Okay! Okay, okay, okay. I feel really, REEEEEALLY bad saying this, but I LOVE THIS GAME. I shouldn’t! I know! I knooooooow! I’m a monster! Oh, right, you probably haven’t played it.

Well, kindly set your judgement aside for a few moments and allow me to … blow your mind. (Don’t worry, that joke will make sense in a minute.) Oh, and in all seriousness: trigger warning for bombs.

Two Rooms and a Boom is a game for a large number of people. You need at least 6 to play and you can play up to 30. Seriously. 30 frickin’ people. When was the last time you saw 30 people in one place that were all involved in the same activity? No, ComicCon doesn’t count and neither does attending movies or sports or Burning Man. So, no. Basically never. Well, this game might make you want to change that.

You see, 2R:1B isn’t just a game, it’s a social experiment. A horrible, terrible, awful, unspeakable social experiment. What the hell am I talking about? I’m so glad you asked! Let’s get started.

GAMEPLAY

The players split into two groups, one in Room 1 and the other in Room 2. These have to be actual, separate rooms where the occupants can’t hear, see, or communicate with the other room in any way. Then, each person is given a random, secret card, which places them on the Red Team or the Blue Team (or Gray, but we’ll get to that later). The groups separate to their respective rooms and the timer begins.

So… here’s where things get messy. Players’ cards are secret, but they are allowed to show them to other players if they wish, usually in order to see that player’s card. Players vote on a leader for the room, and at the end of each round (only 2-3 minutes), the leaders choose one player to trade with the other room. After all, this is how hostage situations work.

Oh, did I forget to mention that? Yes, Two Rooms and a Boom is a flippin’ HOSTAGE SITUATION!! One of the Blue Team players is secretly The President (of what or where is never specified). The Blue Team’s job is to identify and protect that player because at the end of the last round, whoever is in the room with the Red Team player who drew The Bomber card is obliterated in a massive explosion. Yes, 2R:1B is a goddamn hostage scenario where people are trying to keep The President from being murdered by a killer who is armed with an explosive device and IT IS AMAZING!!!

At some point, there’s a moment of clarity while playing this game. You realize that you have to bravely dive into its terrifying concept and roll with it OR walk out on all your friends for moral reasons. Now, this is a totally valid choice, and you should never begrudge anyone who makes that decision. That said, I strongly urge anyone considering to leave to remember that yes, it is just a game. A disturbing, psychotic, hilarious, Machiavellian tragedy of a game. You will blatantly lie to your loved ones, you will double-guess every statement anyone makes, and after a few games you might find yourself seriously reconsidering your friendships. But, hopefully you’ll be having a good time.

GRAY TEAM

Oh, right! The Gray Team! Gray players aren’t on a team, per se, they are out for themselves. They have their own conditions for winning, which often have nothing to do with getting blowed up. Examples include: The Anarchist, who (dead or not) claims personal victory if they helped unseat the leader in their room during the majority of the rounds. Also, The Gambler, whose purpose is to guess which team will win mere seconds before the bomb explodes, achieving legendary victory even in their own death. There are also Gray pairs, such as Moby and Ahab, who should only be added to the draw pile together, as their victory conditions require interaction with (or avoidance of) the other.

So, yes! Do it! Get your friends together, put on your deception caps, and… have a blast.

See? It made sense this time.

5 out of 5, because I’ve NEVER had so much fun trying to get someone else killed. Well, maybe that one time in Monaco, but I’m not legally allowed to discuss it.

SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE: TuesdayKnightGames blitzed through their first printing and only recently returned to print! HOWEVER, because they are 2,000% awesome, they have a downloadable version of the game, which you can use to print your own copy of the game for FREE! Well, for the cost of materials, but otherwise FREE!

Have fun with this one. And let me know if you’re going to play – I’m in.

Seriously. Please tell me. 

http://tuesdayknightgames.com/tworoomsandaboom/