Trouble was developed by the Kohner Brothers and initially manufactured by Irwin Toy Ltd., later by Milton Bradley (now part of Hasbro).

[3] A similar game called Headache was also produced by the Milton Bradley Company; besides a different track layout, its pawns are conical, in contrast to the cylindrical pieces used in Trouble.

[5] Players may move pieces out of their home onto their designated start space only when the die lands on 6.

Unlike more complex race games such as Parcheesi, counters cannot be maneuvered to block opponents' moves.

The Pop-O-Matic container produces a popping sound when it is used, and prevents the die from being lost (and players from cheating by improper rolling).