Polish board game a polar opposite of ‘Monopoly’

WARSAW, Poland — You won’t get to build hotels in a new Polish board game reminiscent of Monopoly. In fact, you may not even get a pair of shoes.

Poland’s state-run National Remembrance Institute has created the new game — called “Kolejka,” or “Queue” — to help young Poles understand the hardships of life under communism.

Players try to buy basic goods but food supplies run out before they reach the counter. If a bed is needed, they are offered stools instead. Players needing the shop’s last pair of shoes get edged out by someone with connections.

The institute’s Karol Madaj, who created the game, said Tuesday it was conceived to show young Poles what hardships their parents and grandparents endured before communism ended in 1989.

It goes on sale Feb. 5.