Remember those afternoons you fought with your family and friends over a Monopoly board as a kid? Ahh, the good times. Monopoly is right up there with Scrabble and Clue as one of the most beloved family games. It was a classic when I was a kid and is still a hit today, and not just because of McDonalds! The marketing team have done a great job with reinviting the Monopoly game in all sorts of ways, which has continued to make it a favorite with new generations.
Today, you can buy a Monopoly game for just about every country and state, plus versions that celebrate various fandoms, including movies like Star Wars, TV shows like Friends, and even videogames like The Legend of Zelda.
While we’ve got a few of our favorite current fandom obsessions on this list, we wanted to also find gifts for true Monopoly fans too. Afterall, they deserve truly special versions of their favorite classic board game. We’ve found 9 that we think are fun and spectacular.
DISNEY WORLD POP-UP EDITION
Anyone who felt enchanted looking up at Cinderella’s castle as a kid will love this Disney World pop-up edition of Monopoly. The streets are swapped for places in the theme park, like Space Mountain, the Haunted Mansion, and more. The houses and hotels of the original game are Toontown houses and castles. And Magic and Fantasy cards replace Chance and Community Chest. Disney-loving fans can bring the theme park home with this version of Monopoly.
STRANGER THINGS MONOPOLY
This is perhaps my favorite of the fandom versions of Monopoly. The box itself is just cool, shaped like an 1980s TV labeled for the “Hawkins – AV Club”. The tokens are fantastic too. You can play as the walkie talkie, Dungeons & Dragons die, skateboard, cassette tape, camera, and more. I think my favorite is the Scoops Ahoy hat. There are transmission cards, Upside Down cards, forts and hideouts in the gameplay. Plus, a special four-sided die allows players to move through tunnels under the town of Hawkins to advance more quickly. Awesome!
LUXURY MONOPOLY GAME
Serious Monopoly players need a serious Monopoly board. Winning Solutions’ version of the classic game fits the bill. Check out this beautiful board. It’s a cabinet made out of two-tone wood with a faux-leather center square for ultimate smooth rolling of the dice. The Monopoly logo and game streets are stamped with gold foil. Plus, the cabinet has two storage drawers, one for the die, tokens, houses, etc., and the other for the money. The money drawer lays out the bills for easy access and makes the banker truly feel the part. Even the tokens, hotels and houses are luxurious. The player tokens and hotels are gold and houses are silver. Monopoly fans will love unwrapping this version of their favorite game.
WORLD MONOPOLY GAME
The wooden Monopoly set is beautiful in a classic way, but this World Monopoly game takes it to a whole new level. Instead of playing for streets, you play for cities in the world, like Athens, New York or Rio. For tokens, you can choose from luxury transportation vehicles, like a cruise ship, private jet or blimp, or be a classic landmark like the Statue of Liberty. But the true star of this Monopoly version is the board itself. It’s designed with unique three-dimensional artwork by pop artist Charles Fazzino. It’s truly stunning. Only 2,000 copies were produced, making it exclusive and very collectible for your favorite Monopoly fans.
SIGNATURE TOKEN COLLECTION
One of my favorite parts of playing Monopoly is choosing the token. When I was a kid, we all wanted to be the dog! That’s why I love this signature token collection. The game board comes with 64 tokens. You can play as a plane, boat, ferris wheel, even a roller skate. Fun! The black board is stylish too, and the houses are silver and hotels gold.
VINTAGE BOOK SHELF MONOPOLY
This is the kind of Monopoly game I grew up with, the classic light green board with pastel-colored money. My childhood copy of the game did not come in this cool book box, though. The book itself is something I would’ve loved as a kid, as though the game is secreted away. Plus it can be neatly stored on a bookshelf. Even better, the vintage book version of Monopoly is also available in a collection with Scrabble and Clue. This gift is a great way to bring back your loved ones’ wonderful memories of family game night from when they were a kid.
DINO-OPOLY
This is perhaps the silliest of the Monopoly game versions in this list, but I couldn’t resist the chance to play Monopoly as a dinosaur. In this game, players buy their favorite dinosaurs, collect bones, then trade them in for museum exhibits. Plus, you have to pay hatching fees, could develop prehistoric breath, and are in danger of becoming nearly extinct! Bonus, the game lets you learn about dinosaurs while you play. Wonderful.
QUEEN MONOPOLY EDITION
I’m a huge fan of the band Queen, so this version is especially close to my heart. The gameplay is slightly different from the original Monopoly game, but still fun, according to reviews. The places on the board allow fans to take a tour through the history of the band, like a concert in Wembley Stadium, or recording in a production stage. The tokens include a guitar, vaccum cleaner, hammer, bicycle and more. For more details, check out Queen’s Brian May unboxing the first copy of the Queen Monopoly game on YouTube. He even talks about the game’s creation, which is interesting. When you give this to your loved one, make sure to give them the link too.
ANTI-MONOPOLY
Got a friend who loves playing Monopoly a little too much? For a change of pace, get them this Anti-Monopoly from University Games. Gameplay is similar, but players can choose between being a monopolist or a free market competitor. Warning, reviews are mixed on this game, but the negative ones are from people who don’t like the original game. Those who like Monopoly enjoy this version, even though the rules are more complicated. Give your Monopoly-loving friends a challenge with Anti-Monopoly.
BONUS: UPDATED MONOPOLY CURRENCY
Keep your Monopoly-loving friends playing by giving them some extra currency. Monopoly money can easily get torn from lots of gameplay and those inevitable fights over playing pieces. But the game doesn’t have to end thanks to this set of extra currency. The colors are also much more vibrant from the original money, which is fun. You can also buy replacement houses and hotels, so Monopoly gameplay will never end.
Know someone who lives to play Monopoly? Surprise them with their new favorite version of the game.
Which one would you like to play? Let us know in the comments.
