Game: Trouble

Image

projectmatter — 2008-07-07T17:16:08+00:00

Getting into Trouble Christmas 1978

Image

whoami — 2008-06-14T08:15:28+00:00

Image

roxon — 2008-04-22T17:35:08+00:00

The board of an old Finnish version

Image

roxon — 2008-04-22T17:32:36+00:00

An old Finnish version

Thread: Re: The Trouble I've seen...

Supermeighen — 2008-03-29T12:20:02+00:00

lol... gotta love kids.

Thread: Re: Classic but too long

bigdoctorphill — 2008-03-02T19:27:23+00:00

I don't know about you, but whenever I played this game when i was young I always tried to get the die out of the plastic dome. I never was sucessful.

Image

Xookliba — 2007-12-07T13:58:34+00:00

The way geeks write

Image

pigeoncamera — 2007-11-23T14:28:23+00:00

The Pop-O-Matic at work.

Image

pigeoncamera — 2007-10-24T20:28:58+00:00

Georgia Doesn't Quite Get How To Play

Thread: The Trouble I've seen...

Pigs Breakfast — 2007-10-18T21:49:53+00:00

We're not proud.

Faced with the single-minded slave-driving insistence of our daughter, we roped a visiting friend into playing Trouble as supplication to the little tyrant. Ah, the things we do for the love of our children. I shall excise the usual grumbling about the awkward board and the demonic dice non-rolling bubble.

The problem with playing the maximum number of players on Trouble is that a tedious little game without much to speak for it somehow enters a timeless life where civilizations rise and fall before you can finally shove its struggling game-of-the-living-dead face back in the box and nail it shut. You say incantations of warding in the vain hopes that your child will forget it ever existed.

Faced with a board covered with cheap plastic pegs and limited moving options, we did what any sensible adults would do. We cheated shamelessly. Our daughter, being a imp of great enthusiasm, was far to involved in the experience of playing to observe our inexact mathematical skills, where pegs mysteriously stopped shy, or jumped over a suspected stopping point which would send the leaders back and prolong the suffering. Once our daughter miscounted and conveniently missed sending my wife's peg back. Our silence was deafening. We figured it counted as an excellent exercise in fuzzy math, because you know two plus two equals five for sufficiently large values of two. Ask a mathematician.

There was much mirth and laughter, and when it so happened that my roll happened to be the right number for our friend to take her last piece home and put the game out of it's misery, well, somehow she moved instead of me. My protests were suspiciously lacking, and I may now be hauled before a gaming tribunal for crimes against the spirit of lawful competition. I remain unrepentant.

Our daughter gleefully put the game away and immediately nailed our twitchy feet to a game or four of Uno. Lasting emotion scars, at least for our progeny, were avoided.

We're not proud, but we are relieved.

Thread: Re: The Trouble with Trouble

Pigs Breakfast — 2007-09-14T23:58:12+00:00

I would have to agree with you. The pop-o-matic, while convenient from a loose parts perspective, is a truly odious creation which would probably be punishable by caning in some countries.

It's perfectly harmless entertainment for children (like my daughter) who require a diversity of games for their enjoyment, but otherwise, don't waste your time here.

Image

tommih — 2007-08-11T19:52:33+00:00

The board of the Finnish edition ("Kimble").

Image

fehrmeister — 2007-07-18T02:56:13+00:00

Irwin Games Edition

Image

dsmeyer — 2007-07-12T00:56:01+00:00

Yes, we are actually playing this game.

Thread: Re: Classic but too long

TMuscle — 2007-02-10T19:37:49+00:00

You're right indeed. The game can be fun if you play it not alot. Otherwise it just get's boring. Probably one of my favorite classics. Don't see many people talk about these old classic games.

Thread: Classic but too long

sensfantodd — 2007-02-10T16:19:45+00:00

Trouble is a classic. I can remember playing it with my grand parents 25 years ago and I've played with my own kids.

The game play is very simple, you use the pop-o-matic dice roller to move your men around the track to get them all to your safe zone. Each player must roll a six to get players out of home base onto the track. As you move your men around the board you have the ability send your opponents back to their home base by landing on them.

Positives
There is no denying that the real draw of this game for kids is the pop-o-matic dice roller.

The ability to land on a parent or grandparent and make the game harder for them has a great amount of appeal for a youngster.

For parents looking for educational value there is plenty of counting and with the ability to have up to four men travelling around the board at once it is a good tool for multi-tasking.

The men fit into plastic slots adding an aspect of helping with manual dexterity and making sure that the game cannot be ruined do to a bumped board.

Negatives

This game is way too long. If the rules are followed exactly 45 min is unrealistic.

The plastic slots are great for kids’ manual dexterity but I had a hard time getting my son to not put it into every slot every time he moved.

Getting stuck in home base trying to role a six is frustrating for anyone and especially hard for young kids.

Recommended Modifications for Parents

Here are some things I've done when I play to make the game go faster and be more enjoyable for kids.

