Gay Monopoly (1983)

About this game

"Gay Monopoly - A celebration of gay life." Tongue in cheek version of the classic Monopoly. Player tokens are altered - now you can choose from a jeep, teddy bear, blow drier, leather cap, handcuffs or a stiletto heel. Properties have been changed to a 'gay' theme as well - e.g. Fire Island and Castro Street. Instead of buying houses and hotels, you can buy bars and bathhouses. The money denominations include $3.00 bills. One departure from the original Monopoly is the inclusion of Family Pride cards. When landing on the appropriate space, the description of a famous gay man is read aloud, and the player who can correctly identify the person can move ahead to any space on the board. Also different is the addition of Camp Cards. When these are drawn, you must perform the indicated action (ie. 'say: 'faaabulous!' six different ways and receive $3). Finally, there are "hanky code" cards, where the player must identify what each color of the code meant, and what it meant when worn in each (left and right) rear pants pocket. Rumor has it that there were only a very limited number of copies of this game, as it was produced by The Parker Sisters, a division of Fire Island games, and were sued for copyright infringement by Parker Brothers (the company is no longer in business).

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 6.
• Rules load. At 2.7/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 18 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.