By MADDY VITALE
Monopoly, anyone? How about OCNJ-OPOLY? Yep. That’s right. We said it.
Jilly’s Boardwalk and downtown stores co-owner Jody Levchuk wanted to bring something to the table – literally – that vacationers and residents alike could enjoy and try their luck at a game that is all about Ocean City.
The new game, which is played just like the original Monopoly with “money” and game pieces, sells for $29.99.
The games arrived at the Jilly’s stores on Monday and they are going fast, Levchuk said.
“We have a lot of them, but I expect they will be selling out soon,” Levchuk, who is also an Ocean City Councilman, said in an interview Tuesday.
He explained that customers could visit one of the Jilly’s Boardwalk shops or the Jilly’s store on Asbury Avenue to purchase the games. They may also order it online and have it shipped or they can avoid shipping fees by picking it up in the store.
OCNJ-OPOLY features iconic businesses and landmarks, including Playland’s Castaway Cove, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, the Ocean City Music Pier, the Tahiti Inn and several other notable spots on the Boardwalk.
There are also vital organizations highlighted, such as the Ocean City Tabernacle, the Ocean City Humane Society, the Ocean City Police Department and the city’s Municipal Airport.
The game is completely customized to Ocean City, including the pieces — from hotels to houses to duplexes.
There is one spot a player doesn’t want to land on.
“We included the police department because of the jail,” Levchuk said with a laugh.
In addition to businesses and organizations, Levchuk said the board game mixes in widely used streets, such as Asbury Avenue and West Avenue.
“What is cool when you look at the board and you are making your way around it, you feel like you are making your way around Ocean City,” he pointed out. “That’s what makes it fun.”
And while there are many places people will certainly recognize as Ocean City staples, some others, well, had to be left out.
“There are only a couple dozen places to fill in and hundreds of places we would have liked to use,” Levchuk said.
But for the businesses or organizations that may not have made the board this time, there will be other versions in the future, he said.
“We are going to have two new versions of the game. We may do a contest to see what the public recommends,” Levchuk said. “We are thinking of vintage OCNJ-OPOLY. Nobody modern would be on there and a new OCNJ-OPOLY, which would include newer additions to the town.
Game day or game night could be spent anywhere from the beach to a porch to a coffee table.
The game is meant to be enjoyed by everyone who loves Ocean City.
Levchuk said Monday was a monumental day for Jilly’s because his team has been working on the concept of its own Monopoly – Ocean City’s version, that is – since 2018.
Levchuk did some research.
“I went out and looked for a licensee to make the game,” he said.
There was another company already manufacturing and selling an Ocean City take on Monopoly that was available in the big box stores. It was no OCNJ-OPOLY, however. It was a generic version, Levchuk said.
In a short time, Jilly’s team designed the entire board game for OCNJ-OPOLY, complete with the Ocean City custom design based off of the famous flip-flops for the city’s logo.
They spent hours doing design work in a short period of time to meet the deadline for a summer launch date.
“JASM Consulting played a critical role in helping us come up with the overall branding and design process of all of this,” Levchuk noted.
He said the end result is a fun experience for vacationers and residents.
It took tenacity, but it was well worth it to offer a product that people will enjoy, Levchuk said.
“I wanted to create something that was even better than what was being offered. That is why I wake up every morning,” he said. “I’m not an inventor, I’m an improver. I believed in the product that much. And I know it will take off and people will love it.”
To order a game or to learn more about Jilly’s shops visit https://jillysocnj.com/
