Vaticanopoly

It’s “a hybrid of Monopoly, Risk and Clue—with a bit of theological Chutes-and-Ladders thrown in for good measure,” says one player. According to The Tablet,

During the course of their careers, players “Take a Stand” on weighty theological and moral issues, including contraception, clerical celibacy or the campaign to have the Virgin Mary proclaimed co-redeemer. The race begins as soon as the previous papacy ends, sometimes in bizarre circum-stances. “The Pope dies when the popemobile rolls over after hitting a truck carrying bananas. Your earlier warnings that the popemobile was unstable are now seen as evidence of your sound judgement and you gain additional support,” reads one card.

Players must seek to climb the ladder to spiritual perfection while simultaneously avoiding the “Cesspool of Sin,” by not, for example, committing the “Sin of Gluttony: at a papal banquet, you have three helpings of cannelloni.” . . . But when it comes to the conclave itself, other cardinals will be waiting for you to slip up: “Your tendency to fall asleep during meetings becomes a cause for comment”, one card reads, while another simply says: “Your poor command of Latin is noted and commented on by a number of cardinals—minus 10 votes.”

What they’re talking about is Vatican: The Papal Election Board Game, and the weird thing is that it sounds much more historically accurate than the usual run of, say, popular books on the topic. I’m not sure how the game fits in the intercession of the Holy Spirit—dice rolling doesn’t seem quite to capture that—but, sure, I’d give the game a try.

[Rating: 75/100]