How to build houses and hotels in Monopoly GO?

Monopoly GO is a casual but surprisingly fun take on the acclaimed economy-focused board game. This virtual rendition brings all the joys and frustrations of real-estate management to your mobile phone. Players can partake in the brutal roll of dice with friends too. However, newcomers may be intrigued by certain fundamentals of the game.

That said, here's what players need to know about building houses and hotels in Monopoly GO.

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What purpose do houses and hotels serve in Monopoly GO, and how to get them?

Houses and hotels are properties players can invest in to enjoy cash flow. To get them, they must upgrade their Landmarks. There are five different kinds of Landmarks, which can be upgraded from the Build option on the bottom right of the screen that looks like a black hat.

Completing all Landmarks is also required to beat the board. So players must engage with them as much as possible. However, upgrades cost money, and each upgrade grants one house. So players should ensure they have enough cash to afford them. Back on the board, this new house will be randomly placed on a property tile after investing in an upgrade. But what about hotels?

Players who have five houses on a tile will automatically become a hotel. Setting up hotels on all tiles of the same color will also net players a nice bonus. Furthermore, users earn extra Rent from property tiles containing houses and hotels on the board.

Once again, players should note that Landmarks are the foundation for obtaining houses and hotels. As such, a user's Landmarks might be targeted by others who can initiate a Shutdown minigame. This can be harmful to the user's expansion agenda in Monopoly GO.

So they must be protected using Shields, a mechanic that prevents Shutdowns on a Landmark. However, one must earn them by playing the game. They can also be obtained from random tiles on the board. Remember, a Shield is exhausted for each invasive attempt by opponents.

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What is Monopoly GO about?

It is a free-to-play rendition of everyone's favorite board game. It is as much of a friendship destroyer as its real-life counterpart. The rules are basically the same. The goal is to become the best tycoon on the board by being the most profitable. This is done by purchasing property, growing it, and competing with other real players.

Gain the upper hand by engaging in bank heists. Alternatively, attempt to overthrow the opponent by bankrupting them. The virtual board also looks similar to the real game. Dice are rolled by pressing GO, after which the player's piece will move around the track to stop on random tiles.

Of course, they will face pushback from opponents in the same way. This forms the foundation for a tug-of-war that many have come to enjoy.

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Monopoly GO is available across iOS and Android via the App Store and Google Play Store, respectively.