On the end of an aisle toward the back of Selma’s Walmart, beyond the aisles packed with back-to-school supplies and autumn décor, sits a unique display packed with cellophane-wrapped board games that make the Queen City the center of play.

“SelmaOpoly,” a Black Belt version of the more than o100-year-old board game “Monopoly,” uses iconic landmarks, streets and events from the city to create a unique game-playing experience for residents and enthusiasts alike.

According to Dale Pate, Co-Manager at Walmart in Selma, the games arrived last week after a representative from the company making the city-themed board games pitched the idea to the local management team.

Pate said the local store jumped at the opportunity to stock the games and even purchased University of Alabama (UA) and Auburn University (AU) –themed games in preparation of college football season.

“It’s something new and unique,” Pate said. “We thought it was something our customers would really like.”

Pate says he’s seen “triple-digit” sales in the past week, with one man purchasing an entire case of the games.

“They’re buying it like it’s going out of style,” Pate said.

Further, Pate noted, the local Walmart is planning to have shelves stocked with the board game for next year’s Bridge Crossing Jubilee as a unique souvenir for tourists to take home.

“It gives you a lot of variety about what Selma’s all about,” Pate said of the game. “It’s a lot of fun for people.”

Like the original game, “SelmaOpoly” features a board adorned with landmarks and roadways unique to the Queen City – the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Water Avenue, Food Truck Saturday, Bloch Park and a host of others – as well as cards to match.

Players can choose from one of six playing pieces – a pretzel, a dog or a gym shoe among others – and wind their way through Selma, trying to avoid traffic jams and tax audits along the way.

The city-themed versions of the popular game are being churned out by Late for the Sky, a company that started manufacturing the one-of-a-kind games back in 1984.

Social media has been abuzz with talk of the new game and Sheryl Smedley, Executive Director of the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information, said she saw a small throng of people gathered around the Walmart display while shopping over the weekend.

“I think it’s pretty cool that Walmart put that in there,” Smedley said. “It’s a good attraction and a good revenue attractor for them, as well.”