Customer Reviews

Trapdoor Checkers

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Length:: 2:01 Mins

Goliath Rolit ClassicGoliath ExagoGoliath Wordquest

Trapdoor Checkers adds new levels of strategic fun to a familiar game

Trapdoor Checkers is a new board for an old board game.

Flanking both sides of the board are controls for 4 different slides. Each slide opens or closes one of two trap doors (as the name of the game implies). Which slide you can use, and when, is determined by spinning one of two cylinders embedded on either end the board. When spun, the cylinders offer their players one of three options: slide either a green or orange lever to its next position, or move a checker. When the lever is moved to the left, a trap door is opened; to the center, the door is closed; and to the right, another trap door is opened. On your move, can only slide the lever to the next position.

Each time a trap door is opened or closed, the board is redefined. Though it seems most satisfying to open a trap door underneath one of your opponent's pieces (a rather delicious moment, I must say), it is at least equally satisfying to open a trap door so that when your opponent makes the obligatory jump, she jumps over your piece into the pit of vindication. Every open trap door adds an almost palpable sense of peril. Almost, but not really perilous. Just fun. From time-to-time, the kind of fun that makes you laugh. Often, Major FUN.

To get a better idea of the game, watch this marketing video (originally for game vendors) showing how the game is played.

Designed by David Mair, Trapdoor Checkers proves to be easy to learn, especially if you already know how to play checkers. It brings checker-players a welcome opportunity to re-examine their basic understanding of checker strategies. It adds elements of surprise and unpredictability, combined with a certain, highly graphic opportunity for vengeance, that create new levels of fun and engagement, and necessitate the development of new strategies. Almost any variation of checkers can be played on the Trap Door Checkers board (for more variations, see my article Ex Checkers). For anyone old enough to appreciate checkers, Trap Door Checkers is a reason to appreciate checkers even more.

GREAT CONCEPT - NEEDS TWEAKING - This is a fun twist on a classic game, but the game makers need to work on its design. First, the checkers are extremely lightweight very thin making it difficult for adults to pick up the checkers. They also slide around the plastic board so one small bump shifts everything on the board. Next, the board is made of plasic and has four foam "feet." However, the feet are too small so they don't really hold the board in place on the table. This really becomes a problem when you need open or close a trap door. The levers for those are extremely tight. One person has to hold the whole board while the player attempts to open/close the trapdoors. Mostly, I was doing it FOR my 6-year old. Finally, the plastic board is arched slightly in the middle making the pieces slide off the black squares. My 9 and 6 year old both want to keep it but it is a little tricky to get through a whole game without incident.

Unit I received has some build issues. The spinners you spin to determine if you're opening a trap door or moving are plastic with a sticker on them with the various options. One of the spinners works fine, the other won't spin at all, partly because the sticker was so poorly placed that it interferes, and partly because it doesn't sit right in it's space. So we have to use just the one spinner.

As another reviewer mentioned, the levers are hard. My 7 year old son can't hardly move them without the whole board getting shifted, even when holding the board steady so it doesn't move. Just the shock to the board from the slider being moved is enough to displace pieces sometimes.

On the plus side, even with the frustration my son has with the levers, he just LOVES playing. He's a big checkers fan, and this new dimension to the gameplay had him besides himself when we got it and started playing. Even though he lost, he thought it was so cool when someone lost a piece to the trap doors.

We have lots of games, and often our kids love a game for a day or two, then lose interest. But this became a favorite and has stayed that way for the long haul. Our family loves this game! It adds an element of unpredictability to checkers that makes it possible for a young player (like our 6-year-old son) to beat an older opponent (like our 8-year-old daughter, or even mom & dad). Before each turn, a player spins a roller to determine whether they move a piece, or open/close a trapdoor (of 1 of 2 different colors). It's tons of fun to open a trapdoor and make one of your opponent's pieces fall through. Even more satisfying to be jumped by an opponent, only to have their piece fall into an open trapdoor. We laugh and have a good time. And I can see our kids really thinking ahead and trying to figure the odds of moving versus opening/closing trapdoors, so their brains are working.
The sliders for trapdoors and the mechanisms seem sturdy enough. But one of the two rollers on our board doesn't spin well at all. I don't know if that roller/spinner is off balance, or if the board is warped, or if the axis for that roller is being pinched or what. Fortunately the other roller spins very well, so both players just use that roller.

Nice concept but durability of this toy is very poor. The knobs are hard to turn and broke the first time we played! Disappointed and will ask for a refund!

What a great update to checkers! This game is easy for kids to play, and much more exciting with the trapdoors. Each player can slide the trapdoors in hopes of dropping enemy checkers, but watch out you don't drop your own! Great fun, and lots of play, over and over. A family favorite.

My 10 year old loves to play checkers and this is a fun spin on the game. Definately adds to the excitement. I would recommmend this for anyone who enjoys playing checkers. The trap doors could be a little more durable when opening and closing tho.

Good game

I have always liked checkers but as an avid chess player I have become bored with it of late. This adds more elements than the description suggests. When a trap door opens, yes a piece drops, but then the board changes and that effects what moved are available. This spices checkers up with a bit of luck and allot more strategy as the board can change every move. I highly recommend.

This is not an ordinary checkers game! Player moves are dictated by spinning a color wheel to determine if you will pay a checker piece, open a green trapdoor or an orange trapdoor. We have three kids ages 6, 8, 11. In a typical checkers game Mom & Dad wouldn't play our best because, of course adult strategies would enable us to win every time with our ages of kids. With trapdoor checkers - it is a game of luck and chance first and strategy second, so any player can win! The kids love opening the trapdoors and seeing their opponent's piece "drop out". The game makers even thought of giving extra checkers pieces in case any get lost over time. We've given a few out for birthday presents, and the kids love it! It is a little expensive compared to regular checkers, but it is well made and *not* regular checkers so that helps justify the price. (But I still wish it were under $20)