Guest Author - Megan Romer

Monopoly, made by Parker Brothers, is the most popular branded board game in the world. However, if you're growing a bit weary of the little green houses and old playing pieces, why not check out one of the fun Monopoly variants made by Late for the Sky Games?

Animal lovers should check out Dog-opoly, Cat-opoly, Bird-opoly and Horse-Opoly. In these versions, instead of the traditional properties, breeds of animals are shown and instead of building regular houses, you build doghouses and birdhouses and so on.

Church groups should take a look at Bible-opoly. This version, introduced in 1991, changes the rules of Monopoly a bit. Instead of destroying other players by building your houses, you must help other players to win the game. What a fun way for a Christian youth group to spend an evening!

Gourmets may enjoy Chocolate-opoly, Brew-opoly, Wine-opoly and Cocktail-opoly. Naturally, the last three are adults-only games. These would make a fun gift for any wine or beer connoiseur.

Some of the games made by Late for the Sky have simply replaced Monopoly's home base of Atlantic City with other cities around the country. If you're from Albany, Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Montreal, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Syracuse, Toronto, Vancouver or Washington, D.C., there's a specialty Monopoly for you!

Late for the Sky also produces a huge line of College-opolies. Check out their website to see if your alma mater is on their list.

I recently had a chance to check out Garden-opoly. This very fun (and very attractive) version of Monopoly uses different breeds of plants instead of properties, with Poison Ivy replacing Mediterranean Ave. and Orchids replacing Boardwalk. You build flower gardens (with adorable little "clay" pots and greenhouses) instead of houses and hotels. I really loved the tiny gamepieces, instead of the traditional shoe, car, thimble, etc., the game is played with a gardening clog, a ladybug, a garden gnome, a wheelbarrow, a trowel and a worm. Too cute!

Late for the Sky also creates custom -Opolies. The minimum order of games is 3,500, so if you're thinking of the game as a fundraiser, be sure you can sell that many. Many large high schools, churches or townships may be able to easily sell that quantity, so don't be afraid to look into it.

Check out the Late for the Sky website (there is a link on the right-hand side of your page) for more information.