Top Shop (1998)

Gameplay: The game plays like a vertical monopoly. There are multiple "boards" which are shopping malls of various shapes and sizes. Each floor of the mall contains different tiered stores similar to the color sections on a monopoly board. You roll a pencil and can choose to go left or right at the beginning. From that point on you take a serpentine path up the stories of the mall using the escalators which are typically on the far left or right of the mall. Once you reach the top you come back down. Landing on the elevator will randomly take you to another floor (or sometimes keep you where you are), but allows you to then choose which direction you will go next turn. When you land on an empty store front you can choose to open one of 3-4 stores. If you land on an empty store front near or next to one you already own, you can expand the store or open a second in hopes of connecting them later. When a store grows, you can stock one more item for each space it fills. If you land on another player's store, you are forced to buy an item, earning you a point and giving them a portion of the proceeds. You can buy up to 2 items per turn. If the store runs out of stock, you can buy the store front and replace it. If you land on your own store, you can buy new stock for any of your stores, not just the one on which you landed. When you cross the lobby at the bottom, you can cash in points for various boosts and rewards. If you happen to roll an E (for empty, functions as a 0) you choose a card for a random effect rather than moving. Try to build up the most value, and bankrupt the other players. And make sure to enjoy some of that delicious Bobson's Icecream. Review: The art and the small details in the stores are so charming. I feel personal attachment to some of them, even though they are not the best option at their price level. The characters are so fill of personality. There is no explanation for the weirdness that is TopShop. There are a few glitches with some of the "power ups" you can buy, but nothing major. I have not finished the story in the 17 years I have owned the game, but I still love to play with friends and family.