Pass the Bomb Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Set Up
• Playing
• Example
• Permitted Words
• Ending a Turn
• Challenges
• Ending and Winning the Game

Contents

Bomb game timer, 110 letter cards, game die.

Set Up

Carefully remove the battery door on the bottom of the bomb timer and insert two AAA batteries in the direction noted inside the compartment. Replace the battery door securely.

Note:

1. Do not mix old and new batteries.
2. Only batteries of the same or equivalent type as recommended are to be used.
3. Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc) or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries.
4. Batteries are to be inserted with the correct polarity.
5. Do not use rechargeable batteries.
6. Non-rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged.
7. Exhausted batteries are to be removed from the toy.
8. The supply terminals are not to be short-circuited.

Shuffle all the cards together and deal 13 cards into a stack. Put the remaining cards off to the side.

Playing

The youngest player starts the game, then play moves to the left.

Start each round by rolling the game die to find out where in the word the letters must be.

• Tick... — The letters may not be used at the beginning of the word.
• Tick...Tack (bomb) — The letters may be used anywhere in the word.
• Bomb — The letters may not be used at the end of the word.

The player starts by rolling the die and immediately setting the timer by pressing the button on the bottom of the bomb. Then they quickly turn over the top card from the stack of 13. This is the set of letters (syllable) which must be used until the bomb timer goes off. As soon as you have said a word which includes the letters—together and in the correct order!—pass the bomb to the player on your left. Play continues until the bomb goes off. The player who is holding the bomb when it goes off takes the card that was being used for the round as a penalty. This player now starts the next round by rolling the die, starting the bomb timer and turning over the next card.

Example

1. The game die landed on Tick... so you cannot use the letters at the beginning of the word.
2. The player presses the button on the bomb timer to start the round.
3. The player turns over the top card which has these letters: RIC
4. The player says: "BRICK" and passes the bomb to the left.
5. The next player says: "LIMERICK" and passes the bomb to the left.
6. The next player was going to say "LIMERICK" so now has to think of a different word. The bomb goes off and that player takes the RIC card as a penalty.
7. This player will start the new round as above.

Permitted Words

Any word in common usage is allowed including proper names, brand names, colloquial words and foreign words that are in general use like bruschetta, coiffure and canapé, etc.

A word may not be used twice in a round, but may be used in a subsequent round. For a more challenging game, do not allow simple derivatives to be used.; if "play" has been used, do not use "plays", "played", "playing". "Replay" and "display" would be OK.

The letters printed on the cards must be used the exact sequence as part of a larger word. e.g. ANT can be used in PANT, SCANTY, ANTELOPE. It cannot be used on its own or in AUNT, QUAINT or ADVENTURE.

Ending a Turn

A player's turn ends as soon as he or she has said an acceptable word and passes the bomb timer on, even if the next player has not yet taken hold of the bomb timer.

Challenges

Any player may challenge a word that has just been said as not being acceptable. The player holding the bomb timer can then pass it back to the previous player to try again. If there's a disagreement about whether it is a valid word, all players vote. If the timer goes off before the decision is made and the word is accepted, the player who has passed the timer back loses the round. If the word is not accepted, the player who said the word loses the round.

When a challenge is made, the player who has been given the timer does not have to pass it back, but may prefer to say a word and pass the timer on, rather than have the risk of a challenge being overturned and the bomb timer going off.

Ending and Winning the Game

After all 13 cards have been played, the player who has collected the fewest cards wins. In case of a tie, tying players play a tie-breaking round.