[organsnyder]

Reminds me of The Game of Life game (the Milton Bradley version—not the Conway one). That was one of my wife's favorite games growing up, so we got it as wedding present. When we tried to play it once, I found it even more boring than I expected for a kids' game: The prospect of buying a house, getting insurance, etc. is incredibly mundane when you already have the real-life versions.

Our kids aren't quite old enough to play it yet, but I've been trying to figure out how to hide it from them. Not only is it unimaginative, winning is defined as acquiring certain possessions and building a perfect 1950's-style American family. Not that there's anything wrong with that in real life (my own family fits the stereotype), but there are plenty of other ways to "win" at real life.

[joezydeco]

I play it once in a while with the kids, but all they really enjoy doing are the typical game mechanics: spinning the clacky spinner, moving the toy cars, and counting money.

And I agree: there's nothing else in that game that has any use to children today.

[secabeen]

Milton Bradley has changed the game over the years, so it plays a little differently now than it did.

[twic]

Apparently a huge amount:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=210009

And here's some ancient history:

http://thebiggamehunter.com/games-one-by-one/checkered-game-...

I remember playing an edition that was probably early '80s, and being really struck by the fact that there were three different kinds of points - wealth, fame, happiness - which you often had to trade off against each other, and any of which could net you a victory. I think that was the first time i played a game like that.