Monster Trap

Overview

Monster Trap is a dexterity game for 2-4 players where teams work together to catch monsters hiding in a mansion before Grandma Frieda arrives. Players use sliding rods on the sides of the game box to push a sacked monster piece through corridors and into a trap in the center of the board, all against a sand timer. The player who catches the most monsters wins.

Components

• 1 game board (mansion corridors inside the box)
• 4 sliders (2 vertical, 2 horizontal)
• 1 sacked monster piece
• 14 monster tokens (on the board)
• Monster cards (matching the tokens)
• Eye tokens (12 total, 3 per player)
• 1 sand timer (hourglass)
• 6 location cards (advanced variant)

Setup

1. Place the game board inside the box with monster tokens visible in the corridors.
2. Shuffle monster cards and place face down as a deck.
3. Each player takes 3 eye tokens.
4. For 3-4 players, form rotating teams of 2. For 2 players, play individually.

Turn Structure

In the 3-4 player version, play proceeds clockwise with rotating two-player teams:

1. Team decides who controls vertical sliders and who controls horizontal sliders.
2. Other players manage the hourglass and call “On your monster, get set, go!” to start.
3. The team catches as many monsters as possible before the timer runs out.
4. When time expires, the team throws one eye token into the monster trap.
5. Next team takes their turn.

Actions

Catching a Monster

1. Reset sliders to starting positions on the edges.
2. Reveal a monster card – find that monster’s token on the board.
3. Place the sacked monster on the matching token.
4. Use sliders to push the sacked monster through corridors into the center trap. Only use sliders – do not touch the piece directly.
5. Collect the card on your team’s discard pile when the monster falls into the trap.
6. Repeat from step 1 for additional monsters until time runs out.

If the Sacked Monster Falls Over or Leaves the Maze

The monster has escaped. Place it back on the target token and try again. Other players may shout “Escape!” to alert.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

After 12 rounds (all eye tokens used), count monster cards:

1. The team with the most monster cards is the Top Monster-Catching Team.
2. Each player adds cards from both teams they participated in. The player with the most total cards is the Very Best Monster Catcher and wins.
3. Tiebreaker: Count open eyes on won monster cards (0, 2, 3, or 5 eyes). Most open eyes wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• 2-player game: Each player plays solo (controls all 4 sliders). Takes 3 eye tokens. Gets double time (hourglass flipped twice per turn). Game plays over 6 rounds.
• Advanced variant: Draw a location card with each monster card. Push the monster to that location first (bathroom, cat, refrigerator) before pushing it into the trap.
• If the last monster is not trapped when time expires, the card is placed face up next to the deck (not scored).
• When the monster card deck runs out, reshuffle discarded face-up cards.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
Setup	Reset sliders, flip hourglass
Catch	Reveal card, place sacked monster on token, slide to center trap
End Round	Time up: place eye token in trap
Scoring	After 12 rounds, most combined monster cards wins