Let the Games Begin
Let the Games Begin
EVL - Themed Board Game to Debut this December
Photos: Nadine Saviano Photography & Tanya Whitwood
When game night comes around, what is the first board game that comes to mind? If you’re thinking about Monopoly, you’re not alone! One of the most popular board games in U.S. history, Monopoly was introduced in 1935 and has sold over 275 million copies since then. If you enjoy a bit of friendly competition, get ready for a local twist on a classic game coming to an Ellicottville retailer near you this ski season!
Tanya Whitwood, manager of E-Ville Spirits & Wines, has been hard at work on an exciting project: an EVL-opoly board game for Ellicottville! During the pandemic, Whitwood discovered her creative side and began thinking about the comments she often hears from customers who are surprised to stumble across businesses X, Y, or Z in Ellicottville. “I thought, ‘How can we rectify the problem here?’ Wouldn’t it be cool if Ellicottville had their own version of Monopoly for people to get to know all the businesses?”
On a trip to Portland, Maine, E-Ville Spirits & Wines owner, Shannon Carscallen, saw that Hasbro made a Portland, Maine edition of Monopoly and sent Whitwood a photo. She knew that she was on the right track with her idea and began researching board game companies that could create an Ellicottville edition, as Hasbro does not make custom game boards. She was excited to discover the Opoly-Games company. “It plays exactly like Monopoly,” she explained. “Instead of having just streets on the board, it’s going to represent all the businesses that choose to be part of the game. It is based on advertising, so the town collectively helps build the product. It’s just kind of everybody collaborating and working together as a neighborhood again.”
Whitwood has enjoyed the experience of creating a mock-up of the game and is working with photographer Nadine Saviano on the images that will be included to represent the beauty of the area. Business owners can purchase any aspect of the game, including individual squares, yellow cards, fate cards, penalty spaces, individual properties, custom money containing their business logo, and more. Other available advertising spaces include the backside of all deed cards, board sponsorships (listing of business name and phone number), and a custom yellow card to push players to a business’ game space.
“There will be constant business names coming up, and they’re never going to forget the names again when they come into town,” she said of the future players of EVL-opoly. “That’s the goal: just to get everybody to go into every business and create an awesome product for our locals and the visitors that come here. We serve over a million people here! There’s no reason why we can’t create a great gift without it just being a t-shirt or a decal.”
Although initially, Whitwood was uncertain about whether a board game would catch on in an increasingly digital world, the response from local businesses has confirmed that a good old fashioned board game may be just what Ellicottville needs. “If you think about it, there are times when you come and it’s raining all day,” she noted. “There are times when you come and there’s no snow to ski, but there is something to fall back on if you’re in a bed and breakfast that has the game or just happen to grab one because you saw it in a gift shop. It becomes a town option, and it’s a limited edition!”
That’s right - only 2,000 games will be made and the board game company’s deadline is the end of July for the games to be ready at the start of ski season in early December. Those who would like to purchase an advertising space on the game should contact Whitwood as soon as possible, as time is running out. “There are about 86 ways to advertise on the whole game board, and there are all different price ranges from $50 to $1,190 - it just depends,” Whitwood explained of the game company’s pricing. Businesses that are interested in selling the game should also contact Whitwood, who said that the games can be purchased through her at cost, and there is a healthy profit margin. She can be reached at 716-378-4793 or tcprinting.opoly@gmail.com.