SLO County version of Monopoly is out: What local landmarks made the cut?
A San Luis Obispo County-themed version of Monopoly is moving some of the region’s best landmarks from the map to the game board.
Monopoly: SLO Cal Edition made its debut at a Wednesday afternoon event at the Fremont Theater hosted by Visit SLO Cal.
The event included a visit from Mr. Monopoly himself.
Aaron Green, a representative of Monopoly localizer Top Trumps, said the board’s San Luis Obispo County-themed options were voted in by polls over the course of the past eight months as the game was assembled.
Hundreds of residents volunteered locations to the game makers, Green said.
Without residents’ help, the company wouldn’t have known to include unique San Luis Obispo County locales such as the downtown SLO’s Farmers Market, the Cambria Christmas Market or the Bob Jones Trail, he said.
“We got great input from the community,” Green said. “They really tell us what should be on the game.”
Which SLO County properties should you buy?
With a customized game board featuring photography and branding from around the county, Monopoly: SLO Cal Edition plays just like the original version, with two to eight players vying to buy up San Luis Obispo County’s most recognizable spots.
Like other localizations of Monopoly, Green said the game still uses the existing top hat, battleship, race car, dog, cat, penguin, rubber ducky and thimble tokens to maintain players’ familiarity with the standard edition.
In Monopoly: SLO Cal Edition, however, players aren’t aiming to own Park Place or Boardwalk — they’re playing for Santa Margarita Ranch and Hearst Castle.
Visit SLO Cal marketing director Matt Halvorson said most locations were divvied up based on prominence, with some businesses paying to partner with Monopoly and get a spot on the board.
“We tried to spread it out throughout the county,” Halvorson said. “I think everyone kind of agreed that Hearst Castle is one of our most iconic attractions here, so it made sense for that to be Boardwalk, but then everything else was really just about spacing it out and making sure the county was really well represented all around, so it’s not like SLO gets all the good stuff.”
What SLO County locations made the board?
Here’s a look at all the locations that made the cut, along with their prices:
Brown: Bubblegum Alley and the Monarch Butterfly Grove at $60.
Light blue: Paso Robles Town Square and the SLO Performing Arts Center at $100; Swinging Bridge in Arroyo Grande at $120.
Purple: Moonstone Beach and the Charles Paddock Zoo at $140; the Fremont Theater at $160.
Orange: Atascadero City Hall and the California Mid-State Fair at $180; the Cambria Christmas Market at $200.
Red: The Splash Cafe and the Pismo Beach Pier at $220; the Oceano Dunes at $240.
Yellow: Downtown SLO Farmers Market and Firestone Walker Brewery at $260; J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines at $280.
Green: Morro Rock and Montaña de Oro State Park at $300; Bishop Peak at $320.
Blue: Santa Margarita Ranch at $350 and Hearst Castle at $400.
Take the spots of the railroads are the Sunset Drive-In, a Highway 1 Road Trip, the Bob Jones Trail and the SLO County Airport.
Community Chest is sponsored by Visit SLO Cal, and Lopez Lake and the Goodwin Construction Group occupy the place of the utilities.
Monopoly: SLO Cal Edition is currently available for $44.99 at Top Trumps’ website and Amazon.
