Sociopolio (1974)

A veritable relic from the cold war (1974). Sociopolio is played part like Parcheesi and part as Monopoly, and the setting is an imaginary socialist/communist Puerto Rico. The object of the game is to become the "National Work Hero" by reaching the center point of the board. The board is color printed and styled as Parcheesi, except for each advancing tile which has text similar to the Monopoly board. The gaming pieces are flat coin-like tokens in transparent acrylic. The currency is black ink over white paper, printed on one side. The currency has pictures of different famous Puertorrican pro-independence figures like Albizu Campos and Lola Rodriguez de Tio and display prominently the phrase "Banco Nacional de Puerto Rico". The "community chest" (with a red star on the back of the card) and "chance" (with the Puerto Rican flag) cards have such bonuses as "Merit; you have fulfilled the work assigned to you by the Revolutionary Committee" or "Voluntary Work at the Hostos School". If you are lucky you may even get a "Double ration of fish, pay two pesos", or a "New pair of shoes". Instead of advancing to the next railway, you advance to the next "red star" or "flag". Along the way, in each space on the board may have hazards, such as "You didn't perform the work assigned, pay a 10 pesos fee" and rewards such as "You helped fixed the neighbors house, earn ten pesos". Owning this game back in the day would have certainly landed your name in a government black list.