Trouble is what it is: a nostalgia-fueled, luck-based race game that works for preschoolers and makes everyone else want to claw their eyes out.
The Pop-O-Matic bubble? Chef's kiss. The gameplay? Roll, move, maybe bump someone, repeat until someone wins by sheer chance. There's literally no strategy—Father Geek's review correctly notes 'the game itself has no meat.' The 3.9/10 BGG rating from thousands of users tells you everything.
For a 4-5 year old learning to count and take turns, this is fine. It teaches basic game mechanics and emotional regulation when your peg gets bumped. But once your kid hits first grade, you're going to be begging for literally any other game on family game night.
The Amazon rating of 4.7/5 is inflated by parents buying it for young kids (where it works) and nostalgia. The BoardGameGeek community, who actually plays games regularly, gives it a much more honest 3.9/10. If your kids have moved past Candy Land, skip Trouble and go straight to something with actual gameplay.





