Phone Bomb
Phone Bomb Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
This game box contains:
- 72 Action cards
- 17 Bonus cards
- 24 Victory point tokens
- 6 Player aids (3 FR / 3 EN)
- 2 rule books (FR / EN)
Principle of Play
During a round of Phone Bomb, you'll handle a bomb simulated by a mobile device. You will be trying to collect more points than others playing, by:
- defusing the bomb
- preparing for an interview to take all the glory for a successful operation
- fleeing the operation before the bomb explodes
- validating your Bonus card
Each round, you'll perform an action on the bomb, then you pass it to your neighbor. Meanwhile, the other players can chat and exchange their cards.
Each round ends with the explosion or the diffusion of the bomb. A game is played over 5 rounds. The player totaling the most Victory Points wins the game.
Setup
To play, you'll need a smartphone or tablet. Install the Phone Bomb app, if it is not already done, and then start it. Choose the desired game mode (see Game Modes below). Then one player deals 4 face-down Action cards to each player and places the remaining cards to form a draw pile in the center of the table.
The players shouldn't look at their cards before the bomb is started. Any player caught doing so must discard a card randomly from their hand, playing the entire round with one card less.
Once ready, the player who dealt the cards starts the round in the Phone Bomb app and places the mobile device in front of a player of their choice. Once the loading countdown is finished, the round begins and players can now look at their cards.
How the Bomb Works
The bomb has 15 wires (5 blue, 5 yellow and 5 red). Of these, only 6 wires have functions: 3 are trapped wires and 3 are defusing wires. The others are neutral and have no function.
Like in the movies, if the timer drops to 0, the bomb explodes.
To disarm it, you'll need to identify the 3 defusing wires. They must all be cut to disable the bomb. However, the bomb also has 3 trapped wires. If they are all cut, the bomb explodes.
A Round of the Game
The active player is the player who has the bomb in front of them. They then have to play two cards from their hand into a discard pile in the center of the table. If they succeed in playing two cards with matching symbols, they can perform the corresponding action on the bomb. If the cards have nothing matching, no action is performed and the player must pass their turn.
Once the active player has pressed a button on the app screen, either to perform an action or to pass, they then pass the bomb to the player on the left, before drawing 2 new Action cards.
There are not enough Action cards in the deck to defuse the bomb. Once the draw deck is empty, you do not create a new pile. You will have to manage with just the cards you are holding in your hand.
Action Details
Here are the actions that can be performed and the combinations of cards needed. The printed diagram numbers the actions 1 to 6. The card combinations for each action are shown pictorially in the diagram on the Action details page (pages 4-5); the printed text does not spell them out card by card, so consult that diagram for the exact card faces.
The diagram of the Phone Bomb screen labels these elements: Time remaining; Stop the game; Number of good wires cut; Number of trapped wires cut; Obtained information of the bomb's wires. The printed rules text does not separately describe "Stop the game"; it is transcribed as printed.
The actions are:
- Cut a wire (cut yellow wire, cut red wire, cut blue wire)
- Add more time
- Inspect one coloured wire
- Flee
- Prepare your interview
- Pass your turn
Cut a Wire
To cut a wire, simply press a wire of the color played. If it is a trapped wire, a red light will come on. If it is a defusing wire, a green light will come on.
Add More Time
To add time, press the button resembling a watch. This adds about 30 seconds to the remaining time.
Inspect the Bomb
To inspect the bomb, press a button representing an eye of the color of your choice. This will reveal information about all the wires of this color that have not been cut yet.
The diagram marks wire types as follows: a pair of cutters indicates a defusing wire to be cut; a skull indicates a trapped wire; a barred circle indicates only neutral wires.
This information is not updated when a player cuts a wire.
Flee
To flee, press the button representing a character running. Pass the bomb to the next player. Do not draw Action cards. You are out of play until the end of the round.
When a player flees, the bomb adds a little additional time. So, if the bomb exploded, it's because the player did not have time to press the button to flee.
