Albuquerque finally has its own Monopoly board, and it put the University of New Mexico on Boardwalk. The official Albuquerque Monopoly game is now available, unveiled at the Sandia Peak Tramway on Tuesday afternoon with Mayor Tim Keller and a costumed Monopoly Man on hand for the reveal.
Hasbro launched the ‘burque-themed board game at the tram, according to KRQE. Keller spoke at the unveiling and said the board celebrates Albuquerque, and KOB 4, which attended the reveal, reports the Sandia Peak Tramway itself occupies Park Place on the board while UNM sits on Boardwalk, the game's priciest spot, as detailed in KOB 4's coverage of the debut.
A Board Stacked With Local Landmarks
The board includes parks and businesses from around the city, per KOB 4, and KRQE names UNM, Nob Hill, the Kimo Theatre and Ex Novo Brewing among the featured spots. Top Trumps USA, the company licensed by Hasbro to produce the city edition, describes the set as a celebration of Albuquerque that also works in the Sandia Peak Tramway, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, historic Route 66, Frontier, the UNM Lobos and Old Town, according to the Top Trumps USA product page, which also lists the game as suitable for players ages 8 and up.
Frontier Restaurant doubles up on the board game's local flavor — it's both a featured business on the board and one of the spots where the game itself can be purchased. KOB 4 reports that the game is also available at other businesses featured on the board and at Look Bookstores.
Months of Community Input Led to the Reveal
The project started with a public callout. Back in January, Top Trumps USA asked Albuquerque residents to nominate landmarks, businesses and cultural sites for the board, with nominations accepted through April 1, as the Albuquerque Journal reported at the time. The plan also called for giving the game's Chance and Community Chest cards an Albuquerque flair based on community voices, according to the Daily Lobo's report on the then-upcoming edition, which at the time pegged the release for November.
That timeline held. An earlier post by X user @ProfBenavidez, published December 10, 2017, predates the official game's 2026 launch.
In the post, he joked that an Albuquerque-themed game hits shelves just in time for Christmas, with Downtown the priciest property, Cliff's the cheapest and players sent to a traffic jam instead of jail.
