, or 3 – Add that to your roll
- If you roll a Mr. Monopoly – Move as normal, and then once your turn is over, move to the next available unowned property, which you can buy or auction. If all properties are owned, you move to the next unmortgaged property than an opponent owns
- If you roll a Bus – Choose whether to move the combined total of the other two dice as normal, or just to move one of them. For example, if you roll the Bus as well as a 3 and a 5, you can choose to move 3 spaces, 5 spaces, or the usual 8 spaces.
- If you roll a triple 1, 2 or 3 – If the Speed Die matches the other two dice for a triple you can move to any space on the board!
Trading
Here’s how to trade property in Monopoly for Nintendo Switch:
- At any time within your turn, press the X button to manage properties
- Then, press the Y button to open the Trade menu, and choose who you want to make an offer to
- Choose the properties you want to offer. If you’re offering cash, highlight that section underneath the properties and press right or left to get to the amount. Make sure to press A to then add the cash to the trade offer.
- Press R to move to the other players’ assets and choose what you want to add to the trade offer in return
- Once you’ve finalized what you’re offering and what you want, press X to offer the trade. The other player can then accept or decline.
Mortgaging Property
Here’s how to mortgage property in Monopoly for Nintendo Switch:
- At any time within your turn, press the X button to manage properties
- This brings up a ‘map’ of the board. Colored tabs show which player owns each property
- Move the cursor over the property you want to mortgage and press the L button (if playing with two Joy-Cons) or the SL button (if playing with a single Joy-Con)
- To unmortgage a property, follow the same steps but press the R button or SR button instead
Saving
Monopoly on Nintendo Switch uses an autosave feature, which is great – it means you don’t need to worry about how to save, it does it automatically after each player takes their turn. It does make the game go a little slower but it’s not hugely noticeable.
You get three save slots with the game, so you can run three separate games at a time. If you want to delete a live game, just highlight it when choosing a save slot and press the X button.
Versions
Can you play Monopoly on the Switch Lite?
The Switch Lite is the same console as the standard Nintendo Switch, except that it is handheld only, and the Joy-Con cannot be removed. You absolutely can play Monopoly on the Switch Lite, but if you’re playing local multiplayer, you’ll need to pass the whole console back and forth between you.
The bottom line
While the Monopoly Nintendo Switch game has a lot of great options and ways of playing, there are definitely some things that could be clearer.
Hopefully, armed with this guide you now have everything you need to enjoy games either on your own, with friends locally or online, or just taking on the world.