Prepare Your Interview
To prepare for your interview, save two Interview cards by placing them in front of yourself, instead of discarding them in the middle of the table, then press the button representing a microphone. Be careful, this action removes randomly between 5 and 15 seconds to the remaining time.
At the end of the round, the number of Interview cards placed in front of each player will determine who best prepared for the interview. Beware, the discarded cards don't count if you throw them in the middle of the table.
Pass Your Turn
If the two cards that you discard do not create a matching symbol, you must pass your turn. You can also choose to pass your turn even if you can perform an action.
During This Time
Phone Bomb is a communication game. Thus, while the Active player manipulates the bomb, the other players can exchange their cards with the following constraints.
- All players may freely talk amongst themselves.
- It is forbidden to reveal your cards.
- The cards must be exchanged face down and at the same time.
- You are not obliged to respect your agreements.
- The Active player can not swap cards.
When there are only two players remaining in the round, one of them will be the Active player and therefore no longer able to exchange cards.
End of the Round
The round ends in 2 ways: if the bomb is defused or if the bomb explodes.
If the bomb is defused, all players who did not flee, score 2 points. A bonus Interview point is given to the player who prepared the best Interview. This is the player with the most Interview cards in front of them. If there is a draw, no one receives the bonus Interview point.
If the bomb explodes, the players who fled score 1 point each.
You can score a supplemental point if you play with the Bonus cards. Refer to the corresponding section if you need further clarification.
Use the Victory point tokens to keep track of the number of points for each player.
Examples
The bomb has just been defused. Frederic is still the only one to have fled. He does not score a point. All other players score 2 points.
Dylan and Kevin have prepared two interviews each. They therefore have 4 cards in front of them. Therefore, nobody wins the Interview bonus.
If Dylan had prepared a third interview, he would have 6 cards in front of him. With the strict majority of cards, he would earn the Interview bonus of 1 additional point.
The bomb just exploded. Frederic is the only player to have fled. He scores 1 point. While the other players score none.
The Bonus Cards
If you cooperate effectively, you may be able to defuse the majority of the bombs. In this case, it is time to introduce the Bonus cards that will disrupt the balance that was installed.
At the beginning of each round, give each player a Bonus card. They will indicate a condition under which you will be able to score an additional point.
The player aid specifies the conditions for each of the Bonus cards.
Game Modes
On the Home screen, you can choose a game mode before starting a round. When you first start the app, only the Discovery and Normal modes are available. Additional modes can be unlocked after playing.
To obtain information about a game mode, select it and then press on the name. A bubble info will show the details.
- Discovery mode: A very short, 1 minute game to discover and learn the functions of the bomb. This mode will allow you to add a little more time. You can also try to defuse the bomb without playing cards, just to make sure you have understood the operation of the app.
- Normal mode: Still a good minute long. Be aware to add time regularly. It is in this mode that you get the real taste for the game.
- Limited Time Per Player: After a few games, you may unlock the Limited Time Per Player mode. A time gauge will then make its appearance. Each player will have to handle the bomb before this gauge empties itself. Attention, depending on the mode, the reaction of the bomb will not be the same once the gauge is empty.
Settings: Fixed Bomb
The game was originally designed for the bomb to be passed from hand to hand between players. This manipulation takes time. If you want to play without moving the bomb, activate this option in the app menu. The time setting will be modified to incorporate the fact that you will not spend time passing the bomb around.
This option is enabled at the startup depending on the size of your screen. You can however, change the mode to your liking.
Variation: Playing with 2
Phone Bomb is a communication game. The exchange of cards between players is essential. However, this is impossible when there are only 2 players left with the bomb.
To allow exchanges with 2 players, flip 4 Action cards from the deck, face up on the table. At any moment, a player who does not have the bomb in front of them can exchange a card from their hand with one of the visible cards.
This variant makes the game more strategic and moves away from a game of communication that was originally intended. That's why the box and rules indicate that the game is to be played from 3 to 6 players.