The original Game of Life was depressing. Really depressing.

When we think of the Game of Life, the glossy American dream of buying a house, piling kids in the car, and becoming a millionaire comes to mind.

But it was not always that way. The Game of Life is more than 150 years old, and its early incarnations were very, very different.

The goal was not to be a millionaire, but simply to live a good life. 

Real life is the game that literally everyone is playing. But it can be tough. Real life is a game of strategy.

There are some fun mini-games like dancing, driving, running, and sex but the key to winning is simply managing your resources.

Successful players put their time into the right things. Later in the game money comes into play, but your top priority should always be mastering where your time goes.

Most players will find money increases throughout the early game, but that this actually introduces more problems, not less.

The most important rule of money is never to borrow it, except for things that earn you more back.

It is almost impossible to get rich working for someone else.

Riches do not come from work alone, they come from owning things that pay back more than they cost, and your own company is a powerful asset you can create from scratch.

Compound your winnings into more assets, and eventually they can remove your need to work at all.

All players die after about 29,000 days, or 80 years. If your stats and skills are good, you might last a little longer. There is no cheat code to extend this.

At the start of the game, you had no control over who you were or your environment. By the end of the game that becomes true again.

Your past decisions drastically shape where you end up, and if you are happy, healthy, fulfilled – or not – in your final days there is far less you can do about it.

Your strategy is important. Because by the time you have figured life out, you have used up too much of the best parts.