Board Games
How to play Mouse Trap
Collect six cheese wedges while the trap threatens to steal them back. Being caught costs cheese; it does not eliminate you.
What you need
C0431 board, mice, die, 24 cheese wedges and fully assembled trap with marble
Set up the game
- An adult assembles the entire trap before play. Give each player one wedge, put two bonus wedges on Start and make a stash with the remainder.
- Put mice on Start. Roll to determine first player; continue left.
Missing pieces, or need a fresh copy? Miniature Market stocks current editions; compare the edition and component list against the rules here before you buy. (Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How links work.)
Playing Mouse Trap
- Roll and move clockwise. Yellow gains one cheese; green steals one from an opponent; red returns one to the stash; purple does nothing.
- Blue lets you send an opponent to the Danger Zone and launch the trap. Take one wedge from each mouse actually caught. A mouse with no cheese still plays.
- Landing directly in the Danger Zone does not trigger the trap. Remain there until moving away. Reset the mechanism after each launch.
- A matching-color tunnel is optional. On an occupied ordinary space, continue to the next available space. The first complete circuit collects the Start bonuses. First to six wedges wins.
Five is still short
You have four wedges and land on green. Stealing takes you to five. On a later launch the cage misses, so your total stays five. The mechanism is exciting, but a launch is not an automatic reward.
When the chain reaction stalls
Do not push stuck pieces through the sequence to force a catch. Watch whether the normal release actually drops the cage. Pause between turns to compare assembly with the illustrated sheet if it repeatedly fails. Practice launches are useful before a scored game; say when practice ends so children know which catches count.
A small choice can change the leader
The die decides movement, but steal and launch spaces sometimes offer a target choice. Compare who is closest to six with who can actually pay a wedge. Treat this as a cheese-collection decision rather than assuming every dramatic launch is equally valuable.
Beginner decisions
- Check cheese totals before choosing whom to trap. Taking one from the leader changes both totals; trapping someone with none earns you nothing.
- Let the active player reset the mechanism, with an adult checking the cage. A missing reset can spoil the next player’s launch.
Common rule mix-ups
- Eliminating a caught mouse.
- Ending after one lap or constructing pieces during turns.
Questions about this game
Does moving a mouse under the cage win cheese?
Only a successful catch transfers cheese.
Can I lose my last wedge?
Yes. You continue playing.
Sources and edition notes
Hasbro C0431, 2021 cheese-wheel rules. Older build-as-you-go and elimination editions differ.
Sources and stated format checked October 14, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.
Report a rule or edition correction →