Bomb Busters – Masterpiece or Dud? A Party Game Review

Is it worth reviewing board games that scoop up the biggest awards? I think so. Nothing is perfect, and often those prestigious titles go to games designed to appeal to everyone — which can sometimes make them feel a bit bland. So, let’s dive into a review of Bomb Busters, a cooperative party game. Is it bland?

Why Bomb Busters Caught My Eye

I’ll be honest: Bomb Busters first grabbed my attention because of its box. Anthropomorphic animals in a quirky art style, laced with humor and a splash of ’90s pop culture. It immediately reminded me of a mashup between Ghostbusters and The Naked Gun. Yes, my brain works in strange ways.

On paper, though, this wasn’t exactly my type of game. Party games aren’t my favorite, and cooperative ones even less so — I usually prefer competition. Could this still work for me? That’s what I set out to discover in this Bomb Busters review.

The Rules – How Do You Defuse a Bomb?

Like any good party game, Bomb Busters comes with straightforward rules. Depending on player count, each person gets one or two stands to hold their wire tiles. During setup, wires are randomly drawn from a pool specified by the chosen mission card. Players then slot them into their stands in order, from highest to lowest. Among them are blue, yellow, and red wires.

On their turn, a player may choose one of three actions:

Risky Cut – point to another player’s wire and guess its value. To do this, you must have the same value in your own stand. If correct, both wires are removed — one cut completed.

Safe Cut – remove two or four of your own wires if you’re sure nobody else has wires of those values. Blue wires range from 1 to 12, with each number appearing four times.

Cut Red Wires – if only red wires remain in your stand, you must cut them and place them face up.

Guessing incorrectly or hitting a yellow wire advances the explosion tracker. Cut a red wire before it’s safe, and the bomb blows — instant game over. The team wins if they clear all stands.

That’s just the basic game. Bomb Busters actually offers much more.

Bomb Busters as a Sandbox

The game includes 66 missions, though this isn’t a legacy title. You begin with 8 starter missions that teach the rules. Then the fun really begins.

The missions are split into five boxes, each adding new rules, components, or even an achievement system. Without spoiling too much, let’s just say… robots make an appearance.

The best part? Every mission and new element is optional. Don’t like one? Skip it. Bomb Busters is like a sandbox, giving you a core framework and a toolbox of extras to build on.

Basic missions work perfectly for a casual party setting, especially with players who don’t know board games at all. Add the advanced modules, and the deductive challenge ramps up nicely, creating excellent replay value. But replay value means nothing if the game isn’t fun. So, is it?

Is Bomb Busters Fun? Absolutely.

This game is fantastic. I love designs where the rules don’t get in the way, serving only as a pretext for clever thinking. Bomb Busters nails deduction. Players must figure out not only what wires others hold, but also how to reveal their own and ask about others in ways that help the team.

The balance between party-game lightness and engaging logic puzzles is near perfect. Lean too far in either direction, and the game could’ve collapsed. Instead, it shines.

Adding to the strategy are tool cards. Each player gets one, and they can only use it after a wire with the matching value is cut. Another smart layer of decision-making.

Communication is also refreshingly flexible. You can’t reveal exact positions or values of wires, but beyond that, the group decides how to talk. This adaptability makes the game feel natural and fun. Add in the excitement of each wire reveal, and you’ve got a game that screams “let’s play again.”

As for player count: I’ve heard some say Bomb Busters doesn’t work with two players. Personally, I disagree. It plays just fine, even with a slightly more strategic twist. Sure, larger groups bring out its “party” energy more strongly, but two-player games still deliver a solid puzzle.

Where Bomb Busters Could Be Better

Now, let’s talk about flaws — mostly in the production.

Wire stands are flimsy, made from thin plastic that feels like it might bend if you stare too hard. Sturdier plastic or even wood would’ve been a big improvement.

Wire tiles are thick cardboard, but because they’re shuffled on the table every game, they’ll wear over time. Once certain tiles get marked, it undermines the entire deduction system. Acrylic tiles would’ve solved this, even at a higher price point.

Another small gripe: the tool board, where you mark possible yellow and red wire positions. The tokens are tiny, and we often forgot about them mid-game. Maybe that’s just us, but it’s a usability issue worth noting.

Bomb Busters Deserves Its Awards

Bomb Busters is an extremely versatile cooperative party game. It blends deduction, teamwork, and flexibility into something that works with both casual players and seasoned gamers.

I don’t need fireworks in every game I play, but this is one where I wish for premium components. Bomb Busters is the kind of title that can live on your table as a filler, a party game, or even a main course for deduction fans. With sturdier stands and more durable wires, it could’ve been an all-time classic.

As it stands, though, it’s still excellent. It’s easy to recommend trying Bomb Busters at a convention or board game café. Chances are, you won’t regret it.

Big thanks to Nasza Księgarnia for sending over a review copy of Bomb Busters.