Mouse Trap

Overview

Mouse Trap is a classic board game where players build an elaborate Rube Goldberg-style mouse trap while moving around the board collecting cheese. Once the trap is complete, players try to capture opponents’ mice by luring them onto the trap space and activating the contraption. The last uncaptured mouse wins.

Components

• 1 gameboard
• 4 plastic mice (player pieces)
• 2 metal marbles
• 25 Mouse Trap building parts and accessories
• Rubber bands
• 52 cheese pieces
• 1 die

Setup

1. Place the gameboard on a flat surface. Remove all Mouse Trap parts and accessories.
2. Each player picks a mouse and places it on the START space.
3. Carefully push out the cheese pieces and place them to the side.
4. Leave Mouse Trap building parts nearby for assembly during play.

Turn Structure

1. Pick a player to go first. Play proceeds clockwise.
2. Roll the die and move your mouse that many spaces clockwise.
3. Follow the instructions on the space you land on.

Actions

Types of Spaces

Space	Effect
Build spaces	Build the next numbered Mouse Trap part(s) in sequence. The number on the space tells how many parts to add
Cheese spaces	Take the indicated number of cheese pieces from the Cheese Pile or opponents
Take & Move	Roll again, move, and follow new space instructions
Dog Bone	Do nothing; safe space
Cheese Wheel space	Automatically take 2 cheese from the Cheese Pile. If empty, take from opponents
Loop / Crank space	See “Trapping Mice” below

Build Spaces

Build parts sequentially. For example, if you are the first to land on a Build space, you build part #1. If part #1 is already built, build the next unbuilt part(s) up to the number shown. In a 4-player game, you can build it if you land on ANY Build space, regardless of its number.

Cheese Wheel Space

When you land on the Cheese Wheel space and your mouse is on the Turn Crank space (or vice versa), you may trade cheese pieces for extra turns.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Trapping Mice

Once the Mouse Trap is complete, it can be activated:

1. When you land on the Turn Crank space (with the crank), and an opponent’s mouse is on the Cheese Wheel space, turn the crank.

2. How the trap works: Turning crank (A) rotates gears (B), causing lever (C) to push stop sign against shoe (D). Shoe tips bucket holding metal marble (E). Marble rolls down rickety stairs (F) into rain gutter (G), leading to helping hand rod (H). This causes a second marble (I) to fall through thing-a-ma-jig (J) and bathtub (K), landing on diving board (L). The weight catapults diver (M) through the air into washtub (N), causing cage (O) to fall from post (P) and trap the mouse.

3. If the trap catches the mouse, that mouse is captured and out of the game.
4. If the trap fails, the opponent’s mouse is safe.

Winning: The last uncaptured mouse on the board wins.

Moving Opponents

When you land on a space that lets you move an opponent’s mouse, you may place them on the Cheese Wheel space as long as there is no other mouse already there.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Safe space: An opponent’s mouse on the Safe space (marked on the board) cannot be trapped.
• If there is no opposing mouse on the Cheese Wheel space when you’re on the crank space, you cannot activate the trap.
• If the trap fails to capture the mouse, play continues normally.
• Only one mouse may occupy the Cheese Wheel space at a time.
• A player can try to trap their own mouse if circumstances arise, but typically you target opponents.
• Before operating the mouse trap, ensure all parts are properly assembled.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
Roll	Roll die, move clockwise
Land	Build trap parts, collect cheese, or activate trap
Build	Add next sequential trap piece(s)
Trap	When on crank with opponent on cheese wheel: turn crank
Win	Last uncaptured mouse wins