During my time as Senior Content Designer on Scopely’s engaging and hugely popular live mobile game Monopoly GO!, after helping to define the thematic direction of both IP and non-IP seasonal arcs, I was responsible for providing design documentation and outlines across all levels of in-game content.

This work included the way the playing boards looked, and the landmark features associated with those boards; the design of the many mini-games within the larger gameplay; the cosmetics players could collect during their play experience, such as tokens, shields, emojis and sticker sets; and it also entailed the visual and copy design of banners for daily live-ops and offers.

Boards

In Monopoly GO!, the classic square grid of tiles of Monopoly is constantly adapted to reflect the mobile game’s seasonal themes. Each board is populated by NPCs who give life to the game and the theme and, more importantly for player progression, each board is associated with five linked landmarks that players must upgrade five times in order to complete the board and progress to the next.

Below is an example of a Halloween-themed board I created called ‘Squashville’ and a glimpse of the landmarks that exist within the pumpkin-based town.

Tokens

The most famous classic playable tokens of the original Monopoly game are the top hat, the car, and the dog. In Monopoly GO!, the list of tokens has expanded greatly, and collecting them is a core part of the gameplay. Below are some examples of tokens that I designed for the Fairy Tale season, plus the showroom where players store their collections.

Shields

Once players have begun constructing their board landmarks, they need to protect them from being knocked down by other players. For this, we have the next collectible cosmetic: the shields. Below are a selection of the shields I created for the Pets and Fairy Tale seasons, plus the player showroom.

Players in Monopoly GO! can communicate with each other through emojis, to express triumph, loss, fun and any number of other emotive responses. Below are a couple of the emojis I designed for the Fall and Fairy Tale seasons.

Dice

Dice are also a collectible in Monopoly GO!, and one of the hardest chases in the game. Below are a couple of my dice designs for the Halloween and Fall seasons.

Mini-Games

Running throughout every season is the thematically-linked sticker album, consisting usually of between 20-24 sets of nine stickers that players collect over the course of play. Completion of each set earns the player rewards, with completion of the album leading to even bigger, more prestigious rewards. Below is a selection of the sets from the album I designed for the Fairy Tales season.

Live Ops

Monopoly GO! contains a host of mini-games where players can win extra dice, cosmetics or in-game currencies. One of my favourite mini-games is the Treasures dig, and one of the pieces of work I am most proud of was the design for a Claude Monet-inspired Valentines dig for the Pets season, brought to life by one of our many talented artists. Below is a selection of shots from the Valentines Pets Treasures mini-game, where players dig beneath the park to find pet-themed treasures and complete the treasure hunt to win even bigger rewards.

Offers

Over the course of the game, Monopoly GO! players receive an unending selection of offers that allow them to purchase extra rolls or cash or get a chance to win special rewards. Below are a few of the offer screens and banners I designed across the Fairy Tales season.

Emojis

Stickers

To earn extra rewards, players must land on various selected tiles on a daily basis, or sometimes over the course of two days. Landing on these tiles lead to extra dice, currencies and other boosts and advantages within the game. As with everything, these Live Ops are designed to match the seasonal arc thematics.