Official Trouble Rules

Last Updated on February 1, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

Trouble is a fast-paced family board game of luck and strategy, made famous by its signature Pop-O-Matic die roller. The goal is simple: be the first to move all four of your pegs around the board and safely into your Finish zone. Along the way, you’ll try to block and bump your opponents’ pegs back to their Home. This page covers the official rules for Trouble, so you can set up and start playing without confusion.

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How to Play Trouble

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Game Components

Inside the box, you’ll find everything you need to play:

• 1 plastic game unit with the built-in Pop-O-Matic die roller
• 1 gameboard
• 16 plastic pegs (4 in each color)
• 4 rubber feet for the gameboard

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Assembly Instructions

1. Place the plastic game unit upside down.
2. Position the gameboard facedown over the unit.
3. Insert the four rubber feet into the holes on the back of the board.
4. Flip it over, and your game is ready to play!

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Trouble Setup

• Each player chooses a color and takes four pegs, placing them in their Home area.
• With only two players, each person can play with two colors if desired.
• To decide who goes first, each player presses the Pop-O-Matic once. The highest roll starts, and play continues clockwise.

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Trouble Gameplay

On your turn, press the Pop-O-Matic to roll the die. A turn always consists of one pop and one move—if a move is possible.

• Rolling a 6: If you roll a 6, you may move a new peg out of Home to your Start space, or advance one already on the track. After that, you pop again for an extra turn.
• First move: To get your first peg on the board, you must roll a 6. Until you do, you’ll need to wait and keep trying on your turn.
• Moving around the board: Pegs move clockwise the number of spaces rolled. You must always move forward the exact count shown.

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Bumping Opponents

• If your peg lands on a space occupied by an opponent, their peg is sent back to Home, and your peg takes the spot.
• If your Start space is blocked by another player’s peg when you roll a 6, their peg is immediately bumped back to Home.
• You cannot land on or share spaces with your own pegs.

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Entering the Finish Line

Once a peg makes a full lap around the board, it heads into the Finish area.

• You must roll the exact number needed to move a peg into its Finish space.
• Pegs inside Finish are safe—no one can bump them.
• Pegs must follow the arrows within the Finish track and move forward only by exact die rolls.

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Winning the Game

The first player to move all four pegs from Home, around the board, and into their Finish area wins! Play can continue after that to determine 2nd and 3rd place if you’d like.

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Trouble FAQ

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Final Thoughts

Trouble is a lighthearted race game that combines luck from the Pop-O-Matic die with tactical decisions about when to bring out new pegs or advance existing ones. The game is easy to learn, fun for all ages, and full of “gotcha” moments when you send opponents back to Home. Whether you’re playing casually with kids or competitively with friends, Trouble delivers quick, laugh-filled gameplay every time.