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Bomb Busters
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Bomb Squad
2020
Rules assistance for Bomb Squad
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Bomb Squad
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Bomb Squad is a board game released in 2020 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Hisashi Hayashi and its main mechanics are Cooperative Game, Communication Limits, and Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game.
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About the game
Bomb Squad, a.k.a. ボムスカッド, is a co-operative mission-based game about bomb disposal. Working with limited information, players must pool their wits and resources to dismantle live bombs. Dismantling is carried out by finding pairs of code tiles with the same number. Aim to clear the missions without blowing yourselves up. All players share the victory or suffer defeat together. Work as a team towards victory! In more detail, the game consists of numbered cards, with four copies each of 1-12 and with stars and bombs having decimal numbers, e.g., 3.1 and 6.5. You receive a hand of cards and place them on a rack facing yourself in numerical order. Standing cards are "armed", and as cards are disarmed, you lay them sideways and reveal them to others. Some information is revealed initially, and on your turn, you can attempt a pair disarm, a self disarm, or a bomb dismantling. For a pair disarm, point to a tile on another player's rack and declare what number or star it is. If you're correct and you have the matching item, both of them are disarmed. For a self disarm, you can reveal pairs of matching cards on your own rack if you know no other player has any. If all numbers and stars have been removed from your rack, you can then dismantle one bomb on your rack.) What's more, you and your fellow professional bomb disposal specialists can work through a sequence of fifty missions, which are listed in a separate scenario book. If you wish, you can also just pick and play specific missions that you like. You won't be able to complete everything in one sitting, so gather your friends and meet up over multiple play sessions. The missions start off easy, but steadily grow harder. —description from the publisher
Designers
Publishers
- OKAZU Brand
Questions and answers
Bomb Squad supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Bomb Squad is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Bomb Squad for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Bomb Squad has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Bomb Squad belongs to these categories: Number and Deduction. Its main mechanics are Cooperative Game, Communication Limits, and Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Bomb Squad are: Hisashi Hayashi. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Bomb Squad as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.