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“The game where you become a monster”
Released by Ideal Toy Company in 1983, Yipes! used the spooky backdrop of a haunted castle and secret laboratory to transform a simple race game into a monster-themed pursuit.
GAMEPLAY
Yipes! used a Pop-O-Matic bubble as its movement mechanism, a plastic dome that housed a single die. Each player selected a people pawn and placed it at the castle entrance. The player with the highest pop went first.
Players took turns popping the die and moving their pawns along the path toward the laboratory at the centre of the game board. The goal was to reach the laboratory by exact count and become the monster.
Once inside, a player called out a number and popped the die, hoping for a match. Until successful, opponents could continue advancing toward the laboratory and attempt the same process. The first player to match their chosen number replaced their people pawn with the monster pawn.
The monster then pursued the remaining players as they raced back toward the castle entrance. Landing on or passing another pawn allowed the monster to catch and “eat” it, eliminating that player from the game.
Play ended when all remaining people pawns had either reached the safety of the castle entrance or been eaten by the monster. Players earned four points for becoming the monster, two points for each captured pawn, and three points for reaching the entrance. Captured players received one point “for good taste.” The player with the highest combined score after three games won.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included the haunted castle game base with built-in Pop-O-Matic die bubble, six people pawns (red, green, blue, yellow, white, and orange), and one monster pawn. Game instructions were printed on the back of the box.
POP-O-MATIC
The Pop-O-Matic component was introduced in Trouble from Kohner. The Pop-O-Matic became a popular feature because it enclosed the die beneath a clear plastic dome, preventing it from being lost while also keeping play contained to a small area. Its tactile action and distinctive “pop” sound also made it one of the most recognizable movement components in board games.
Kohner subsequently used the Pop-O-Matic in Headache, Pop-Cheks, Pop-Dog, and Bingo games. Other manufacturers followed suit in time, with games such as Double Trouble from Milton Bradley, Trouble: On the Moon Edition from Hasbro, and The Game of Life Pop-O-Matic Trouble Game from Hasbro (2020).
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