A cursed game-within-a-game that won't go back into its box.
It’s game night. You and your friends gather to play a Hamlet-inspired game manuscript from 1983. But there’s a catch… The game is cursed. By the end of the night, some of you will be sucked into the game — trapped inside a castle with a bloodthirsty ghost — and your characters will take your place at the table. What will they do when they’re the ones in control?
This game manuscript was reconstructed by scholar and editor Cornelia Foote, PhD, and scattered among Dr. Foote’s notes are the secrets and anomalies that can help you rescue your friends. But it also means having to play again. And again.
Mousetrap is a cursed game-within-a-game that won’t go back into its box.
You alternate between mini-games and vignettes — mini-games that depict common interactions between players at the table and scenes that depict your characters in the fictional Castle Muldoon.
Until your player and your character swap!
Mousetrap is a game-within-a-game and a book-within-a-book, a facsimile of a found manuscript within a critical commentary.
Hidden inside are the origins of Castle Muldoon and the secrets to breaking its curse. Stumble through the pages, spy on their secrets, and scavenge the footnotes for clues.
Altogether, Mousetrap is an experimental game, designed to mix up realities, create disorienting situations, and explode the fourth wall.
If you're interested in both laughing at yourself and seriously exploring the relationship between a player and their character, then Mousetrap may be for you.
Contributors
Mousetrap features art by Strega Wolf, design consultation by Seraphina Garcia Ramirez, and developmental editing by Furt the Goblin. Its main cover is by Caro Asercion. The cover for the book-within-a-book is by Strega Wolf. It includes public domain art by John Austen from Hamlet (1922). Permission from Meguey and D. Vincent Baker was granted to use the Firebrands framework and mini-games.
FAQ
What's in the book?
The book is approximately 160 pages with front matter, rules, a playbook of 11 mini-games, and a facsimile of the original Castle Muldoon with five acts of six vignettes each.
The book also comes with a (fictional) foreword by Dr. Emily Friedman.
How long does it take to play Mousetrap?
Mousetrap is a long-form game. The first time that you play Mousetrap you will need 2-3 sessions or 8-10 hours. Mousetrap is intended to be played multiple times with the same characters. On average, it takes 1-2 sessions or 4-8 hours for subsequent playthroughs.
Can Mousetrap be played online?
I recommend that you play Mousetrap in-person with a physical copy of the book. Playing Mousetrap online is more challenging and creates a different experience; however, I have added tips for online play.