Allow a player to leave home base with a six or a one. This doesn't remove the chance of being stuck in home base but it does make getting out easier.

Reduce the number of men you play with. Using three men instead of four cuts playing time significantly.

If a player reaches their safe zone they move right in. By eliminating the bouncing back off the top of the safe zone players don't get sent back to home base while waiting to get that exact "pop".

Overall

With the minor modifications this is a fun family game. 6/10

Thread: Re: User Review

Leezer — 2007-01-10T00:48:02+00:00

I don't think it's out of print. I'm pretty sure I saw it at Target recently.

Thread: Re: The Trouble with Trouble

jamesdavis — 2007-01-09T16:43:19+00:00

rri1 wrote:
Osama Bin Davis wrote:
i think the one of the reasons for having the popo matic is so small kids wont swallow the dice. which is infact a great idea. but im not sure if thats the reason they made it or not!

But there are plenty of small pieces which can be swallowed. yes i was thinking that too. it was just a guess!

Thread: Re: The Trouble with Trouble

generalpf — 2007-01-09T16:05:56+00:00

I played one of the new printings of Trouble and I was shocked at how hard you have to press the Pop-o-Matic to get the die to move. My son has to lean on it with both hands.

Thread: Re: The Trouble with Trouble

dpasq — 2007-01-09T15:45:19+00:00

"Trouble" and "Headache" (another pop-o-matic game) are classics from my childhood. You're pretty much right on with your review. I bought the older versions from the 70's on eBay, and the popper seems to be much better than the one on the newer versions. And it's got that real retro feel.

This happened with Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, too -- the newer version, while functionally the same, isn't made quite as well, and therefore isn't as much fun. Pop-o-matic and robot arm technology must have been better in the 70's!

Thread: Re: The Trouble with Trouble

rri1 — 2007-01-09T14:34:35+00:00

Osama Bin Davis wrote:
i think the one of the reasons for having the popo matic is so small kids wont swallow the dice. which is infact a great idea. but im not sure if thats the reason they made it or not!

But there are plenty of small pieces which can be swallowed.

Thread: Re: The Trouble with Trouble

jamesdavis — 2007-01-09T13:28:26+00:00

i think the one of the reasons for having the popo matic is so small kids wont swallow the dice. which is infact a great idea. but im not sure if thats the reason they made it or not!

Thread: The Trouble with Trouble

jar011 — 2007-01-09T02:35:40+00:00

Again, my 8 y/o daugther received a 'retro' game from my childhood. Yes, she received a copy of Trouble in a Christmas grab bag this year. I wish it was something better, but beggars can't be chosers. So, she brought it home and we had to play. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Pieces
Believe it or not, Trouble is actually "Assembly Required". Who knew? You don't need an engineering degree to put it together, but you do need to attach the 'colorful' display that sits under the plastic board.

Once you slap the cardboard to bottom of the tray and attach it with the little white rubber 'feet' that hold it in and stop the board from slipping you're good to go. (Note to Parents: if you have a baby around, make sure to throw out the extra white rubber feet and the punchouts from the cardboard as they are very small)

The rest of the pieces include 4 game tokens for each color (red, green, blue and yellow) and the rules.

Rules

The rules are pretty straight forward. You 'pop' the dice using the "Pop-O-Matic" dice roller. If you roll a 6, you get to move a token out of your "Home" area into the playing area. If you don't roll a six and you have no tokens in the playing area. Your turn is over.

Once you are in the playing area, you have to move around the board once and make it into your 'finish' area. In order to move into your finish area, you have to roll the exact number to get in.

In order to win, you have to be the first player to get all four tokens around the board and into your 'finish' area. The only trick is to avoid being landed on by your opponent and sent back to your home space.

As I just mentioned, you can send your opponent back to their 'home' area by landing on their piece with an exact roll. This automatically sends them back to their 'home' space to start all over again.

Conclusion
I'd write more, but there isn't much more to say in terms of rules. The game play on the other hand wasn't too bad.

The worst part about this game is using the "Pop-o-Matic" to roll your dice. It is neither quiet nor 'fair'. By not quiet, I mean it makes an annoying click-POP noise when you push down on it to roll the dice (not very sleeping baby friendly). By not fair, I mean that it is very easy for it to get stuck on the same dice roll for 5, 6 or 7 turns. Which means, you can be rolling a 1 over and over and over again. I'd much prefer and actual hand roll for the dice or for the true BGG a dice boot. But, what are you going to do. The "Pop-o-Matic" is probably a registered trademark or something (and it wouldn't be Trouble without it).

The game can take a very long time (30-45 minutes). I'm not opposed to 30-45 minute games, but when you're just 'racing' around a circle once the 30-45 minutes seems like an eternity.

We've played a number of rounds of Trouble since my daugther received it. They haven't all been bad or tedious. Its not a 'bad' game per se, but its not great either.

