The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways feature in a new version of MONOPOLY based around Eryri (Welsh for Snowdonia) in North Wales.
Eryri MONOPOLY is an official edition of the game, and as well as notable locations around Eryri, the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways add to the interest.
As well as featuring on the cover of the special edition box and having its own tile, the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways are to be seen as a montage in the middle of the board, included in one of the ‘Chance' cards.
The game has been produced under license from Hasbro by Winning Moves UK, which also makes special MONOPOLY editions for places throughout the world such as Palm Beach, Dubai, and The Hamptons.
Suggestions for landmarks and organisations to be included in the game were invited from the public when news of its release was announced last year.
As expected, the Eryri equivalent of landing on ‘Mayfair,' the game's most-expensive space, is Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), which is the highest mountain in Wales and England and attracts millions of visitors each year to North Wales.
In comparison, at the bottom end of the market and the equivalent of the game's most affordable square of ‘Old Kent Road' is Ty Hyll, which in English means ‘The Ugly House' and according to a 15th-century Welsh legend dates back to the 15th century.
Included in the game are over 30 famous Eryri landmarks and organisations that feature in the game, such as William Clough Ellis's Italianate village of Portmeirion, Harlech Castle as one of a set of three different castles, and the world's smallest house.
The traditional MONOPOLY counters have been replaced with a Carneddau pony, a campervan, a sleeping dragon, hiking boots, a castle tower, and a railway carriage.
Chance and Community Chest cards have also been adapted, with one card saying “You have won second prize in a Sheepdog trialling contest” replacing the original “You have won second prize in a beauty contest”. Another card says “You've been caught wild camping in the National Park!”
The special MONOPOLY: Eryri Edition went on sale yesterday, Thursday, 21 March, and can be purchased from the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways' retail and online stores. It is also available online at Amazon.co.uk.
In 2022, the Severn Valley Railway launched its own version of MONOPOLY, and a special version for Preston in Lancashire features the Ribble Steam Railway.
The response from the public to MONOPOLY: Eryri Edition has been overwhelming.
A very big thank you to everyone who sent in nominations and congratulations to everyone featured in the game.
Yasmin East, Custom Games Executive at Winning Moves UK
