In Mouse Trap, 2 to 4 players race their mice around a cheese factory, collecting cheese wedges and stealing them from each other. You roll the die, move clockwise, and do what the space says. Land on the blue Launch-the-Trap space and you send another mouse into the trap and set off the chain-reaction contraption. The first player to collect six cheese wedges and complete a cheese wheel wins.
This guide follows Hasbro’s official rules for the current Mouse Trap game (C0431): setup, what every space does, how the trap works, how to reset it, and the questions families ask most.
- Players: 2 to 4, ages 6 and up
- In the box: gameboard, 4 mouse pieces, 21 trap parts, a rubber band, a marble, 24 cheese wedges and a die
- Who goes first: roll the die; play then passes to the left
- To win: be first to collect six cheese wedges
How to set up Mouse Trap
- Lay the board on a flat, stable surface and build the mouse trap contraption (the assembly steps are on the back of Hasbro’s rule sheet; Hasbro says adult assembly is required).
- Give each player one cheese wedge.
- Put two cheese wedges on the Start space. The first player to get all the way around the board collects these two bonus wedges.
- Put the rest of the wedges in a pile next to the board. This is the cheese stash.
- Each player picks a mouse and puts it on Start.
How to play Mouse Trap
Roll the die to see who goes first. On your turn, roll the die, move clockwise that many spaces, and follow the rule for the space you land on. If another mouse is already on that space, move ahead to the next free space.
What each space does in Mouse Trap
| Space | What happens |
|---|---|
| Yellow: Add-a-Cheese | Take one cheese wedge from the stash. |
| Red: Lose-a-Cheese | Put one of your wedges back in the stash. If you have none, you are still in the game. |
| Green: Steal-a-Cheese | Take one wedge from any other player. |
| Purple | Nothing happens. |
| Mousehole Tunnel | You may travel through the tunnel to the space at the other end. The colours of the entry and exit spaces must match. |
| Blue: Launch-the-Trap | Send any one player to the Cheesy Danger Zone and launch the trap. |
| Cheesy Danger Zone | If you land here by exact count, stop. The trap is not launched, but you could be caught on someone else’s turn. |
How the mouse trap works
- Land on the blue Launch-the-Trap space.
- Choose any player and move their mouse to the Cheesy Danger Zone. Mice in the zone sit on the cheese under the cage.
- Pull back the stop sign and let go. The boot kicks the bucket, the marble rolls down the stairs and the chain reaction drops the cage.
- If the cage catches a mouse, take one cheese wedge from that player. You get one wedge from each mouse caught.
You can send a mouse to the zone even if another mouse is already there. You can’t steal cheese from a player who has none, but you can still send them to the trap.
What happens if you get caught?
You are still in the game. You lose one cheese wedge to the player who launched the trap (if you have one). After the trap is reset, your mouse stays in the Cheesy Danger Zone, and you start from there on your next turn.
How to reset the trap
If the trap is launched on your turn, you reset it. Hasbro’s five steps:
- Stand the bucket on the staircase upright and put the marble back in it.
- Turn the broomstick so its bucket is at the bottom, near the end of the rain gutter.
- Latch the spanner to the broomstick to hold it in place.
- Put the diver back on the end of the diving board.
- Carefully hang the cage.
How to win Mouse Trap
Be the first player to collect six cheese wedges and make a full cheese wheel. Going round the board does not end the game: keep moving round until someone has six wedges. When you finish, Hasbro suggests taking the trap apart for storage.
Simple Mouse Trap tips
- Target the cheese leader. When you land on Launch-the-Trap or Steal-a-Cheese, pick the player with the most wedges.
- Use the tunnels. A tunnel can move you past red Lose-a-Cheese spaces.
- Don’t stay in the danger zone. Any mouse there can be caught on another player’s turn.
- Test the trap first. Launch it once before the game so every part is in the right place.
Older Mouse Trap editions used different rules, so check the sheet in your box if your board looks different.
More family game rules: Candy Land rules, Chutes and Ladders rules, Trouble game rules and Sorry! game rules.
Another steady-hands classic: our Operation game rules explain the buzzer, the ailment cards and how the player with the most money wins.
Frequently asked questions
How many cheese pieces do you need to win Mouse Trap?
Six. The first player to collect six cheese wedges and complete a cheese wheel wins.
How many players can play Mouse Trap?
2 to 4 players, ages 6 and up.
Do you lose if you get caught in Mouse Trap?
No. You give one cheese wedge to the player who launched the trap and carry on from the Cheesy Danger Zone on your next turn.
What happens when you land on the blue space in Mouse Trap?
You send any one player to the Cheesy Danger Zone and launch the trap. If the cage catches them, you take one of their cheese wedges.
Can two mice be on the same space?
Not on normal spaces: move ahead to the next free space. More than one mouse can be in the Cheesy Danger Zone.
Who resets the mouse trap?
The player whose turn it was when the trap was launched.
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