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I have heard different opinions on playing games on Shabbat. Are games using money (ie Monopoly) mukza? What about games without money. (obviously games with writing necessary are muksa and need not be addressed.)

Playing Ball, Lego and puzzles have been addressed elsewhere.

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  • Monopoly does not use Money. Poker Does.
    – avi
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 14:47
  • Yes, and I am sure Poker is muksa. But monopoly very clearly uses a substitute for money so is that a problem?
    – morah hochman
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 14:51
  • @avi, as far as I can tell, the most popular tokens in poker are not legal tender but chips.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 15:46
  • Even if your intent is to turn them in for money after Shabbat?
    – morah hochman
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 15:53
  • 2
    @msh210 was is the halachic difference between a dollar bill and a poker chip worth $1? Both have no intrinsic value other than that which people give it.
    – avi
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 17:27

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There isn't a problem with playing regular board games, such as chess or checkers, on shabbos. Games that may lead to writing the score down may be a problem. Games that involve fake money are forbidden by many poskim.

Btw, once you can't use something, it often becomes mukza (forbidden to move), but the question should be can one play games on shabbos. If that is forbidden, one can discuss whether they are also mukza.

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    Sources would be valuable.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 17:16
  • Can you change 'many poskim' to 'some poskim' unless you have a source that it is in fact many?
    – avi
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 17:35
  • I don't have it in front of me, but Dovid Ribiat, in his books 39 Melachos, brings that chess could be a problem on shabbat because of borer and Uvdin D'chol. If someone has the sefer handy and can look up the sources, that would be great
    – Menachem
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 17:41
  • @Menachem: judaism.stackexchange.com/a/742 and its comments.
    – msh210 ♦
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 17:54
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    @msh210: As I said there in the comments, it is a great place to look up sources, even if you don't agree with his conclusions. His endnotes are extensive and bring many dissenting opinions. Also, if he says it's a problem, he's basing it on something at least one posek said, which is more useful than the naked assertion in the answer given here.
    – Menachem
    Commented Nov 28, 2011 at 18:05

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