Trap Pile

AKA Mousetrap Jenga. Stack loaded mousetraps on a plate until someone sets it off.

Safety note: keep fingers clear of the triggers and set traps away from faces.

This game is easy to play anywhere, and guaranteed to pull in bystanders for more snapping fun!

Trap Pile started when I saw people playing some version of this at Burning Man. I have no idea what rules they were using, so I made some up.

The vibe is fast, chaotic, and easy to teach to any number of players. The “on a plate” restriction keeps the space tight and ends things quickly. So far the biggest piles we’ve seen were around 30 traps on a dinner plate.

How to play

• Players take turns placing one loaded trap on the plate
• If you knock a trap off the plate, you must replace it
• If a few traps go off but the pile doesn’t collapse, you replace those too
• The game ends when someone sets off the pile

Equipment

Any standard wooden mousetraps work. We’ve had the best luck with Victor-style traps and a dinner plate that you don’t mind chipping or scuffing. Paper plates can do the trick, too.

Community submissions

Pile builds and chaos from people playing their own versions. Got a ridiculous stack? Send it in.