Two Rooms and a Boom (2013) Board Game

Two Rooms and a Boom is a social deduction party game designed by Alan Gerding and Sean McCoy, originally released in in 2013. The game gained popularity for its unique gameplay mechanics that involve hidden roles, team-based gameplay, and intense negotiation and bluffing. With a large player count of 6 to 30 players, Two Rooms and a Boom is perfect for large gatherings and parties.

Game Components of Two Rooms and a Boom

1 Game Box

1 Basic Rules Book

1 Character Guide Book

2 Leader Cards

17 Basic Character Cards (President, Bomber, 7 Blue Team, 7 Red Team, and the Gambler)

Over 70 unique Advanced Character Cards from the Kickstarter campaign.

How To Setup Two Rooms and a Boom

To set up the game, you need to follow these steps:

Set up the Character Deck to ensure even distribution of cards for each team.

Separate players randomly into two rooms as evenly as possible.

Deal one random facedown Character Card to each player.

Start the timer, noting that each of the three rounds is timed, with the first round being the longest (typically 3 minutes) and subsequent rounds decreasing by 1 minute each.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics:

Acting: Players must interact and persuade others based on their roles.

Hidden Roles: Players have secret roles that must be deduced during the game.

Voting: Players in each room vote to elect leaders and decide on hostages.

Bluffing: Lying is encouraged to mislead other players.

Deduction: Players must figure out the roles of others to achieve their team’s objective.

Game Objective:

The Blue Team wins if the President is not in the same room as the Red Team’s Bomber at the end of the game. Conversely, the Red Team wins if the Bomber and President are in the same room. The game consists of three to five timed rounds, with players being swapped between rooms at the end of each round.

Player Experience

Two Rooms and a Boom is a highly interactive and dynamic game that thrives on player engagement and social deduction. Players must quickly build trust, exchange information, and make strategic decisions within the time limits of each round. The game encourages bluffing and deduction, making it a challenging and entertaining experience, especially with larger player counts. The diverse and unique Character Cards add a significant layer of complexity and replayability.

Pros

Diverse and unique Character Cards: Over 70 unique characters add massive replay value.

Social “party” game: Ideal for large groups and parties.

Huge replay value: Different character combinations ensure no two games are the same.

Excellent artwork & iconography: High-quality components and clear iconography.

Engaging gameplay: Timed rounds and hostage exchanges create a thrilling atmosphere.

Cons

Complexity with many roles: Managing and understanding all the character roles can be overwhelming.

Requires a large player base: The game is best enjoyed with 12 or more players, which can be a challenge to assemble.

Personal Thoughts on Two Rooms and a Boom

Two Rooms and a Boom is perfect for those who enjoy social deduction games, bluffing, and dynamic party games. It is ideal for larger groups, such as parties or gaming events, where the more players, the merrier. This game is not for those who prefer solitary or low-interaction gaming experiences but is a must-have for anyone who loves the challenge and fun of social deduction and hidden role games. With its high replay value and engaging mechanics, it’s a great addition to any board game collection.

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