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Mission Control: Critical Orbit
- 2–4 players
- 15–20 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,925
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Explosion in the Laboratory
2024
Rules assistance for Explosion in the Laboratory
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.5/5
Rules assistant for Explosion in the Laboratory
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Explosion in the Laboratory is a board game released in 2024 for 1–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Corey Andalora and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Solo / Solitaire Game.
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About the game
Explosion in the Laboratory is a push-your-luck 27 card game where you mix chemicals to create valuable compounds and try not to cause a major explosion! Set in the Fire in the Library universe, it has the same press your luck and strategy from the base game, but in a small portable science-y version! In Explosion in the Laboratory, you are all chemists mixing compounds in an experimental laboratory. Caution! Being careless could cause disaster. A fire would be unfortunate, as there is a library not too far away. During the game players will take turns trying to score points by following a set order of phases: Planning, Mixing Compounds, Scoring Beakers, and triggering Unstable Mixtures. The planning phase allows players to play 1 time use special ability cards (process cards) that can effect scoring for your turn. Mixing compounds has players laying out chemical cards from the deck to find out what chemicals they must mix based on the fire level in the laboratory (the higher the fire level grows the more volatile the mixtures become). The chemicals mixed can be placed in your available flasks for the turn and the process is repeated until you decide to stop to score or an explosion is triggered by an unstable mixture with certain combos of chemicals in your flasks. The more chemicals you can safely mix the more points you are able to score, but your luck may run short when the wrong chemicals get mixed causing an explosion (and ending your turn without scoring). Beaker cards sitting in the middle of the table act as a game timer and indicate the fire level and scoring potential of mixtures. As players score beakers and at the end of each round beaker cards rotate changing the point values of the chemicals you've mixed while also moving it closer to the end of the game as once a beaker reaches it's boiling point it will bring an explosive and abrupt end to the game. Whichever player earned the most points throughout the game wins. —description from the publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Weird Giraffe Games
Questions and answers
Explosion in the Laboratory supports 1–4 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 Explosion in the Laboratory is 20 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 Explosion in the Laboratory for ages 8 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.
Explosion in the Laboratory has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Explosion in the Laboratory belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Solo / Solitaire 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 Explosion in the Laboratory are: Corey Andalora. 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 Explosion in the Laboratory 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.