‘Venice-Opoly’ Board Game Brings Local History to the Tabletop

The game’s properties feature the neighborhood’s oldest small businesses, with more valuable spaces reserved for landmarks

After more than three years of research, design, and community collaboration, longtime Venice resident Mark Rago has released Venice-Opoly, a Monopoly-style board game celebrating the neighborhood’s character and history.

Rago, who has lived in Venice for over 25 years, said he began working on the project in 2022 after noticing that other cities—from Los Angeles to Manhattan Beach—had their own versions of Monopoly.

“Someone was going to make a Venice version eventually,” Rago wrote on social media. “I wanted to make sure it was done with respect to the history and diversity of our community.”

Instead of streets, the game’s properties feature the neighborhood’s ol