The iconic American real estate board game will soon have a Tampa edition.
No, not the luxury hotel on Water Street. But a game where players can build their own hotels across Tampa properties — if they have a monopoly, of course.
Game and toy company Top Trumps USA announced Wednesday that it is working on a Tampa-themed Monopoly board game set to release in February under the Hasbro license. It’ll feature local businesses, nonprofits and landmarks capturing the “most essential parts of Tampa,” according to a news release.
The company is looking for suggestions to replace squares such as Boardwalk and Park Place and has floated Raymond James Stadium, ZooTampa, Bayshore Boulevard and Bern’s Steak House as possible properties on the board.
The game will also feature custom Monopoly money plus community chest and chance cards that tie back to Tampa.
Monopoly — where people collect properties and charge rent to bankrupt other players — originally launched in 1935. But it has roots dating back to 1904 when Elizabeth Magie patented the Landlord’s Game to explain Henry George’s single tax theory — a movement advocating for a property tax on the value of the land regardless of the buildings or modifications on it.
The business strategy game has remained largely unchanged since its 1935 inception and has over a billion players in 144 countries.
Top Trumps USA has made various variations of the game highlighting different regions across the U.S. such as California’s Palm Springs, New York’s Brooklyn, Texas’ San Antonio and more. The public and interested local institutions can submit ideas for the Tampa board to tampa@toptrumps.com.
Once released, the Tampa game will be sold at partnered retailers such as Amazon, CVS and select Tampa stores, the release said.
“Tampa Bay is such a unique community with rich history. We aim to ensure that Monopoly: Tampa Edition is an accurate portrayal of what Tampa locals and tourists love about this charming city,” Top Trumps representative Brooke Gorman said in a statement.