That Monopoly is still around, and on store shelves, is a testament to the game’s staying power. There is something about the game that has continued to draw people to buy and play it.
The lure of the game has been enhanced in recent years by the licensing of the property so that you end up with versions based on Lord of the Rings, NASCAR and the National Hockey League.
The new sets don’t change the game but they do entice NASCAR collectors to add one to their collections, or diehard ‘Rings’ fans to grab one. Who wouldn’t want to buy their very own Hobbit-hole property.
Or, perhaps it’s a case where the LotR fan gets one the next time they open a Christmas gift from an aunt or friend.
The game has also seen the creation of versions based off horses, and cats and such, which again broadens the scope of interest in the game, because of theme.
And now there are versions based on actual cities, including Yorkton with the release of Yorkton-Opoly.
The cover includes well known Yorkton locales such as Smith Street, the Kinsmen Arena, and Patrick Park including a disc golf basket. The Patrick Park one is particularly cool for our little group where three of us include disc golf among our varied hobbies, and two of us have been rather deeply involved in course development around East-Central Saskatchewan.
So Yorkton-Opoly is based on Monopoly with the main difference being you are buying properties familiar to anyone from the city.
The Yorkton flavour is likely to make this one a popular gift game with copies likely to be under a lot of trees in December, especially for those who have moved away, as this will be a reminder of the city.
A recent press release noted “Canadian-owned and operated Outset Media has partnered with Walmart Canada to launch a new limited-edition board game that celebrates the great things Yorkton offers …Yorkton-Opoly takes an original spin on the classic version of Monopoly by including locations like the Kinsmen Arena, Landmark Cinemas Tower Theatre, Back Forty Brewery and many others.”
“Outset Media is excited to help families across Canada celebrate where they live. These games were created to help people appreciate some things they cherish about their community,” said Jean-Paul Teskey, Senior Vice-President of Outset Media in the release. “The support that communities across Canada have given these games has made it possible for Outset Media to add dozens of additional cities and towns in brand new games that will be released throughout 2021!”
Of course the thing to recall here is that at its heart this one is Monopoly, a game most people have likely played at some point, but true lover’s of the game are quite rare.
On the popular Board Game Geek website, the Monopoly game page has been viewed more than one million times, just shy of 42,000 members show as owning the game, and 30,000 rating the game. But the average rating is only 4.4-out-of-10.
The game suffers from being one where players are eliminated on the way to an eventual winner. The final two-or-three players can drag out the ending, leaving those eliminated early left to play cribbage or watch TV or catch a nap, none contusive to a fun gaming night for a group.
But, the local flavour of Yorkton-Opoly still makes this one that will likely catch a lot of eyes headed to the holidays.
The game is available at Walmart and online at Walmart.ca
