Mouse Trap Game

The mouse trap game was originally published by Ideal Toy Company in 1963. This game can be played by two or more people and is probably one of the most sought after game for kids who are 6 years and above. Even though the look and other related aspects of the game have changed over the years, the concept of the game tends to remain the same. The main idea behind the Mouse trap game is to first create a Rube Goldberg like mouse trap. Once the participants are done building the trap, they have to play to trap the opponent’s mice into it.

The Mouse trap game was created by Hank Kramer. He designed the game in such a way that it does not require too much of planning or decision making. During the commencement of the game, the participants are given a mouse shaped piece which is made to go around the game board along rough square- shaped, non-continuous path which finishes with a loop at the end of it. The mouse trap game is played with the help of a dice. Initially, the players have to roll the dice and move over blocks which have instructions on each one of them. When a player lands over a block which says “build”, he is supposed to add two pieces to the construction of the trap and collect two cheese token at the same time. The main trap in the mouse trap game works with the help of a crank which operates upon a set of gears. This lowers the cage over the “cheese wheel” which is there at the end of the loop.

There is another block on the path which is the “turn crank” block. When a mouse lands on this block after the trap is built, another opposing player whose mouse is there on one of the six blocks of the “cheese wheel” turns the crank and starts lowering the trap. The trap can fall on any mouse and thus gets eliminated from the mouse trap game. Just in case there is no mouse on the “cheese wheel”, a player landing on the “turn crank” block can trade his cheese token to roll the dice again and get out of a position which he might think is unsafe for him.

The mouse trap game gets over when there is only one mouse left on the board.