Monopoly, the classic board game of economics and real estate, is getting a Savannah spin, and Mr. Monopoly himself came to town to share the exciting news. On Tuesday, Feb. 21, Mayor Van Johnson and Top Trumps representative Brooke Gorman joined the board game icon, who looked dapper in his black and white suit and classic tophat, at the Forsyth Park fountain to announce the upcoming Savannah edition to the public.
Top Trumps is the top global licensee for Hasbro, which owns Monopoly. Through this licensing arrangement, Top Trumps creates special city editions of Monopoly featuring locales from all over the world.
“We have games in Dubai, Cape Town. And in the U.S., we’ve done Napa Valley. We’ve done San Antonio. But today, I am here to announce that Savannah is the next city to officially get their very own [edition],” said Gorman.
Savannah is the first city in Georgia to receive its own official Monopoly edition, beating out Atlanta, Athens and other municipalities in the state. Savannah’s rich history, natural beauty and local pride made it the most compelling choice for Top Trumps.
“We have a lot of discussions on the city editions that we choose to be up next, and Savannah was the clear, obvious winner. . . It is one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever seen. I feel like I’m in a different universe. These trees are something I’ve never seen before. But also, you have so much history and . . . local pride is huge,” Gorman expressed.
In the Savannah edition, the board will feature locally-themed squares representing some of the Hostess City’s most iconic landmarks. The edition will also come with customized playing cards for a uniquely Savannah gaming experience.
“It makes sense to us that the greatest city on Earth should be represented by the greatest game on Earth, which is Monopoly,” Johnson began. “Monopoly is iconic. It’s known around the world. Every city doesn’t have the opportunity to be featured by Hasbro’s Monopoly, but Savannah does. . . It’s huge for our city. It’s really a testament to our history and certainly to our present and our future.”
The Savannah edition will be available to the public in early November, and Top Trumps wants to involve locals in the creative process.
“We can not create this game without the locals, without the community. We want your input on what you want to see in the game. . . It’s way more fun when you get to play with places that you recognize and that you know and love, than just playing on Madison Square,” Gorman stated.
There are a few sites the mayor is hoping to see included in the game, namely, City Hall, the Enmarket Arena and Savannah’s historic neighborhoods.
“Our challenge is going to be that we have so many iconic places in Savannah. Which ones do we choose? We want to make sure that we are inclusive in the process,” said Johnson.
Though narrowing down the list of locales may prove difficult, he hopes that community members will weigh in on the game.
To recommend sites for the Savannah edition Monopoly board game, email [email protected].
