Overview
Mousetrap is a competitive game that involves building a mousetrap as you move around the game board and then using the trap once completed to capture your opponent’s mice. The game is fun and can be played by persons aged 6 and above. The player with the last uncaptured mouse wins the game. Learn more about how to play mousetrap below.
Objective
Have the last uncaptured mouse on the game board to win.
Mouse Trap Rules
The following as some mouse trap rules:
. Two or more mice can occupy the same space on the game board at the same time.
. If a player lands on a build space and the number of players in the game matches any of the numbers printed on the space, then the player will build one part of the mousetrap and also collect one cheese from the cheese pile.
. Anytime a player lands on a build space that is in the loop section of the game track, the player collects two cheese pieces from the cheese pile and also builds two parts of the mousetrap.
. Once the trap is fully built and a player lands on a build space, the player will not do anything.
. A player that lands on the dog bone space will not do anything. Their turn ends and play moves to the next player in turn.
. Once players arrive at the loop, they will keep circling it until the mousetrap is completely built and all but one mouse is left uncaptured on the board.
. Capture an opponent’s mouse that is on the cheese wheel space by landing on the crank turn space and activating the mousetrap. If the trap works perfectly and captures the opponent’s mouse, that opponent is out of the game.
. A mouse that escapes being captured after the mousetrap is activated must be moved by the owner to the safe space.
. Any number of mice can be captured at the same time if they are all on the cheese wheel space.
. A player can attempt to move opponents’ mouse to the cheese wheel space by returning cheese pieces to the cheese pile and rolling the die.
. A mouse that is in a safe space cannot be moved by an opponent.
Number of Players Needed
2 to 4 players.
Equipment For Mouse Trap Game
- Game board
- 4 plastic mice
- 25 trap parts and 2 metal marbles
- 52 cheese tokens
- Die
Setting Up
First, the players sit around the game board, leaving the board in the middle where it is accessible to all the players. The mousetrap parts are then placed next to the game board. The cheese tokens are piled and placed next to the game board. Each player then selects a colored mouse and places it at the start position on the board. To conclude the setup, players take turns to roll the die to determine the order of play. The player with the highest die roll gets to go first. How to play mousetrap is described in the next section.
How to Play Mouse Trap
Play begins with the player who got the highest die roll and passes to the left. Each player on their turn rolls the die and moves their mouse on the board the number of spaces they rolled. Read and follow the instructions on the space your mouse landed on. After following the instructions, a player’s turn ends and the player passes to the left. Note that two or more mice can occupy the same space on the board at the same time.
As a player’s mouse moves around the game board, the player will collect cheese pieces from the Cheese pile and also from opponents. The cheese pieces collected by a player may be used later in the game to move their opponents’ mice to where they can be captured.
There are different types of spaces on the board, each with different implications when a player lands on them. The spaces are;
Build spaces: Numbers are printed on the build spaces. The numbers are 2, 2-3, and 2-3-4. If a player lands on a build space and the number of players in the game matches any of the numbers printed on the space, then the player will build one part of the mousetrap and also collect one cheese from the cheese pile. For example, if in a 4-player game a player lands on a build space which has 2-3-4 printed on it, the player will build one part of the mousetrap and collect one cheese.
In a 3 player game, a player can build one part of the mousetrap and one cheese if they land on a build space which has either 2-3, or 2-3-4 printed on it. In a 2-player game, a player that lands on any of the build spaces (2, 2-3, and 2-3-4) can build one part of the mousetrap and also collect one cheese. The player’s turn ends after and the player passes to the left.
Anytime a player lands on a build space that is in the loop section of the game track, the player collects two cheese pieces from the cheese pile and also builds two parts of the mousetrap. Once the trap is fully built and a player lands on a build space, the player will not do anything.
Go Back & Move Ahead Spaces: When a player lands on either a go back or move ahead space, the player moves to the space indicated on the go back or move ahead spaced they landed on. However, the player must not follow any instruction printed on their new space nor can they collect a cheese piece. The player’s turn ends and the player passes to the left.
Take Cheese Spaces: When a player lands on a take cheese space, the player will take the number of cheese indicated on the space from the cheese pile. If the cheese pile is empty and a player lands on a take cheese space, the player will collect the number of cheese pieces indicated on the space from the player with the most cheese pieces. If multiple players tie for the most cheese pieces, the player that landed on a take cheese space is free to collect cheese pieces from either one of them or divide the amount between all of them. The player’s turn ends after and play passes to the left.
Landing on a space that says Take Three Pieces of Cheese from Rival with Most means that the player must collect 3 cheese pieces from the player with the most cheese pieces. In the case that the player with the most cheese pieces has less than 3, the player will collect all the cheese pieces that player has. If multiple players tie for the most cheese pieces, the player is free to collect all three pieces from one of them or spread the amount between all of them.
Loose Cheese Spaces: If a player lands on one of these spaces, the player must return the number of cheese indicated on the space to the cheese pile. If the player does not have enough cheese to cover the number of cheese they are to return, they must give up all the cheese pieces they have. The player’s turn ends after.
Dog Bone Space: A player that lands on a dog bone space will not do anything. Their turn ends and the player moves to the next player in turn.
The Loop: The loop consists of the six spaces at the end of the path, starting with the safe space and ending with the cheese wheel space. Along the loop is where mice are captured. Once players arrive at the loop, they will keep circling it until the mousetrap is completely built and all but one mouse is left uncaptured on the board.
Cheese Wheel Space: Each time a player lands on the cheese wheel space, they take two cheese pieces from the cheese pile. If the cheese pile is empty, the player will collect two cheese pieces from the player with the most cheese pieces. If multiple players tie for the most cheese pieces, the player is free to collect two cheese pieces from one of them or collect one piece each from two of them. The player’s turn ends after.
After the Mousetrap is fully built, players use it to capture each other’s mouse.
Turn Crank Space: The turn crank space is located within the loop. When a player lands on a turn crank space and there is an opponent’s mouse on the cheese wheel space, the player will turn the crank slowly in a clockwise direction. This activates the trap. If the trap functions perfectly, the opponent’s mouse will be captured and is out of the game. Any cheese belonging to the player whose mouse was captured is handed over to the player that captured the mouse.
If the mousetrap fails to capture the opponent’s mouse, the player that owns the mouse will immediately move the mouse to the safe space. If multiple mice occupy the cheese wheel space, a player can capture all of them at once.
If no rival mouse occupies the cheese wheel space when a player lands on the turn crank space, then the player may try to move one or more mice there. To do this, the player will first return a cheese piece to the cheese pile. After this, the player will roll the die and then move an opponent’s mouse the number of spaces rolled on the die. The player can continue doing this as many times as possible and to as many opponents as they like as long as they have cheese pieces to return to the cheese pile. Cheese pieces are only used when a player is on the turn crank space.
If the player manages to move an opponent’s mouse to the cheese wheel space, they will attempt to capture the mouse as described above. Note that even though there is an opponent’s mouse on the cheese wheel space when a player lands on the crank turn space, the player may attempt to move more mouse to the cheese wheel space as described above and attempt to capture them all at once.
Safe space: A mouse that is on the Safe space located within the Loop cannot be moved by an opponent to the Cheese Wheel space.
Winning The Game
The player with the last uncaptured mouse on the board wins the game.