Move over, Boardwalk and Park Place

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The Monopoly-inspired board game landed on Walmart shelves in Destin and South Walton County last month, retailing for $19.98.

By Maddie Rowley | 315-4353 | @maddiedestinlog | mrowley@thedestinlog.com

DESTIN — Crab Island, McGuire’s Irish Pub, Fudpucker’s, Destin History and Fishing Museum — these are all landmarks that are near and dear to the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.

But be careful; no one wants to end up in a traffic jam.

Cincinnati-based board game company Late for the Sky designs and manufactures specialty board games based on colleges, cities, small towns and countries.

The company recently launched a new custom board game called Destinopoly.

“We talked about creating a game for Destin in February and made it happen in about two weeks,” said Late for the Sky’s Vice President Bill Schulte. “So many people from here in Cincinnati vacation in Destin, so it just made sense to make a game.”

The Monopoly-inspired board game landed on Walmart shelves in Destin and South Walton County last month, retailing for $19.98.

“It started out with colleges,” Schulte said. “Our very first game was Miamiopoly, based off Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.”

Now, Late for the Sky — the name is a nod to singer-songwriter Jackson Browne’s 1974 album — has created dozens of collegiate board games to include Gatoropoly for the University of Florida, Auburnopoly, Bamaopoly and more.

The game works like regular Monopoly, but instead of buying the Boardwalk or Baltic Avenue, players can choose to “rent” or “buy” beloved Destin restaurants, landmarks, activity hubs and beaches — all of them well below market value. Replacing Monopoly’s most expensive square, Boardwalk, is Downtown Destin, which costs $425. The Buccaneer Pirate Cruise occupies Monopoly’s cheapest square, Mediterranean Avenue, and Monopoly’s four railroads are replaced by activities (snorkeling, charter fishing, parasailing and boating).

Those who play Destinopoly can choose between six playing pieces: a dog, a boot, a smile, a pretzel, a hand and a heart. Monopoly also has a dog and a boot for playing pieces.

All players have to do is try to avoid getting stuck on the dreaded traffic jam corner spot, which is the equivalent to Monopoly’s Jail, and steer clear of the sneaky $75 Parking Ticket landing spot — both realistic scenarios of Destin during tourist season.

According to Schulte, the game’s designers talked to as many people as possible who live and vacation Destin.

“We also do a lot of research on the Internet. None of the businesses featured on the board pay to be a part of Destinopoly. We just try and find the most popular places through research,” Schulte said.

Destinopoly is also available for purchase online at www.lateforthesky.com

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