We've played with 2 and 3. I'd say the 3 player version was much more enjoyable than the 2 player. You actually had to think a bit more about your moves and if you wanted to send player one or two back to their home spots (when the situation arose).

All in all, I'd recommend it for BGGs with kids. It's rated 5+, so you can get the whole family in on it. It does teach counting, turn play and a bit of strategy. The more the merrier when playing. The only caution is the time. It can take every bit of 45 minutes to get through a game. Its not like Candy Land where you can pull out the 'special cards' (e.g., Icing Princess, et al) after one time through the deck. You either finish or quit if the kids (or mom/dad) get bored at the 30-40 minute mark.

Thread: Re: User Review

consolewa — 2006-12-13T09:19:41+00:00

potterama wrote:
Although in continuous production for years, Trouble no longer appears in the Hasbro website's listings of available products. I would be interested if anyone knows whether the game has gone out of print.

Trouble seems to be in trouble, what what.

Thread: Re: My little nephew is Trouble!!!!

Sinister Dexter — 2006-01-03T14:04:22+00:00

Well, maybe root-beer and pretzel...

Thread: My little nephew is Trouble!!!!

wookie1 — 2005-12-30T11:59:03+00:00

One of the gifts my nephew (age 7) received for Christmas was the game Trouble.

Our first go at this game was a lot of fun.

After a brief once over of the rules I was able to get a 3 player game going. Well, let's just say that all my years of geekdom did not help me out. Katie (that's the mom) and Nicholas proceeded to trounce me from the start!!

I could not get that pop-o-matic thing to pop-out a six. Whereas Katie and the kid were able to get lots of 6's. Without a 6, you can't even get your piece out of the home base area. Arrgh!

I'll end this report by saying that my two opponents zipped around the board and got all of their pieces home all the while laughing in my face! and I really do mean in my face!!! Whoever taught these two such unsportsmanlike behavior?!? No me!...

Anyway, my mini-review is that Trouble is a great game for young kids that are just learning to count and the pop-o-matic is kinda neat. Good beer-and pretzel game for kids!

Thread: User Review

potterama — 2005-02-22T21:30:00+00:00

Game Review: Trouble

The Quick and Dirty:
Children's roll-and-move enlivened by the Pop-o-matic

Rules/Mechanics:
The rules for Trouble are essentially the same as those of India's national game, Pachisi (or Parcheesi). Play takes place on a square board imprinted with intersecting colored tracks for each player, and surmounted by a central plastic bubble containing a resistant plastic membrane and a standard 6-sided die. Pressing down and releasing the button causes the membrane to collapse and then snap upwards, rolling the dice while containing it conveniently inside the buble. Players are each issued four pegs in their color, and roll to see who moves first. Each turn, players roll the dice. If they roll a 6, they may move one of their pegs into the "start" space, and roll again. If they roll an additional 6, they may move another of their pegs onto their start space, or move one of the pieces already on the track. If players land a peg on an opposing piece, that piece is returned to its players' hand, and must be re-entered on the track. The winner is the first player to get all four of their pegs to the "finish" space on their truck.

Strategy:
As in Pachisi, the only important tactical decision to be made is which of your pegs to move. If at all possible, it is advantageous to keep your pegs more than six spaces ahead of your opponents' pegs -- at times, therefore, it will be essential to move one of your forward pegs rather than advancing a rear peg into a potentially threatened position. By the same token, moving a peg into a position 6 or fewer spaces behind an opposing peg makes it likely you will be able to capture a piece.

Components:
The sturdy plastic construction and bright colors already make Trouble a superior children's game, component-wise. However, Truoble also possesses the wonderful pop-o-matic, a n innovation more "serious" games could take to heart. The popomatic provides visceral fun, but even more importantly it prevents over-enthusiastic players from sending the die tumbling to the floor, through a window, or under the couch.

Remarks:
Trouble is, as stated above, a close relative of Pachisi. However, it improves upon the original, in my opinion, by virtue of simplification and shortening, and is now rendered wha it should have been recognized as all along: a children's game. While the decisions to be made are limited, there is enough strategy here to engage beginning gamers, and the delightful fun of the pop-o-matic makes even the roll-and-move mechanics charming for parents and other patient adults impressed into a game.
At the time of this writing, Hasbro is the publisher of Trouble, having purchased the rights, along with many other properties, from the venerable Milton Bradley corporation. Although in continuous production for years, Trouble no longer appears in the Hasbro website's listings of available products. I would be interested if anyone knows whether the game has gone out of print.

Caveat: while all efforts have been made to correctly represent factual information, all comments are solely representative of the article author, and not necessarily the opinions of Board Game Geek, its hosts, editors, or moderators. Please send corrections directly to the author.

Thread:

fellonmyhead — 2003-04-18T21:01:17+00:00

This game was known as Frustration in the UK; it was made by Peter Pan Playthings right up until the 1980's or 1990's; from then I believe it was under MB's label and still is today.