This is an archived abbreviated version of jennsand.com. Information here is only kept for historical purposes.

Monopoly Scavenger Hunt

This game is a twist on a standard scavenger hunt and uses a Monopoly board (from Hasbro) to dictate locations to search for items. The twist from a standard scavenger hunt is that the game is a series of short bursts of hunting. After this both teams and the banker can still talk and interact while getting to the next location. This makes the game more social between teams, and also helps the competitiveness since you can get more immediate feedback on your competitor's successes at each location.

Melbourne Monopoly board

I created the rules for this scav hunt for a friend's Hen's night and have participated in this game twice. Once as the banker in London, and a second time as a participant in Melbourne. From these trial runs I learnt that people are much happier taking photos of items, rather than collecting them using the team's money. Also, if you want to go to more places, then you need to shorten the time spent at each location. The counting of points at the end can take quite some time to sort out, so be sure to be somewhere comfortable where people don't mind waiting around. The banker can perhaps start tallying points throughout the game if teams come up and show items.

What follows is the basics on how you can set up your own Monopoly scav hunt in your city. This includes what needs to be organised before the appointed day and the before and after the game starts and finishes on the day. Note that the person who sets up the game and decides on the item list doesn't have to be the banker, i.e. they can participate just like a "normal" participant.

Duration of play: 1 to 5hours.

This can be determined before the day, or just whenever participants or banker have had enough.

Number of people: 5 to 30.

Before the day:

The organiser needs to sort out the following:

On the day - Prior to Starting:

Teams need to be finalised, either people choose their own or draw them from a hat. Then the teams need to be given:

Playing the Game:

The main game is played as follows:

  1. Banker rolls the dice to see where to go next on the Monopoly board.
  2. Everyone goes there together by whatever means the group decides (e.g. walk, tram, train).
  3. Banker stops once the location is reached and this is the location base.
  4. Special items are pulled out of a hat - first team to bring them back after the timer starts gets a bonus of 10 points.
  5. Timer begins.
  6. Everyone has 15 minutes in the location to find scavenger hunt items.
  7. Items are things, photos, and activities: as specified in the list.
  8. 5 point penalty for every minute that any member of a team is late.
  9. Repeat process.
Extra rules are:

Finishing Up:

When the time is up, or participants all choose to finish, then everyone should head to somewhere where they can stay for awhile, e.g. a bar, coffee shop, restaurant, house etc... To help keep enthusiasm at this point it might be good if one team member is appointed captain to talk directly with the banker. The banker should call out each item and the teams present what they have obtained for each item. This way bonuses for the most whatever-est can be determined.

A Possible Item List:

Note that some objects/photos can double as multiple items from the lists. A single item can count for up to 3 items on the list, provided good reasoning given. A maximum of 6 items allowed from any one location - to encourage people to continue looking.

Things/Objects: Must be inexpensive/free, can be photos as well. Each item is worth 10 points and may be worth more with bonuses.

  1. A NZ coin
  2. An Australian coin or note that's no longer in use (e.g 1c, 2c, $1note, $2 note) 10
  3. Something that could be used as a Monopoly piece
  4. Something in your team's colour
  5. Something with all 8 Monopoly colours on it
  6. something to share (10 point bonus if edible)
  7. Cake
  8. Tourist brochure
  9. Oldest receipt from your wallets (5 point bonus if oldest)
  10. Flyer for an upcoming event
  11. Stranger's Business Card
  12. Free Promotional Pen or other (with company logo on it)
  13. Five cent stamp
  14. Bank Deposit Envelope
  15. Drink coaster
  16. Good Things
  17. Small Packages
  18. Bad taste
  19. Chocolate
  20. Button
  21. Zip
  22. Ribbon
  23. Two
  24. Round
  25. Everyday
  26. Soft
  27. Black and White

Photos: Each worth 10 points, bonus of 5 points if the team's Monopoly piece is in the photo

  1. Smile
  2. Surprise
  3. Graffiti
  4. Opposite
  5. Out of place
  6. Mirror
  7. Travel
  8. In the sky
  9. House of Worship
  10. Meaning of life
  11. Price
  12. Almost empty
  13. Unusual
  14. Indulgence
  15. All Grown Up
  16. At the top
  17. On the Move
  18. Warning
  19. Unbelievable
  20. Noise
  21. Kindness
  22. Shadows
  23. A stop sign
  24. Fun
  25. Shoes
  26. Water
  27. Stripes
  28. Celebrate
  29. Inside an evelvator

Activities: These require a group effort or interaction with the public. These are worth 20 points.

  1. A piece of paper with lip prints of every team member
  2. A new cocktail (mocktail) recipe
  3. A name for your new drink
  4. 10 funny things you could do for a living (if incomplete list, 2 points for each item)
  5. 10 places in the world to visit that probably can't be found in a Lonely Planet (if incomplete list, 2 points for each item)
  6. 10 reasons why purple properties on Monopoly are better than red (if incomplete list, 2 points for each item)
  7. 10 gadgets that should never have been invented (if incomplete list, 2 points for each item)
  8. 10 food combinations that are just plain wrong (if incomplete list, 2 points for each item)
  9. Photo with all team members in it (5 point bonus for tighest squeeze)
  10. Photo with all team members from a different team
  11. The least likely place you would find a Monopoly token (5 points bonus for most unlikely)
  12. Photo of: "I can't believe we all fit in here"
  13. Funniest story or joke (5 point bonus if about today)
  14. Brightest piece of clothing on a team member (5 point bonus for brightest)
  15. Wierdest statue/sculpture (5 point bonus for wierdest)
  16. Tallest tree (5 point bonus for tallest)
  17. Longest Limo (or car) (5 point bonus for longest)
  18. Person with the longest hair (5 point bonus for longest)
  19. Tallest Person (5 point bonus for tallest)
  20. Smallest Dog (5 point bonus for smallest)
  21. Longest Nails (5 point bonus for longest)
  22. Biggest Feet (5 point bonus for biggest)
  23. Person wearing the Most Rings (5 point bonus for most number)
  24. Person wearing the Highest Heels (5 point bonus for highest)
  25. Strangest form of transport (5 point bonus for strangest)