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Trapdoor Checkers Board Game

Like regular Checkers, but with trapdoors!

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$24.99

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Why can't I buy this at Vat19?

*Note: The product details shown on Vat19 may vary from what is available at the store(s) above.

Overview

A comedian once quipped that telling someone you're good at Checkers is akin to saying you're not good at a lot of things. But regardless of whether or not you like Checkers, you're sure to love Trapdoor Checkers - a fun remix of the classic board game with an added element of chance along with super-cool trapdoors.

The Trapdoor Checkers board (like a traditional Checkers board) is an 8x8 grid, but with the added twist of eight trapdoors that can be opened and closed by a series of sliders. At the beginning of each turn, players spin their "Randomizer" which determines if they can move a piece or activate one of the four rows of trapdoors.

Designed for ages 7+. One spare checker of each color is included.

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Features & specs

Dimensions: 10" x 12.5" x 1.5"
Includes 26 checkers (13 black, 13 white)
One spare piece of each color is included
Ages 7+

It's a Checkers board with trapdoors! Now that's awesome.

Honestly, regular Checkers is kind of lame because if both players play correctly, the match always ends in a draw. Unlike Chess, not much is left to chance or skill.

And that's why it was a big deal when the Deep Blue computer finally beat a human at Chess. However, when Chinook, the Checkers computer game, wiped out the competition at the 1996 USA National Checkers Tournament (apparently that exists), there certainly wasn't much of an uproar.

Enter Trapdoor Checkers. The designers of this fabulous re-hab have created a version of Checkers that requires a bit more skill and includes a dash of chance...and did we mention trapdoors?!

Enjoy a new twist on a classic game with Trapdoor Checkers.
Trapdoor Checkers adds an element of chance along with trapdoors to the traditional Checkers board.

The "Randomizer" and trapdoors add the excitement

In our minds, Trapdoor Checkers is to regular Checkers what Major League Baseball is to fast-pitch softball. They're in different leagues.

The two additions to standard Checkers that make Trapdoor Checkers so curiously awesome are: the randomizer and, as its name implies, the trapdoors.

The randomizer determines whether you move a piece or activate one of the trapdoors. There are four rows that feature trapdoors: two green rows and two orange rows. The trapdoor sliders can be moved to either open one of the two trapdoors in its row or close an open door.

The Trapdoors Checkers board features eight trap doors.
The Randomizer and Trapdoors push this Checkers version into a whole new stratosphere.

Before each turn, spin the Randomizer

At the start of each turn, you spin your Randomizer. It consists of three colors: black, orange, and green. They are not weighted evenly, so you're more likely to land on black than either green or orange.

Black: You must move a piece.
Green: You must move one of the two green "sliders" on the edge of the board. With the slider, you can choose which of the two trapdoors in that row to open or, if a door is already open, to close it.
Orange: You must activate one of the two orange "sliders". Opening or closing a trap door can help you capture an opponent's piece, stop their advance, or allow you safe passage.

Please note that if the Randomizer shows green or orange, that you cannot advance one of your pieces. This makes the game incredibly exciting as moving a piece onto a colored square can be extremely dangerous.

Spin the Trapdoor Checkers randomizer at the start of each turn.
Spin the Randomizer to determine whether you move a piece or activate a trapdoor.

Capture their pieces and block advances with the trapdoors

The trapdoors add oodles of strategy to an otherwise simple game. Plus, how awesome is it to flip a switch and have your opponent's piece drop off the board? Mega awesome, that's how.

Because the trapdoors remain open until closed, you can use them for more than just dumping your enemy's pieces; they can also be used to protect your pieces from your opponent.

Push the trapdoor slider to activate one of eight trap doors.
Strategic use of trapdoors allows you to dump opponent's pieces or block their movements.

If you lose a checker, it's no big deal

Checkers requires twelve pieces per side. Trapdoor Checkers includes an extra of each color in case you lose one...ya' know, after you throw a little tantrum because you lost three games in a row to your significant other who is clearly cheating.

Trapdoor Checkers includes one spare of each color checker.
One spare piece of each color is included in the Trapdoor Checkers set.

