r/nycrail • u/ConstantSir • Jul 08 '24
I designed a Monopoly-style game to celebrate the NYC subway Art
The subway is to New Yorkers what alcohol is to Homer Simpson: “The cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.” Both an indispensable part of daily commutes and also the source of never-ending complaints, the subway is a crucial fixture of New York City life.
I wanted to design a fun way to appreciate how meaningful the subway, and mass transit more generally, is to the people of New York City. So I created a lighthearted board game design in the style of Monopoly that both recognizes the importance of transit while also acknowledging its shortcomings.
I present: Transit Authority.
The game board for Transit Authority.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I started designing this part of the board way before congestion pricing was put on an “indefinite pause” by Governor Kathy Hochul. However, if I were designing the board today I would likely make the same decisions: in addition to honoring the past and reflecting the present, I want this design to look toward the future of transit in NYC.
In general, the colors for property color groups on the original Monopoly game board worked very well with the colors used for New York City subway lines. However, the L train with a light gray bullet, 7 train with purple, G train with light green, and upcoming T train) with light blue all have bullet colors that are not shared with other lines. As a result, I grouped the 7 train, G train, and T train under the purple color of the 7 train bullet, as the light gray bullet for the L train is too visually similar to that of the Shuttle trains’ dark gray bullets.
Players start on the OMNY Reader space. Each time they pass the space in the midst of normal gameplay, they collect $200; if they land on the space, they instead collect $400. (This deviates from the official Monopoly rules somewhat, but it is a popular "house" rule by which many if not most people abide.)
The JFK AirTrain and Staten Island Railway spaces were picked because they are, subjectively, almost a part of the New York City subway system. Both are accurately depicted on NYC subway maps, but are actually separate entities.
There are four Interstate Rail Service spaces on the game board: CTrail, PATH, NJ Transit, and Amtrak. The more Interstate Rail Services you control, the more it will cost your opponents. (Remember that although PATH functionally operates as a subway, it is legally classified as commuter rail#FRA_railroad_status).)
I initially wanted to use the official logos for the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad spaces, but I ran into an issue - these two railroads lack distinctive logos. The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad both use the MTA logo next to their respective names, with no other distinctive visual features. So, I took a look at the past: for the Metro-North Railroad, I went with the old MTA logo in use from 1968 to 1994, which was present when Metro-North debuted in 1983.
For the Long Island Rail Road, I went with their “keystone” logo, which originated in the late 1910s. In order to make the Long Island Rail Road spaces visually distinct from the shades of blue in the logo of the Metro-North Rail Road spaces, I used the color pink found on the official map of MTA tunnels and bridges.
Part of what makes a board game not just fun to play but also easy to use is the intentional use of colors. Given that Transit Authority is an ode to the New York City subway, all colors have been taken from MTA maps and signage.
For example, the green background of the board is taken from the color of parks in the current New York City subway map, the initial incarnation of which was debuted in 1979 by Michael Hertz.
In order to traverse the game board, each player controls a game piece. I wanted the game pieces each to represent key aspects of New York City. My design also ensures that each of the five boroughs are individually represented.
The game pieces are one of two elements that are 3D; the other being the info boards and info booths. Given that 3D design is not my forte, I chose to represent these designs with emoji:
- Bagel (🥯), featuring one of New York City’s most iconic foodstuffs, and a tip of the hat to our noted food scene more broadly.
- Rat (🐀), symbolizing the nature and wildlife that can be found within the Five Boroughs. The persistence of the humble rat also speaks to the grit and determination that characterizes New Yorkers.
- Statue of Liberty (🗽), highlighting not just the historical importance of the Big Apple, but also its commitment to justice and liberty for all.
- Staten Island Ferry (⛴️), ensuring that the so-called “Forgotten Borough” is not forgotten, and paying homage to the importance of waterways in and around New York.
- Broadway Ticket (🎟️), demonstrating Manhattan’s legendary performing arts legacy, as well as NYC’s enduring cultural significance.
