Forty six years ago this was the second thing I ever programmed on a computer. It was a TRS-80 model 3, and initially Quick BASIC was the only software I had for it. My first project was a todo app. The second was a Monopoly simulation that just ran around the board to estimate which squares were landed on most often. It worked, and the high I got from that addicted me and kicked off a coding career. That damn computer should have come with a warning label.
> The second was a Monopoly simulation that just ran around the board to estimate which squares were landed on most often.
This was one my most significant works in HS. I think I used a BASIC compiler for my Apple IIc so it could run faster. I felt powerful solving problems that could only be solved via Monte Carlo methods* and took a long time to compute.
* I am aware you can compute long run landing probs via matrix calcs. However, this matrix gets yuge when you factor in some sort of probability distribution for how long a player decides to stay in jail for (either roll out or pay your way out). This is someone similar in shape, but not scope, when Eli talks about Combinatorial simulation - the game of SET.
https://eli.thegreenplace.net/2026/monte-carlo-simulations/