First made available to the public in 1995, the design for the game was originally submitted by Beatrix Potter to her publisher, Frederick Warne, in 1904.
The game board - a reproduction of Potter's watercolor original - represents Mr. McGregor's garden, with 12 key points of interest from the book marked on the map. Peter must enter at the gate, visit each of the twelve points (leaving a brass button behind to mark his visit), and then exit through the gate. He is pursued in this endeavor by Mr. McGregor who is restricted to moving on the garden pathways, unlike Peter. Mr. McGregor wins by catching Peter. Should Mr. McGregor choose to guard the gate rather than pursue Peter, an alternative escape route becomes available.
The game includes copies of Potter's handwritten rules for the game (both original and revised) and her original letter to the publisher introducing and endorsing the game - all from 1904 - as well as a recreation of her 1893 letter to 5-year-old Noel Moore, in which she first told and drew "The Tale of Peter Rabbit."