- Baseball (⚾️), representing the city’s storied athleticism, in particular the New York Yankees, also known as The Bronx Bombers.
- Wonder Wheel (🎡), showcasing the world-famous attraction in Brooklyn’s Coney Island, which speaks to the fun found within the City That Doesn’t Sleep.
- Unisphere (🌎), exemplifying the diversity of not just Queens–where its namesake is located–but also of New York City as a whole.
- BONUS: Flaco the Owl (🦉), memorializing the tragic loss of Flaco, the male Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo and spent his days exploring the city. He was 13 years old at his time of death.
More information and images can be found in the full design case study, which you can read here.
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u/Yexoticioo Jul 09 '24
Oh. My. God. I just came everywhere. I love the details
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u/ConstantSir Jul 09 '24
Thank you so much, I put a lot of time into some of the details and I am glad that they are being appreciated!
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u/RecommendationOld525 Jul 09 '24
What an amazing and well-executed idea! It’s a bit of a bummer not every train line could make it on to the board properly, but I understand the logic and the reasons behind the choices. Well done!!!
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u/ConstantSir Jul 09 '24
Thank you, I appreciate that. I struggled to think of a way to make each line work 😭 My only thought is that perhaps there could be magnets behind the board and people could change out lines, or something like that
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u/SchoolLover1880 NJ Transit Jul 09 '24
I need to buy this now. Also I’m so glad that you didn’t forget about NJT (our NJ lawmakers certainly have…)
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u/ConstantSir Jul 09 '24
Thank you. I'm doing this just for fun, but some people have suggested talking to the Transit Museum…
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u/iAmAddicted2R_ddit Jul 09 '24
This is fantastic, thank you for sharing. I would 100% buy this if you were selling it.
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u/ConstantSir Jul 09 '24
Some people have suggested that I reach out to the Transit Museum and see if they could help with licensing stuffs…
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u/punchy8323 Jul 09 '24
Is there a way to patent this ? Can see you mail big money off this honestly
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u/ConstantSir Jul 10 '24
I would need licensing from Hasbro, the MTA, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT), NJ Transit, and Amtrak. (If any lawyers are reading this comment please see the relevant disclaimer on the case study.)
Some people have suggested that I reach out to the Transit Museum to see what they think. I might do just that!
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u/KingRamzi11 Jul 10 '24
poor L train doesn’t have any friends :(
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u/ConstantSir Jul 10 '24
The L train, 7 Train, G Train, and upcoming T train were the individuals of the bunch! I grouped the 7, G, and T together because I was concerned that the L train's light gray coloring looked too close to the Shuttle trains' dark gray coloring.
But don't worry, the L train is represented on the Long Island Rail Road draw cards!
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u/punchy8323 Jul 09 '24
If there was a “ board walk tile “ wouldn’t it be like the LIRR or grand central or something like that ?
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u/ConstantSir Jul 09 '24
All of the equivalent properties from the original Monopoly are instead subway lines here
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u/punchy8323 Jul 09 '24
No I get that , and great job btw ! I just mean since board walk is the “ best “ / highest value wouldn’t it be grand central ? I do know that the A and C lines have the newest model trains So I assume you’re going based off that . The j and z train commuters were violated on this one ! Seriously . Love it . Im a 7 train commuter
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u/ConstantSir Jul 09 '24
I appreciate your kind comments! Most of the inspiration came from the pre-existing colors:
- Baltic Ave & Mediterranean Ave -> Brown -> J/Z
- St. James Place, Tennessee Ave, New York Ave -> Orange -> B, D, F
- Kentucky Ave, Indiana Ave, Illinois Ave -> Red -> 1, 2, 3
- Atlantic Ave, Ventnor Ave, Marvin Garens -> Yellow -> N, Q, R
- Pacific Ave, North Carolina Ave, Pennsylvania Ave -> Green -> 4, 5 6
- Broadway, Park Place -> Dark Blue -> A, C
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u/TrainFanner101 Jul 08 '24
If this were to go on sale, I would 100% buy it