The game simulates a person's travels through their life, from early adulthood to retirement, with college if necessary, jobs, marriage, and possible children along the way.

It was created and co-designed by Bill Markham and Reuben Klamer, respectively,[3] and was "heartily endorsed" by Art Linkletter.

Like many 19th-century games, such as The Mansion of Happiness by S. B. Ives[page needed] in 1843, it had a strong moral message.

A player could gain 50 points by reaching "Happy Old Age" in the upper-right corner, opposite "Infancy" where one began.

A collaboration between Reuben Klamer and Stephen Withers, it consists of a track which passes along, over, and through small mountains, buildings, and other features.

There is also a bank which includes money in $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, and $100,000 bills; automobile, life, fire, and/or homeowners' insurance policies (depending on the version); $20,000 promissory notes and stock certificates.

The Game of Life, copyrighted by the Milton Bradley Company in 1960, had some differences from later versions.

The first was to continue along the road to "Millionaire Acres," if the player believed they had enough money to out-score all opponents.

The player immediately won the game if the chosen number came up, or went to the "Poor Farm" and was eliminated if it did not.

If no player became a Millionaire Tycoon, the one with the highest final total won the game.

[5] Exactly seven years after Hasbro acquired the Milton Bradley Company, The Game of Life was updated in 1991 to reward players for good behavior, such as recycling trash and helping the homeless, by awarding players "Life Tiles", each of which was worth a certain amount.

In addition, in the enhanced version, landing on a Pay Day space allows a player to take their salary from any opponent of their choice.