Step into 1920s Manhattan, where champagne flows, secrets simmer, and power changes hands behind velvet curtains. The Manhattan Affair is an independent, story-driven module designed to enhance classic real estate board games with narrative depth, secret objectives, and strategic tension.
Each player takes on the role of an influential figure in high society—be it a bootlegger, nightclub singer, heiress, or political operator. Use your charm, wealth, and connections to pursue your personal goals while navigating a city full of opportunity… and sabotage.
What’s in the rules?
Public Funding & Influence:
A central fund powers construction, bribes, and bailouts. Play smart and manipulate it to your advantage.
Nightclubs & Hostile Takeovers:
Open venues that trap rivals, steal property with a lucky move, and gain passive income… if you can hold onto it.
Event Decks with Personality:
Two new card types replace traditional chance mechanics:
Party Cards: Open, dramatic effects that bring windfalls, scandals, or setbacks.
Shadow Cards: Hidden actions, saved for the perfect moment. Surprise your opponents with clever plays, secret debts, or sudden betrayals.
Play as…
Rosalind DuPont
Rosie started as an unknown singer in a back-alley bar, but her talent and charm quickly earned her a spot in Manhattan’s top clubs. She knows how to enchant a crowd and dreams big: opening her own club and becoming the city’s most exclusive performer.
Vincent Moretti
Vinnie rose from a Brooklyn street kid to one of the city’s most successful bootleggers. His network stretches from hidden speakeasies in alleyways to the ballrooms of the elite. But despite his success, he senses new players entering the game and knows he must expand before someone else does.
Margot Sinclair
Margot is a familiar face in the papers—always at the right parties, always smiling for the cameras. But behind her flawless image lies a secret: she’s broke. Her luxurious lifestyle runs on debt, and time is running out.
Joseph Caldwell
Joseph is a brilliant but little-known architect who dreams of a Manhattan filled with modern skyscrapers. He has big ideas, but without funding, his designs remain mere sketches. He’s caught the attention of a few wealthy investors, but they demand proof of his ability.
Evelyn Kensington
The daughter of one of New York’s richest industrialists, Evie has everything—except control over her future. Her father sees her as little more than a decorative figure in high society, but she craves real power. Surrounded by the right people and keeper of the elite’s secrets, she’s ready to stop watching—and start playing.
Charles Harrington III
Charlie climbed the political ladder by cutting deals in smoke-filled back rooms. He knows real power isn’t in elections, but in those pulling the strings behind the scenes. Manhattan is a goldmine of political opportunity, and he plans to be the first to strike.
Party… or Strike from the Shadows?
In The Manhattan Affair, players step into the glamorous world of the ultra-rich—but not everyone shines on the dance floor. Some operate from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. In this story, Party Cards and Shadow Cards determine your fate.
Party Cards are drawn openly and can affect one or more players. Shadow Cards, however, are kept private, ready to be unleashed at just the right moment…
Party Cards
These cards plunge you into the wild nights of the roaring twenties—where fortunes are won and lost in the blink of an eye. Whether you receive a mysterious inheritance, close a secret deal, or fall victim to extravagance, each card brings a twist of fate. Do you dare play the game and leave the night victorious?
Schadow cards
Behind Manhattan’s golden parties, secrets are whispered and ambitions grow. Shadow Cards are for those who don’t accept fate, but shape it. While others dance and drink, these players collect power, knowledge, and influence—ready to strike when the moment is right. In this city, the winner isn’t always the one with the most money, but the one who truly understands the game.
What’s included in this story?
Each with a backstory, personal objective, and bonusses
To play at opportune moments
With direct effects on one or more players
Compatibility
This story module is designed to be compatible with classic property trading games that involve real estate acquisition, construction, and resource management.
It has been playtested with:
Monopoly™ (various editions)
Capital City
Property Mogul (PnP)
Other homebrew or print-and-play games using a square movement board and cash economy.
For best results, use a version with a standard currency system where the highest bill is 500. If using a version with larger denominations (e.g. 50,000), adjust the card values proportionally.
Legal Notice
The Manhattan Affair is an unofficial, independently developed narrative module designed to be used alongside classic property trading board games.
It is not affiliated with, authorized, sponsored, or endorsed by Hasbro, Inc. or any official publisher of property trading board games like Monopoly™.
Monopoly™ is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc.
No original components or intellectual property from the base game are included. A compatible board game is required to play.
Card values are based on the standard currency of widely available retail editions where the highest monetary bill is 500. If you’re using a vintage or alternate edition with different denominations, adjust the values proportionally.