
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,930
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Spinderella
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2015

Rules assistance for Mouse Trap
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mouse Trap is a board game released in 2004 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. Its main mechanics are Race and Roll / Spin and Move.
This page is for the revamped versions with a toilet component. For the classic versions with a bathtub component, see the classic Mouse Trap page. "The crazy game with 3 all-action contraptions!" Clearly distinguished from the 1963 game of the same name by the tagline "exciting NEW game play and easier set up", this is in fact an entirely new game, despite sharing title, theme, and publisher with the original Mouse Trap. In 'New' Mouse Trap, 2-4 players race around a track collecting wedges of cheese from 3 traps (constructed during setup but very much rendered in the Heath-Robinson/Rube Goldberg style of the the original). Whenever cheese is collected from a trap, or at certain other times, the toilet in the center is flushed. This releases a ball, which will trigger one of the three traps at random. Trapped mice lose a wedge of cheese. The first player to gather 8 wedges (a full circle) is the winner.
Mouse Trap supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Mouse Trap is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Mouse Trap for ages 6 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Mouse Trap has a complexity rating of 1.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Mouse Trap belongs to these categories: Animals, Children's Game, and Action / Dexterity. Its main mechanics are Race and Roll / Spin and Move. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Mouse Trap as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.