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Originally announced in 2019, then put off, then reannounced last year for ‘spring 2021’, the saga of ‘Monopoly: Lifesized’ has felt a bit like an endless grumpy Boxing Day afternoon. Now, though, we finally have some concrete details, including the date, venue and what the whole thing actually is. Plus, you can book it now too.
The creators are rather mystifyingly describing it as a ‘4D’ experience, though what the fourth dimension is is hard to tell. Space/time, possibly, as Einstein conceptualised it. It sounds like a cross between ‘Taskmaster’, ‘The Crystal Maze’ and a hopped-up kids’ party at a play centre. Between eight and 24 people at a time, split into four teams, make their way around a giant version of the classic Monopoly board, featuring eight properties, two utility companies, two stations, jail, free parking, ‘Go’ and ‘just visiting’. Each property square has a room behind it that your team enter to do a challenge, some mental, some physical: if you succeed, you ‘buy’ the property. One round of gameplay lasts 75 minutes, which sounds about right. There are three zones: Classic (classic), Vault (banking-related) and City (London-focused), plus a Junior board for kids.
The game is located at a new dedicated venue on Tottenham Court Road, The Court. The former Paperchase flagship store (RIP), it’s 22,000 square foot of stationery-haunted space across three floors, and as well as ‘Monopoly: Lifesized’, it has a Hasbro merch shop and The Top Hat – a Monopoly-themed bar and restaurant. Imagine that. It boggles the mind.
It all sounds like quite a laugh, and you can book it now for when it opens in August. Baggsy get the scotty dog.
‘Monopoly: Lifesized’, The Court, 213-215 Tottenham Court Rd. From Aug 14.
There are two immersive Van Gogh shows to take yourself to.