Cat and Mice: Cheesepyramid Traps

A group of mice must navigate a giant pyramid of cheese, racing each other to see who can collect the most before reaching the top. Mice can wiggle through the holes in the cheese to collect even more, but watch out for the cat!

Having found a lot of holes in the cheese, the pussy howls: “Mice must feel too much at ease, eating up the master’s cheese. I will guard it night and day, shooing naughty mice away!” Careful, mice - the cat is sly, it will hit you – you will fly. Go running to the top! Keep the cheese and do not stop! Traps are no threat with cheese, win, do not be scared of these!

GAME COMPONENTS:
Cheese pyramid – 1,
‘cheese lumps’
with holes – 4,
numbered tokens – 25,
chips: wooden mouse — 4,
wooden cat — 1;
glass balls – 4,
dice – 1,
rules — 1.

THE PURPOSE OF THE GAME:
To be first to reach the cheese pyramid, and gain as many points as possible!

THE PROGRESS OF THE GAME
• The game participants take turns to throw the dice and move the mice game pieces towards the top of the cheese pyramid along the tiers (levels). • The game pieces may only be moved anti-clockwise. • The movement to each subsequent tier (level) is via four staircases. • Only one game piece may be located in the field. Game pieces may “step over” each other. If the relevant field is occupied by another game piece, the player should go to the free field ahead of it. • On the fields with symbols the players must comply with their conditions (see the playing field symbols). • When moving or “stepping” with a game piece over other game pieces the players must hold the marble with a finger of only one hand.

PLAYING FIELD SYMBOLS
1. The mouse game piece stopped in the field with this symbol: • If the player does not have the “holes” of his/her piece of cheese closed, he/she will take one token from the bank, and cover the holes with it blindfold, i. e., without turning the token with the number upwards. • If all the holes are already covered with tokens, the player will make an additional move.
2. The cat game piece has stopped on this field, so the move is to be made to the player who is next in turn. • If the player’s game piece gets onto the field with the cat’s symbol, the player will throw the dice and move the cat’s game piece by the number of points shown on the dice. See special cases that may occur during the cat’s movement in VI and VII.
3. If the game piece gets into this field, the marble will fall into the hole and roll down to the other tier (level). The player will move the mouse game piece to a new field, cover the marble with it again, and take two tokens from the bank and cover the “holes” on the cheese piece with them. See special cases in IV and V. NOTE. The trap field will be inactive if all five holes on the cheese piece are closed with tokens. In this case the player will put the mouse game piece near the hole, so as prevent the marble from falling.
4. On the upper tier the Players’ game pieces will be moving in a circle until one of them (or the cat game piece) stands precisely on the field with a red flag — the finish field. NOTE. For the smallest kids the game may be finished when the first player reaches or crosses the field with the flag. • Then the players turn their cheese pieces upside down and count the points on the tokens. The one who gains most points will be the winner. • In the event of two players with equal number of points the one who has reached the finish or is closer to the same will win.

Developing game "Cat and Mouse" in the form of a dimensional pyramid develops fine motor skills, memory and attention. Gives an idea of ​​numbers and scoring. Trains accurate eye. Unique 3D form of the pyramid allows you to play not only in one-dimensional plane but in three-dimensional space.
—description from the publisher

The object of the game is to be the first to get your mouse to the top of the pyramid while avoiding the cat.

Each player controls a wooden mouse covering a marble. Players take turns rolling the die and moving their mouse. Some spots allow the marble to drop, requiring the player to move their mouse to that lower location. Other spots trigger the cat to move.
—user summary