Turning Monopoly: Pokemon edition into a decent Pokemon game
Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:37 am
Due to my wife's passion for the 1st generation of pokémon games, I've got the Pokemon "Kanto Edition" of Monopoly in my game stash.
It's the usual Monopoly game, with properties replaced with Pokémons arranged by gyms, train stations are pokeballs and utility companies are legendary pokémons. Event cards are also replaced with Pokemon themed descriptions. There are optional rules that weren't even in the box but that I found on the Internet where you can use "pokémon powers" when you roll a double. The only slightly interesting thing is the double 6 that allows you to challenge another player to a duel, if you roll higher than he does you get one of his pokémon.
So all in all it's still the same shitty game. What I'd like to do would be to create some houserules that would turn it into an actual pokémon game. My goals are as follows:
- The game should feel more like a pokémon game than a monopoly game
- The game should, as far as possible, use only stuff from the original game box. I can imagine having additional dice or some tokens but I'm not planning to add new cards or an extra board.
- The game has to be fun to play
- While I'm fine with adding some complexity and strategy, I'd rather keep it "light"
So here are my ideas for now:
- The goal of the game is to be the very best like no-one ever was. All players are young pokémon trainers starting on their journey. During the course of the game, they acquire new pokémons and possibly badges until the end-game tournament
- The game is centered on pokémon battle. They're solved by rolling two dice and adding level modifiers, highest roll wins. When a pokémon's type is very effective against its opponent, the opponent only rolls one die.
- The player's token is his starter pokémon.
- Pokémon on the first side of the board start with level 0 then each new side gets +1.
- When a players lands on an unclaimed pokémon, he can try to capture it by beating it in a pokémon battle.
- When a player lands on a claimed pokémon in a disputed gym (a gym that isn't fully owned by one player), he can challenge its trainer. If he wins, he takes control of the pokémon. If he loses, he pays the "rent" price of that pokémon.
- When a player has captured all pokémons of a gym, he becomes the master of that gym. He automatically gets the badge of that gym.
- Each gym badge gives +1 to all pokémon fights
- When a player lands on a claimed pokémon in a gym that belongs to another player, he can try to get the gym's badge. For this, he has to fight each pokémon with his own team of up to three pokémon. If he fails, or if he chooses not to fight, he has to pay the "rent" of the pokémon tile.
- Houses and hotels (pokemarts and pokecenters in this edition) are used to represent the training of a pokémon. They can be bought at any time (even when not owning the gym) and give +1 to the pokémon in battle.
- When a pokémon is defeated in combat, the card is turned face-down (as in mortgage) and the pokémon won't be able to fight until healed (paying the mortgage price I guess). The starter is always available for battle.
- When rolling a double, the player can choose to play again or to use the special power of his starter pokémon (to be defined)
- I'm still not sure what to do with pokéballs and legendary pokémons
- At some point in the game (not sure exactly when would be best) the tournament starts. All players pick a team of three pokemons and face the others. The winner of the tournament wins the game and is now a pokémon master.
That's just an early draft, if you've got any suggestion I'd be happy to read them.
It's the usual Monopoly game, with properties replaced with Pokémons arranged by gyms, train stations are pokeballs and utility companies are legendary pokémons. Event cards are also replaced with Pokemon themed descriptions. There are optional rules that weren't even in the box but that I found on the Internet where you can use "pokémon powers" when you roll a double. The only slightly interesting thing is the double 6 that allows you to challenge another player to a duel, if you roll higher than he does you get one of his pokémon.
So all in all it's still the same shitty game. What I'd like to do would be to create some houserules that would turn it into an actual pokémon game. My goals are as follows:
- The game should feel more like a pokémon game than a monopoly game
- The game should, as far as possible, use only stuff from the original game box. I can imagine having additional dice or some tokens but I'm not planning to add new cards or an extra board.
- The game has to be fun to play
- While I'm fine with adding some complexity and strategy, I'd rather keep it "light"
So here are my ideas for now:
- The goal of the game is to be the very best like no-one ever was. All players are young pokémon trainers starting on their journey. During the course of the game, they acquire new pokémons and possibly badges until the end-game tournament
- The game is centered on pokémon battle. They're solved by rolling two dice and adding level modifiers, highest roll wins. When a pokémon's type is very effective against its opponent, the opponent only rolls one die.
- The player's token is his starter pokémon.
- Pokémon on the first side of the board start with level 0 then each new side gets +1.
- When a players lands on an unclaimed pokémon, he can try to capture it by beating it in a pokémon battle.
- When a player lands on a claimed pokémon in a disputed gym (a gym that isn't fully owned by one player), he can challenge its trainer. If he wins, he takes control of the pokémon. If he loses, he pays the "rent" price of that pokémon.
- When a player has captured all pokémons of a gym, he becomes the master of that gym. He automatically gets the badge of that gym.
- Each gym badge gives +1 to all pokémon fights
- When a player lands on a claimed pokémon in a gym that belongs to another player, he can try to get the gym's badge. For this, he has to fight each pokémon with his own team of up to three pokémon. If he fails, or if he chooses not to fight, he has to pay the "rent" of the pokémon tile.
- Houses and hotels (pokemarts and pokecenters in this edition) are used to represent the training of a pokémon. They can be bought at any time (even when not owning the gym) and give +1 to the pokémon in battle.
- When a pokémon is defeated in combat, the card is turned face-down (as in mortgage) and the pokémon won't be able to fight until healed (paying the mortgage price I guess). The starter is always available for battle.
- When rolling a double, the player can choose to play again or to use the special power of his starter pokémon (to be defined)
- I'm still not sure what to do with pokéballs and legendary pokémons
- At some point in the game (not sure exactly when would be best) the tournament starts. All players pick a team of three pokemons and face the others. The winner of the tournament wins the game and is now a pokémon master.
That's just an early draft, if you've got any suggestion I'd be happy to read them.