A new Pokémon Monopoly is available to pre-order now, with a whole new way to play

It’s fair to say that there are a lot of different versions of Monopoly on the market, and there are even previous iterations with a Pokémon twist. Now there’s a new version joining the fray, and it’s as close to a full-on Pokémon board game as we’re likely to get. 

Pre-orders for Pokémon Monopoly are open now through Hasbro Pulse, and it won’t break the bank either. The game retails for $24.99 USD, so it’s a solid choice for a Christmas gift if there’s a Pokémon fan in your life. It’s set to begin shipping on December 20, so there’s even a chance you might get it before the big day.

If you’re a Monopoly naysayer, try not to let the title put you off. You could pretty much remove the “Monopoly” part and this board game would work on a standalone level, mostly because it has ditched most of the typical Monopoly gameplay in lieu of more Pokémon-esque tasks.

Okay, so there’s still a jail and free parking, which doesn’t necessarily fit the vibe and I’m not sure how they’re going to work exactly, but other than that there’s a whole other way to play. Instead of traveling around the board to buy properties and ripping off your tenants, this version has you exploring locations and capturing Pokémon.

The aim of the game, and what will eventually make you the winner, is capturing eight Pokémon. You’ll need to get one of each of the following types:

• Grass
• Fire
• Water
• Fighting
• Psychic
• Rock
• Electric
• Ice

There are 48 Pokémon available to capture in total, which spawn in designated locations around the board. Exploring these locations is done by obtaining Adventure or Challenge cards, which can also allow you to steal Pokémon from other players, take over their obtained locations, and more. 

Looking through the product photos on Hasbro Pulse reveals all 48 of the Pokémon that will be available to capture:

• Geodude
• Graveller
• Onix
• Rhydon
• Tyranatar
• Rockruff
• Spheal
• Abomasnow
• Mamoswine
• Froslass
• Cubchoo
• Eiscue
• Alakazam
• Slowpoke
• Espeon
• Wobbuffet
• Gardevoir
• Gothorita
• Mankey
• Machamp
• Hitmonlee
• Lucario
• Hawlucha
• Bewear
• Charmander
• Vulpix
• Arcanine
• Rapidash
• Magmar
• Torkoal
• Voltorb
• Jolteon
• Ampharos
• Elekid
• Zebstrika
• Yamper
• Bulbasaur
• Exeggutor
• Sceptile
• Pansage
• Rowlet
• Smoliv
• Squirtle
• Magikarp
• Marill
• Mudkip
• Mantyke
• Greninja

You may have noticed that among the listed Pokémon, one certain yellow electric mouse is missing. Well, the good news is that you can actually play as Pikachu, as it’s one of the player pieces. The bad news is that there’s likely to be some arguments over who gets to play as the OG cutie pie, but it’s not as if the other choices aren’t great as well. Generation 9 starters take center stage.

There’s no money, with replacement Pokéballs filling the gap. There are even battle encounters that can take place if you land on a location that’s controlled by another player. You can fight to knock out their Pokémon, and if you win, you gain control of the location and have a chance to catch more Pokémon.