It looks nice too there’s a blocky, colourful art style which very much reminds me of the 3D moulding on the 90s version of the board game. There are all the options you’d expect: you can play against AI opponents in single player, matchmake online, play with friends online or play locally by passing around the Switch console. There isn’t much variety, which is a real shame.Īs a digitised board game, The Game of Life 2 is packaged together quite well.

When you do land on those action spaces, though, be prepared to see the same events pop up again and again. Sure, bigger numbers mean you’re likely to bypass that pesky tax bill space more often, but you’ll miss out on the chance to earn valuable life experience. Spin smaller numbers and you’ll land on more action spaces. Keep spinning big numbers, and you’ll bypass most opportunities. Sadly, just like so much in life, your success in The Game of Life 2 very much down to luck. So technically, the person with the lowest bank balance might win, if they’ve had more opportunities. At the end of the game, your money total, and the total points you’ve accrued will be tallied up into one final score. Just like real life, wealth isn’t everything your experiences and happiness matter too. Yep.Įssentially, then, it means having the most money in the game doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll win. Family points, on the other hand, will be earned by having children – or hosting a barbeque. Buying something fancy will earn you wealth points, while education (and something as random as watching a video game stream) will earn you knowledge points.

A poor sign of the times, I suppose.Īlong with the money you earn, you’ll also have opportunities to amass knowledge, wealth and family points by landing on random ‘action’ spaces on the game board. Things that were certain in the old version of the board game – like buying a house – are now left to random chance maybe you’ll land on such an opportunity, maybe you won’t. You’ll get to choose whether or not you get married, and perhaps you’ll get an opportunity to start a family (or adopt a pet – that’s fine, too!). After choosing whether you want to go to college or jump straight into a career, you’ll move around the game board, attempting to amass wealth and life experience. Ah, simpler times.īut the basis of the game largely remains the same. The last time I played The Game of Life, the word ‘vlogger’ didn’t even exist. Random events now include watching game streams and partaking in e-sports events, and you’re more likely to end up in a job as a video game designer or a vlogger. There’s the fact that the game has been modernised to a cringeworthy degree. The Game of Life 2 is now available on Switch, allowing you to play the game in digital form – but the magic just isn’t there. It was all so satisfying: the click of the big wheel as you spun it moving your little car around the board adding in those pink and blue pegs as you accumulated children. Many an afternoon was wasted playing it with my brother and friends. When I was a kid, MB Games’ The Game of Life was one of my favourite board games.

Winning in the game of life