Zonopoly

Important Note!
All of my software is for the original Sharp Zaurus models (ie ZR-3000, ZR-5000, ZR-5000FX, ZR-5700, ZR-5800, ZR-5800FX, etc). My Zaurus software will not run on the new range of Zaurus PDA's that use Linux for their OS (ie the SL- family)!

Zonopoly is a property investment game similar to Monopoly. Buy and sell properties and houses and try to beat the Zaurus before it beats you! As in real life, luck plays a major part in who succeeds and who fails, but you have to decide the best times to buy and sell, and which properties to go for. Full help and instructions are included within the game.

Zonopoly Title Screen

Sample Game In Progress

Zonopoly received the "Most Entertaining"
award in the 1997 PILI Programming Competition!

Download Zonopoly

You can download Zonopoly here. This file is a .BIN file. To download it you should right-click on the link and select "Save Link As..." When the file has downloaded, transfer it to your "PC Files / More" area on your Zaurus and then run it using the PILI main screen. Full instructions are included inside the program when you run it.

Zonopoly Hints and Tips

When Should I Buy?

You should always buy properties and houses whenever you get the chance. This generates more income for you when the Zaurus lands on your properties.

Should I Keep Some Cash On Hand?

It's not normally a good idea to save your money, as you can always sell something if you require more cash than you've currently got on hand.

What's The Best Buying Strategy?

If you can get long rows of properties (i.e. 3 or more properties that are next to each other) then this increases the chances of the Zaurus landing on your properties and having to pay you rent. If you land on an unowned property that is really desirable (i.e. if buying that property would give you a nice big stretch of properties) but you can't afford it, you should buy it and then sell something less desirable to raise the cash.

How Many Houses Should I Build?

As you build new houses on each property the rent increases. When you have four houses on a property the rent is doubled, so it's a good idea to try to get four houses on as many properties as possible. If you have to sell houses then you should sell from the properties that have less than four houses before selling from your four-house properties.

What's The Best Selling Strategy?

Always try to sell houses before properties. Selling a property makes it available to the Zaurus, and you want to keep him from owning properties because they cost you in rent when you land on them.

Zaurus Strategies

Whenever the Zaurus considers buying a property or a house it calculates how much money it would have after the transaction. If it would have less than $50,000 then it doesn't make the purchase.

When the Zaurus has to sell something it always starts by looking at the bottom left corner and working its way to the left and around the board. He only sells one thing from each square that he owns, i.e. if there's houses on that square then he sells one house and moves on to the next square. If there's no houses then he sells the whole property.

Buying Prices

Property numbers start at the bottom left square (property 0) and count left, then up, then right, then down.

Rent Values

Rent is calculated as follows:

Property Price + (House Price x Number of Houses)
----------------------------------------------------------
2

For example if there are 3 houses on property 17 then the rent would be $26000, calculated as follows:

• Property price is $16000 therefore the property rent is $16000
• Individual house price is $12000
• Three houses, so house rent is $12000 x 3 = $36000
• $16000 + $36000 = $52000
• Rent charged is halved, $52000 divided by 2 = $26000

If there's four houses on a property then the rent isn't halved. For example if there were four houses on property 17 then the rent would be $64000.