Where can I buy this awesomeness?

$24.99

Buy Now at Amazon

Why can't I buy this at Vat19?

*Note: The product details shown on Vat19 may vary from what is available at the store(s) above.

Burning Questions: You Ask and We Answer

Burning Questions: You ask and we answer!

Your questions that have been answered by the Vat19.com staff:

How do you retrieve your checkers once they've fallen down a trapdoor?

The trap door simply leads to the table underneath. The checkers don't go inside the board.

I'm allergic to peanuts.

Fortunately for you the Trapdoor Checker Board is completely peanut free!

Will the slider ever get stuck?

Not unless you intentionally jam something into it.

isnt it considered cheating?

Is what considered cheating? The trapdoors? It isn't cheating because it is part of the game! Also, you can only open or close a trapdoor if your randomizer lands on green or orange.

How is a kinged piece marked?

The game is played exactly the same, with the only difference being the addition of the trap doors. Simply stack another checker onto the piece to signify it as being kinged.

Where does the piece land after it falls through the trapdoor? Plus after the game how can I retrieve it?

It simply falls down onto the table or floor the board is currently sitting on.

How can you open certian trap doors or is it just random?

The sliders open specific trap doors, but which ones you need to open is determined by the randomizer.

Is their a tray underneath to catch the pieces that fall through a trap door, or do they just fall to the ground?

There is not a tray underneath. The pieces will fall onto the surface on which you are playing.

Where can you retrieve the pieces that fell from the trap doors?

Simply lift the game board. The pieces fall onto the table or whatever surface is below the game board.

How many different combonations are there to play a single game of Trapdoor checkers?

More than we're able (or willing) to count!

Can you open a trap door with your opponent on it?

That's pretty much the entire idea.

Hey Vat19, there are 2 sliders each color but there are 4 trapdoors each color, so it will be random or something i didnt know about this game?

The direction you move the switch determines which trap door opens.

what if you cant get the piece out of the trap?

Simply lift the game board. The pieces fall onto the table or whatever surface is below the game board.

Can you still play regular checkers (without the trapdoors) with this or trapdoor chess (My idea!)?

You can play regular checkers on the Trapdoor Checkers board, but your chess pieces would have to be pretty small to fit through the trap doors.

it looks like there 2 trapdoors in the same row but 1 switch how do you acti"vat"e 1 and not the other 1. and people keep asking the same qwestion "Where can you retrieve the pieces that fell from the trap doors"

The slider allows you to choose which of the two trapdoors in that row to open, or to close a trapdoor that was opened on a previous turn.

When you open a trapdoor how can you get it back?

Get what back? The pieces? They're removed from play and cannot be retrieved. The pieces themselves do not actually go anywhere; rather, they simply fall onto the table below. The doors themselves can be closed via the same switch that opened them.

What if you lose all the pieces?

Then you'll have to buy another set or scavenge pieces from another checkers set.

Um what happens when a checker that is on a trapdoor is opened?

That piece is then taken out of play.

if you land on orange or green can you move to that space instead of trap door?

According to the rules, spinning green or orange on the randomizer means you must open or shut a trapdoor, not move a piece. But rules are meant to be broken. Feel free to come up with your own!

Where do the checkers go after they fall and can you get them back

They fall onto the table below. The checkers are taken out of play when they fall through the trap door.

Can you close the open one then open the other door at the same time?

No because that would count as two separate moves.

What is the diameter of a checker piece? (measure it in cm if possible) or metres :)

2.54cm. They're exactly 1in in diameter.

Hey, I bought this and i was wondering, Does any peices ever get jammed? I just needed to know because my dog is pretty hyper and there is probably a few times he will step on it. Just need to make sure.

Not on their own they won't. We can't make any promises regarding the pieces getting jammed if a dog tramples it, but with proper use the Trapdoor Checker Board will last forever.

If the randomiser lands on orange or green, do you move one of your checkers before sliding at trapdoor?

The randomizer determines whether you move a piece or activate one of the trapdoors.

What if we don't know how to play checkers? Is there an instruction manual?

Yes, there is an instruction manual. We can't imagine a game being packaged and sold without one.

