As Monopoly Turns 80, Guess Who Just Landed on a Red Square?

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By Beth Dalbey (Patch Staff)

Boston is among the U.S. cities that have grabbed spots on the Monopoly board as the venerable game that has entertained families for generations turns 80.

To celebrate the milestone, Hasbro teamed with BuzzFeed to collect votes on cities added to the new Here & Now: U.S. Edition game, which will be available in stores in the fall. More than 4 million votes in 182 countries were cast to select the cities added to the board.

“Inviting our fans to get involved in the creation of the newest Monopoly game was a great way to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the brand,” Jonathan Berkowitz, vice president of global marketing for gaming at Hasbro, said in a statement.

“It was amazing to see both fans and local organizations around the world rally behind their cities and we were wowed by the overwhelming pride people displayed during the Here & Now vote,” he said.

Cities added are (from most to least expensive):

Dark blue: Pierre, SD; Minneapolis

Green: New York; Virginia Beach, VA; Los Angeles

Yellow: Chicago; Indianapolis; Charleston, SC

Red: Detroit; Boston; Milwaukee

Orange: Cleveland; Asheville, NC.; Denver

Magenta: Atlanta; Little Rock; Seattle

Light blue: Portsmouth, NH; Charlotte, NC; Dallas

Brown: Waconia, MN; Chesapeake, VA

Also in the fall, Hasbro also is introducing Monopoly Here & Now: World Edition. The United States is represented by New York City in that version.

The new cities were announced Thursday on World Monopoly Day, the anniversary of the day in 1935 when Parker Brothers got the rights to the game from Charles Darrow, an unemployed salesman who reportedly invented in 1930 at his kitchen table.

However, CNN says the game’s origins actually trace back to 1903, when Elizabeth Magie created the Landlord’s Game.

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Photo via Hasbro