The globally renowned family favourite (and feud filled) board game has been transformed into an incredible immersive world in central London. From the minute you enter the building, you are transported into entirely themed surroundings which are decked out very impressively. Each corner has something new to notice; the bar menu is filled with appropriately named food and drink, and even the toilets are aesthetically brightly coloured.
Once game time approaches, a entrance room awaits, where team names are debated, and tactics deciphered. Then greeting everyone with a warm welcome, Mr Monopoly himself makes an appearance to introduce the game, and explain the adapted rules. His character is fantastic, particularly with improvisation in correspondence to various responses from other teams. After being assigned our token (we were accompanied by our friendly companion, the Boot), it was time to take a trip up through several admirably designed floors until reaching ours, which was that of the Luxury Board. Soaking in the surroundings and sussing out the rivals, it isn't long before our designated dice roller steps up to the plate beneath the illuminated names of those soon to be bought properties.
Moving around the board in turn, each door held a challenge, requiring stealth, concentration and coordination. If completed in time, the place became yours! Despite not always performing too well at these, the other strategy games in between times made up for our losses, and overall resulted in lots of fun. From fixing the Water Works, to the involvement of washing pegs, every moment of the 80 minute duration was spent being engaged with another task to build a successful bank of cash for the team.
The whole space itself was smaller than expected, though this intimate environment has strengths as it makes the game seem more personal. In addition, each play is totally unique, which allows for every experience to be different. However, this does mean that it’s luck of the draw as to which rooms you get to enter, and challenges to complete, so most remain unseen and a mystery, leaving the possibility of getting a mix of those favoured.
Harbouring all of the traditional elements of the much loved game, every detail seems thoughtful, with the use of chance cards (summoned by a bit of ABBA), sold signs, and even the opportunity to build houses and hotels made tangible. It just so happened that my team was sent to jail too, so spent a little time navigating our way around the escape- and still managed not to end up coming last!
It may appear a little costly, but if this sounds like something you’ll enjoy, it’s definitely worth taking the plunge. Monopoly Lifesized is a brilliant night out for any group that fancy a game, and an unmatched team-building night out, packed with entertainment.
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