What happens to the piece that is on a trap door when it open? Is it taken by the opponent? Is it put back into play imminently?

If a piece falls through the trapdoor it is taken completely out of play.

What if you lose two?

You'll be missing two pieces. We do not sell replacement pieces for Trap Door Checkers.

Say I spin the randomiser wheel and I got green, but all my checker pieces are on all the green spaces, do I need to sacrifice my piece or what?

You have to activate a trapdoor regardless of whose piece is on it, but luckily you get to choose which trapdoor to activate. You should probably avoid using a strategy which places all of your pieces on trapdoors.

Is there a removable base underneath that catches the checkers when they fall through the trapdoor, or is it shallow enough that you can simply remove a fallen checker piece?

The pieces that fall through simply land on whatever surface the board is on, as there is no bottom.

after you open/close a trapdoor, can you still move your piece?

No. Opening or closing the trapdoor counts as your turn.

What's the diameter of a checker piece?

The checkers have a 1-inch diameter.

What if my finger will be a bit big to spin the randomizer?

There's no such thing. If we can spit it with the palm of our hand you can spin it with the tip of your finger.

I see 8 trapdoors and only 4 levers, are some of them not trapdoors, or do you not get to pick which trapdoor is dropped?

Each lever operates two trapdoors. You can toggle it to one side or the other to open a specific trapdoor.

When stacked on top of one another ( The checker becomes a king ), are do the top one easily slide off or is it strong enough to hold the top portion? I don't really know how to say it. Is it a tight fit?

Yes, the pieces stack perfectly on top of one another.

Why are there 8 trapdoors, but only 4 switches?

The switches activate the row. Look closely and you'll see that the orange and green trap doors line up.

Why does the black space on the randomizer have those white circles on it?

Because the black space is used to move pieces, which is why there's an illustration of a checker on it.

Could you do trapdoor chess?

We're not a manufacturer, but we would definitely look into it if someone actually made such a game!

After opening the trapdoor, what is the diameter of the hole? Assuming you do not add in the edge of the trapdoor. The measurement of the gap in cm :)

Exactly the same as when they were closed. The squares are also one inch (2.54cm).

Can you push the lever that is already pushed to the left straightaway to the right without your opponent pushing it to the center first?

No, it has to go back to the center first.

Can you still get a king in this version?

Sure. The game is played exactly the same, with the only difference being the addition of the trap doors.

Does it include battery?

Trapdoor Checkers is not electronic so there are no need for batteries at all.

Can you make trapdoor chess?

I'm not really sure how that would work since the victorious piece ends up occupying the same place as the defeated piece.

What do I do if something gets stuck?

The pieces should be able to be easily dislodged with just the end of your finger.

if you loose a checker to a trap door, is it lost forever? or do you get to bring it back into the game at a designated starting point?

Once the piece has been taken by a trapdoor it is gone for the rest of the game, just like when you take your opponent off the board in a regular game of checkers.

If there are 4 trapdoors and 2 switches, do 2 of them just not open? Or does it open one of the 4 trapdoors randomly?

Each switch operates two trapdoors. Push the lever to the left and the trapdoor on the left side opens. Push it back to the center and it closes. Push the same lever to the right, the right trapdoor opens.

There are four trapdoors in each color, two trapdoor sliders each color, what if I want to use that trapdoor? And on when can I close the trapdoor?

You can only use the color of trapdoor that your randomizer lands on. You can close the trapdoor if you land on that color and it is open.

Does each switch have three positions? I've noticed there are two doors per switch...

Yes. When moved forward or backward, the switch will open the corresponding trap door.

what if I lose two pieces of the same colour?

Then you'll just have to use something else small (like a coin) as a replacement piece.

How big is the board, what is the board made out of and are the dimensions listed for the packaging box the game comes in? i love the brain candy and vids, will def direct fam here for xmas. thanks for answering!

The dimensions (10" x 12.5" x 1.5") are for the board, which is plastic. We're glad you like Vat19 and will spread the word about us!

Can you use this to play trapdoor chess?

Hmm, I think your chess pieces would have to be pretty small to fall through the trapdoors.