Mouse Trap
Mouse Trap Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object
Scurry around the board collecting cheese and stealing cheese from other players…but watch out for the mouse trap! Be the first player to collect six cheese wedges to win!
Contents
- Gameboard
- 4 mouse pawns
- Marble
- 24 Mouse Trap® contraption parts
- Rubber band
- 24 cardboard cheese wedges
- Die
Ages: 6+ Players: 2-4 Adult assembly required.
Warning: Choking hazard – Game contains a marble. Not for children under 3 years.
The First Time You Play
Separate the cheese wedges from the cardboard sheet. Discard the excess cardboard after removing the cheese wedges.
Mouse Trap Contraption Parts
Base #1, Stop Sign, Base #3, Lamp Post, Rubber Band, Plumbing, Boot, Stair Legs A, Stair Legs B, Bathtub, Diver, Washtub, Diving Board, Cage Pole, Cage, Broom, Bucket #1, Marble, Wrench, Bucket #2, Stairs, Rain Gutter, Base #2, Ladder, Base #4, Short Ramp.
How to Assemble the Zany Action-Contraption Mouse Trap!
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Base #1: Insert Base #1 into the slots on the board as shown, then slide to lock into place.
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Stop Sign & Lamp Post: Insert stop sign & lamp post.
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Rubber Band: Attach rubber band to Base #1 and the stop sign as shown.
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Boot: Attach the boot to the lamp post. (Make sure the heel of the boot is against the stop sign.)
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Staircase: Insert stair legs A into the board. Push back to lock into place.
Attach stair legs B to the back of the stairs, then insert assembled stairs into Base #1, while also attaching the front of the stairs to stair legs A.
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Bucket #1 & Marble: Attach bucket #1 to the top of the stairs, then insert marble into bucket #1.
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Base #2: Attach Base #2 to Base #1.
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Rain Gutter: Attach the rain gutter to the bottom of the stairs and Bases 1 & 2 as shown.
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Wrench & Ladder: Attach the wrench to the ladder as shown. Then, insert ladder into Base #2.
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Bucket #2 & Broom: Attach bucket #2 to the end of the broom…then attach the broom to the ladder as shown.
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Rotate the broom so that the bucket is near the end of the rain gutter. Latch the wrench to the broom to hold it in place.
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Base #3: Insert Base #3 into the board, then attach Base #3 to Base #2.
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Plumbing: Insert plumbing into Base #3.
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Bathtub: Attach the bathtub to the plumbing.
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Short Ramp: Attach the short ramp to the bathtub and plumbing.
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Diving Board: Attach the diving board to Base #3.
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Diver: Place the diver on the diving board.
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Base #4: Attach Base #4 to the board.
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Washtub: Place the washtub on Base #4.
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Cage Pole: Insert the cage pole into Base #4.
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Cage: Balance the cage on top of the pole.
Get Ready!
- Lay the gameboard out on a flat, stable surface.
- Assemble the mouse trap contraption on the board (see the assembly instructions on the other side of this page).
- Give each player one cheese wedge to start the game.
- Place two cheese wedges on the Start space. The first player to make it all the way around the board gets to collect these two bonus cheese wedges!
- Place the remaining cheese wedges in a pile near the board. This is the cheese stash! Delicious!
- Each player chooses a mouse pawn and places their mouse on the Start space.
Let's Play!
- Roll the die to determine who goes first. Play continues to the left.
- The first player rolls the die and moves clockwise that number of spaces along the path.
- The player then follows the rules of the space they land on.
To Launch the Trap
Pull back on the stop sign and let it go! Every action will have a crazy reaction!
To Reset the Trap
- Return the bucket on the staircase to the upright position, then place the marble in the bucket.
- Rotate the broomstick so that the bucket is at the bottom, near the end of the rain gutter.
- Latch the wrench to the broomstick to keep the broomstick in place.
- Place the diver on the end of the diving board.
- Carefully hang the cage.
Spaces
Blue Launch-the-Trap Space: It's time for the action-contraption! You can send any one player to the Cheesy Danger Zone. After moving their pawn to the zone, pull back the stop sign and launch the trap! If they get caught by the cage, take one cheese wedge from them and add it to your cheese wheel!
Note: If there is already a mouse in the Cheesy Danger Zone, you may still send another mouse there. You get to collect one cheese wedge from each mouse that gets caught! (See below for the Cheesy Danger Zone.)
The Cheesy Danger Zone: This is the space that players are sent to before the trap is launched. If you land here by exact count, you must stop, but the trap will not be launched. However, you could be caught during someone else's turn, if they land on the Launch-the-Trap space while you are still in the Cheesy Danger Zone.
Yellow Add-a-Cheese Space: You found a piece of cheese! Take one cheese wedge from the cheese stash and add it to your cheese wheel.
Green Steal-a-Cheese Space: Sneaky sneaky! You get to steal one cheese wedge from any other player and add it to your cheese wheel.
Red Lose-a-Cheese Space: Uh-oh, you lost a piece of cheese! Take one of your cheese wedges and return it to the cheese stash! (If you run out of cheese, you're still in the game!)
Purple Space: Nothing happens here. Just wait for your next turn to try and get some cheese!
Mousehole Tunnel Space: If you land here, you can travel through the tunnel to the space on the other end of the tunnel, if you want to.
Note: The color of the tunnel space you enter must match the color of the tunnel space you exit.
Notes
- If you get caught by the mouse trap, you are still in the game! After the trap is reset, stay in the Cheesy Danger Zone. You'll start from that space on your next turn.
- If you land on a space that another player is on, move ahead to the next available space.
- Don't forget to reset the trap if it's launched during your turn!
- When you make it all the way around the board, keep going! The game doesn't end until someone collects six cheese wedges.
- If a player doesn't have any cheese, you can't steal from them. However, you can still send them to the trap, if you want to!
- When you land on the Cheesy Danger Zone or are sent there by another player, you must place your mouse pawn on the cheese.
Win!
The first player to collect six cheese wedges and make a complete cheese wheel wins!
Note: When finished playing, disassemble the mouse trap for easy storage.