Pete's Expert Summary
My human has presented me with another one of their curious artifacts. This one, by a company called Hasbro, appears to be a flat, foldable square depicting a garish, circular path. They call it "Trouble." Its primary feature seems to be a transparent bubble in the center, which, when pressed, makes a satisfying *pop* and tumbles a small, numbered cube. It also comes with a collection of small, brightly colored plastic pegs, which are, I must admit, the perfect size and shape for batting under the heaviest piece of furniture. While the humans' ritual of moving these pegs in a circle seems profoundly pointless, the popping mechanism and the potential for creating small-scale chaos with the pieces suggest this item might offer a brief, fleeting distraction from my rigorous napping schedule.
Key Features
- FUN FAMILY GAME FOR KIDS: Remember playing the original Trouble board game as a kid? Introduce a new generation to classic Trouble gameplay with this Trouble game for kids
- EASY TO LEARN AND SET UP: The Trouble game is easy to play and quick set up. The object of the game is simple: the first player to get all of their game pieces around the board wins
- POWER UP SPACES: The game instructions include options for classic Trouble gameplay or a version with Power Up Spaces for a more challenging game
- POP-O-MATIC BUBBLE: In this beloved children's board game, players press and pop the plastic bubble to roll the die. The iconic Pop-o-Matic die roller is fun to press, and it keeps the die from getting lost
- BOARD GAMES FOR FAMILY: Adults and kids can play this family board game together. It's a fun indoor game for playdates and a great choice for Family Game Night
- GREAT GIFTS FOR GIRLS AND BOYS: Classic board games make entertaining family gifts for kids ages 5 and up
- Ditch the TV and re-ignite family night with the get-together amusement of a Hasbro game
- Party it up and surprise guests at your next event with laugh-out-loud games from Hasbro Gaming
- Nostalgic tabletop gameplay meets interactive digital content for an immersive gaming experience
- Hasbro Gaming imagines and produces games that are perfect for every age, taste and event
A Tale from Pete the Cat
The evening began, as many do, with my humans clearing my favorite napping spot—the large, flat wooden platform they call a "coffee table"—for one of their strange rituals. Out came the box. I watched from the arm of the sofa, a silent, gray judge, as they unfolded a brightly colored board. In its center sat a clear, plastic dome, a miniature biodome containing a single, white, spotted cube. A prison. I felt a pang of sympathy for the tiny captive. The first human, the one who is stingiest with the good tuna, placed a meaty finger on the dome and pressed. *POP!* The sound was sharp, percussive. The cube inside leaped and tumbled, a frantic prisoner rattling its cage, before settling. A number faced the sky. The human made a noise of satisfaction and moved a small, red totem from one circle to another. They were not playing a game. I saw it with sudden, startling clarity: they were consulting an oracle. The dome was a vessel of prophecy, the die a conduit to the whims of fate, and the colored pegs were the avatars of their mortal destinies. As the appointed spiritual guardian of this domain, I could not allow such a potent ritual to be conducted without proper oversight. I made a fluid leap onto the table, my paws silent on the wood. The humans made their usual "Pete, no!" noises, but they are spiritually deaf and cannot hear the call of duty. I ignored them, approaching the Oracle of Trouble with the reverence it deserved. I circled it once, my white-tipped tail held high, before sitting and placing a single, soft paw upon the dome's cool surface. I was not merely touching it; I was sanctifying it, lending my own profound energies to its divinations. The next human hesitated, then pressed the bubble under my paw. *POP!* A six. A gasp went around the table. They saw it as simple luck, the fools. They could not comprehend the complex metaphysical transaction that had just occurred. For the rest of the evening, I presided over the ceremony. A slow blink to bless a good roll, a disdainful ear-flick for a poor one. I would occasionally test the integrity of a player's avatar with a gentle nudge, sending it skittering across the board—a reminder that fate, and I, are fickle. The game itself is beneath me, but the Pop-o-Matic Oracle? It has potential. Its pronouncements are crude, but with my guidance, it may yet prove a worthy household shrine.
