We’ll bet you don’t know who Elizabeth Magie is off the top your head. Well, she invented the original Monopoly, at the time called the Landlord’s Game. She even applied for a patent for it in 1903. Oddly enough the game didn’t take off immediately and even Parker Brothers turned down the option to produce the game. It was a University of Pennsylvania professor that was instrumental in the game’s gaining traction. He used the game to help teach his students about real estate. Parker Brothers took over the game in 1934 and the rest, as they say is history.

In 1991 a company named Late for the Sky Production in Cincinnati, Ohio came up with the idea to do spin off versions of the famous Monopoly game, but substituting the streets of Atlantic City for locals at well know universities. Exhibit A, above, appropriately is of the University of Pennsylvania. Instead of going to jail in the University version of the game you go on academic probation. The Harvard version of the game features properties clustered together by color: instead of having Boardwalk and Park Place you instead have the Dunster House, Adams House and Eliot House. The cards you pick up when landing on various spots on the board might feature a library fine ($50), increased tuition ($200) or making the deans list (receive $200).

The Yale version of the game (Yaleopoly) allows you to buy Mory’s, the Law School or the Yale Bowl.

Players (students) receive a diploma after they have four Years of Credit on each property. Only one diploma can be on each property. The game is fun way for students and alumni to remember their golden years.

The company ceased making the game several years ago, but not before producing a Californiaopoly, Irishopoly, Brownopoly, Stanfordopoly and game for many more schools. We typically have nice selection of the games available on our website.