Description

One of many local variations on the boardgame Monopoly, Sonopoly is based on Sonoma County, California. Produced by Santa Rosa-based Trinity Productions in 1985, it was assembled by Rapid Mounting and Finishing Co. of Burlingame, California.

The mechanics, most rules, board, and themes are mostly the same as Monopoly, but there are some significant differences.

Board and Properties: The properties are all businesses in Sonoma County; there are no railroads or utilities; there are no jail, free-parking, or go-to-jail spaces; there are chance cards, but no community chest or equivalent; all four corners are properties which players can buy and on which they must pay rent; the purchase prices and rent are all different.

Rules: There are coloured monopolies essentially the same as in Monopoly, but in addition, the four corners together make up one monopoly just like properties of one colour. Players build "investments" instead of houses and can build up to 2 on each property. The few non-coloured properties not at the corners are stand-alone properties on which one can build an investment without owning any other properties. Finally, players collect $2,000 not for passing "go" but for passing the West America Bank space (at the location of the go-to-jail space in Monopoly).

Pieces: Money is in demoninations of $20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, and 5000. Each amount has a different business and picture on it. The player pieces are coloured plastic pawns. The investment pieces are not houses and hotels, but coloured wooden cylinders called "barrels" in the rules.