The Mad Magazine Game
A board game where players win by losing all their money.
William Evans Burton , Edgar Allan Poe · Public domain
The Mad Magazine Game (re-released in 1988 as *Mad Magazine: The "What-Me Worry?" Game*) is a board game from Parker Brothers that first hit shelves in 1979. The staff of *Mad* magazine helped create it. While its mechanics resemble those of Monopoly, the goals and rules are flipped: players aim to be the first to lose every dollar they have. The first player is chosen by rolling dice with the left hand for the lowest number, and turns move to the right. The board is decorated with *Mad* characters like Alfred E. Neuman and Spy vs. Spy, plus artwork from Don Martin, Dave Berg, and a cover illustration by Jack Davis. The game comes with cards, money, dice, and tokens. No reliable strategy exists, because even a player who seems to be winning can suddenly lose their edge when a space or card forces them to swap money or seats with someone else.
To start, all tokens go on Start, and one player is picked as Banker (“preferably someone honest”), who hands out $10,000 to each person. Dice must be rolled with the left hand—using the right hand costs a $500 penalty paid to every other player. Tokens move counterclockwise around the outer track; moving clockwise gets a player labeled a “nerd person” and banned from the game. The board has two “inside track” sections, entered by landing on double-arrow spaces. Upon entering, the player rolls one die for an extra turn, and while on an inside track, only one die is used. Cards and spaces give odd instructions: trade places or money with a specific opponent, gain or lose cash based on what others are doing, or lose money by performing a silly stunt. Disputes are settled by majority vote, and if there’s a question about what a majority is, that too is decided by majority vote. Landing on “Tough Luck” means taking all the money piled up there. The first player to lose all their money wins.
The game includes 24 “Card cards” with instructions like: “Change chairs with anyone,” “Change money with anyone,” “Flip this card in the air. If it lands with this side face up, you lose $1000. If not, go to 'Tough Luck',” “If you are good looking, stand up and imitate your favorite animal, and lose $2000,” “If you can jump up and stay airborne for 37 seconds, you can lose $5000. If not, jump up and lose $500,” “If you like this game, cross your legs, sit on your hands, cackle like a chicken and lose 1 egg; also $500,” “Plan ahead and
- Publisher
- Parker Brothers
- Year of release
- 1979
- Reissue year
- 1988
- Number of players
- 4 (tokens: red, green, yellow, blue)
- Components
- 1 game board, 2 dice, 24 cards, 15 $500 bills, 20 $1000 bills, 10 $5000 bills, 1 $1,329,063 bill
- Object
- First player to lose all their money
Lore & Background
The Mad Magazine Game was announced at the 1979 annual American Toy Fair in New York and advertised on the inside front cover of Mad magazine's October issue. The game board includes illustrations of characters from Mad including Spy vs. Spy, Alfred E. Neuman, and characters from strips by Don Martin and Dave Berg, with an original color illustration by Jack Davis on the cover. Parker Brothers relaunched the game in 1988 in a slightly larger box as the What-Me Worry? game, with the Mad logo prominently on the box.
Gameplay is deliberately absurd and contrary to traditional board games. Players move counterclockwise, roll dice only with the left hand, and follow bizarre instructions on cards and spaces. Examples include changing chairs or money with anyone, imitating animals, balancing a card on one's head, or moving to Toledo, Ohio. The first player is determined by a left-handed roll for the lowest number, and play proceeds to the right. The winner is the first player to lose all their money.
The game includes 24 "Card cards" with instructions such as "Change chairs with anyone," "If you are good looking, stand up and imitate your favorite animal, and lose $2000," and "This card can only be played on Friday." The board's 60 spaces include directions like "Start: Whenever you pass or land here, lose $500," "Tough Luck (If anything is under here, you gotta take it)," and "If your name is Alfred E. Neuman collect $1,329,063. If not, lose a turn." Disputes are resolved by majority vote, and questions about what constitutes a majority are also settled by majority vote.
Reader's Guide
The Mad Magazine Game is significant as a satirical board game that parodies the conventions of traditional games like Monopoly. By inverting the goal—winning by losing all money—and incorporating chaotic, unpredictable rules, it reflects the irreverent humor of Mad magazine. The game was popular upon introduction, reportedly outselling Monopoly for a time, and was reissued in 1988. It received mixed to positive reception: David Ahl of Creative Computing called it "zany fun which pokes fun at traditional board games." A 1981 Consumer Reports survey of 1,278 8- to 12-year-olds ranked it third behind Monopoly and Life. Gary Gygax criticized the idea of mixing its rules with Monopoly, calling it "ludicrous." The game has been noted for its appeal to oppositional young clients and as a measure of family flexibility. Its legacy endures as a cult item, described by Bruce Whitehill as "common, but liable to increase in value." The game's design, as analyzed by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman, demonstrates how cultural rhetoric can be actively incorporated into game design through formal reversal.
Did You Know?
- The game was announced at the 1979 annual American Toy Fair in New York.
- The game includes a $1,329,063 bill, which can be collected by a player named Alfred E. Neuman.
- Players must roll dice only with their left hand; using the right hand incurs a penalty of receiving $500 from each other player.
- The game reportedly outsold Monopoly for a time after its introduction.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Mad Magazine Game?
It is a roll-and-move board game that Parker Brothers released in 1979, developed with creative input from the actual staff of Mad magazine. The board is populated with familiar Mad characters such as Alfred E. Neuman and Spy vs. Spy, along with artwork by Don Martin, Dave Berg, and others.
How do you win The Mad Magazine Game?
The goal is the exact opposite of a typical money game: you win by being the first player to get rid of every dollar you hold. Instead of building a fortune, you are racing to go completely broke.
Who published The Mad Magazine Game and when?
Parker Brothers put the original edition on store shelves in 1979, with the Mad magazine staff helping shape its design. The title received a reissue in 1988 under the name Mad Magazine: The "What-Me Worry?" Game.
What pieces and money come in The Mad Magazine Game?
The set includes a game board, two dice, twenty-four cards, and a stack of play money made up of fifteen $500 bills, twenty $1,000 bills, ten $5,000 bills, and a single $1,329,063 bill. Up to four players take the field using red, green, yellow, or blue tokens.
How does The Mad Magazine Game differ from Monopoly?
Although the roll-and-move structure feels familiar, the victory condition is inverted—you succeed by losing all your cash rather than bankrupting your opponents. The opening player is also picked by rolling with the left hand for the lowest total, and turns then pass to the right.
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