In the cutthroat world of investment real estate, there’s only one rule: buy low. And two: sell high. Welcome back to Pair Of Dice Paradise’s “Thrift Sift” series, where I discuss games that I find at second-hand stores. In this installment I’ll be looking at the 1988 game with a millionaire mogul namesake. It’s Trump: The Game.
The first edition, released in 1989, was showered with responses, including:
“(there was) A Winner!” (Board Game Jerk website)
“Trump: The Game is a game, by Trump”, (Redundant New Corp)
“the first edition was released in 1989” (Thinkipedia), and
“404: File Not Found”. (everywhere else)
With such numerous statements about Trump: The Game, I started to become suspicious that I had not simply imagined it. My suspicions were confirmed when I located copies of the game at a local second-hand shop. I grabbed one off the shelf, handed the cashier my dollar, and, after receiving my change, I was ready to give it a try.
�So, what did I think of this game based on a man who is most assuredly not just a cautionary urban legend invented by the media in order to provide fodder for late night comedians? Well, before I get to my opinion of the game, let me give you a brief overview of what it’s all about.
In Trump: The Game, players roll the Trump dice to move their Trump piece around the Trump board. You’ll land on a space, and either invest Trump money in a property, auction a property, or draw additional Trump cards. The game ends when all of the properties have been sold. As in life, the player with the most Trump money at the end considers themselves a winner.
Playing Trump: The Game was certainly an activity. Even so, I discovered that there is, in fact, a problem with this game. The problem is: there’s simply not enough Trump. Sure, Trump adornes the title, the box, the rules, the cards, the player pieces, the dice, every denomination of the money, and the board - not once, but twice. This game has more trump than a Euchre marathon.
Are you ready to invite Trump into your home and experience it with your remaining friends? If the answer to that question isn’t a loudly screamed “NO!”, then you’re in luck. You can almost certainly find a copy of Trump: The Game at any of your local thrift stores. In my experience, there’s always three or four copies on the shelves. Trump: The Game must still be very popular, if even second hand stores are continuing to stock multiple copies of it.
If you do invest in your own copy of Trump: The Game, then one thing I know for certain is that you’ll have it in your possession. And that’s not fanboy hyperbole, that’s how commerce works. And if Mr. Trump were actually a real person here today, I think he would say some words.
�I’ve been Chaz Marler. On behalf of Pair Of Dice Paradise, thanks for embarking with me on this Thrift Sift. I’ll see you next time.