All Is Bomb
All Is Bomb Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
B. Setup
The following rules are for the solo base game. Read the additional rules for the two-player game on page 10. All expansion cards have a symbol in the lower-left corner – put these cards away for now.
- All the cards start the game oriented in the same direction, with the blue (passive) sides up. Shuffle the cards into a DECK, making sure they are still oriented the same way.
You can examine the DECK anytime you wish. Most players like to hold the DECK in their hand at all times - we advise you to do the same.
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Draw 3 cards from the top of the DECK and EQUIP them – set them in front of you, in a place dedicated for EQUIPPED CARDS.
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Leave room for the PLAY AREA and the DISCARD PILE.
C. Cards
A. Each card has a NUMBER that specifies how many cards are drawn when it's played.
B. A card can have a KEYWORD. It specifies when a card can or must be played.
C. The NAME of the card. Some card actions and rules reference cards by their name.
D. A card can belong to a CLASS. Some card actions and rules reference cards by their class.
E. The CARD ACTION that triggers when you play the card.
F. A card can be in the PASSIVE or IGNITED state.
Orientation Rule
An important rule! Unless a game effect states otherwise, cards never turn over from one side to the other (from PASSIVE to the IGNITED side or vice versa), even when they're drawn, shuffled, discarded, played or placed!
D. Playing a Turn
ALL IS BOMB is played in successive turns, until all win conditions are met or until everything explodes and you lose.
Turn Phases
- Play A Card
- Draw & Equip
- Card Action
- Ignite
- Clean-Up
1. Play a Card
Each turn, you play an EQUIPPED CARD. This means you put it into the PLAY AREA. The played card isn't considered EQUIPPED anymore.
URGENT If there is an EQUIPPED CARD with the URGENT keyword, you must play it before any other card. If there are multiple URGENT cards equipped, you choose which URGENT card to play.
ROYAL You can play a ROYAL card even if you have URGENT cards equipped. ("PRINCESS" is the only card in the base game with the ROYAL keyword.)
2. Draw & Equip
Draw as many cards from the top of the DECK as specified by the number on the played card.
You EQUIP the last card drawn and put the rest of the drawn cards to the bottom of the DECK, in the order they were drawn.
Example: Guardian is played; its number is 3. You draw 3 cards from the top of the DECK, EQUIP the third card and put the other two cards to the bottom of the DECK.
If you would have to draw more cards than there are in the DECK, you immediately lose the game.
Don't be alarmed: It is possible to have more or less than 3 EQUIPPED CARDS during the game because of different CARD ACTIONS.
3. Card Action
You must carry out any ACTION stated on the played card.
If you're not able to fully perform the CARD ACTION, perform as much of it as possible.
4. Ignite
You then IGNITE the played card. This means you either:
- turn the played card from its PASSIVE side to its IGNITED side, or;
- if it's already IGNITED, discard the card into the DISCARD PILE.
This is the only time when you can turn over a card from one side to the other – besides when a CARD ACTION instructs you to do so.
IGNITING can also be a part of a CARD ACTION. Again, you either turn the target card from its PASSIVE side to the IGNITED side or DISCARD it.
Please, note: Igniting a PASSIVE card doesn't trigger its ignited CARD ACTION. You will have to EQUIP and play this card again to use it.
5. Clean-Up
Finally, if the played card wasn't discarded in the Ignite phase, you put it to the bottom the DECK.
E. How to Win
ALL IS BOMB is won if 3 win conditions are met:
- An ignited "PROPHET" card must be played to specify what is the "DESIRED DISH".
- The "DESIRED DISH" must be in the IGNITED state.
- The ignited "PRINCESS" must EQUIP the "DESIRED DISH".
1. Prophecy
There are 3 "PROPHET" cards in the game, one for each "BREAKFAST" card ("CROISSANT", "EGGS", "PANCAKES").
The first ignited "PROPHET" card you play triggers the first PROPHECY. The first PROPHECY specifies which "BREAKFAST" is the "DESIRED DISH".
Set this "PROPHET" card aside as a reminder – it is out of play for the remainder of the game. You don't discard it or put it back into the DECK.
Only the first PROPHECY counts. No other ignited "PROPHET" can trigger the first PROPHECY anymore – they don't have any effect in the Card Action phase and are discarded in the Ignite phase of the turn as any other ignited card.
2. Desired Dish
The "BREAKFAST" card that is the "DESIRED DISH" must be in the IGNITED state. It also needs to be in the DECK, so you will be able to EQUIP it with the "PRINCESS".
3. Playing the Princess
You must play the ignited "PRINCESS" and EQUIP the ignited "DESIRED DISH" in the same turn. With this, the game ends – you fulfill all 3 win conditions and win the game.
Losing the Game
You lose the game if:
- you don't fulfill all win conditions when the game ends (this can happen when the expansions are added), or;
- you would draw more cards than there are available in the DECK, or;
- you can't play any card in the Play A Card phase of the turn.
Note: You don't lose the game if you discard the "PRINCESS" – but you will have much trouble getting her back into the game!
F. Two-Player Game
Two-player game is played cooperatively – players win or lose together. They follow all the rules of the solo game, with additional rules explained below.
Setup
During the setup, the hungrier player takes the role of the first player. The first player EQUIPS their own 3 cards. The other player EQUIPS 2 cards. Players share the DECK, the DISCARD PILE and the PLAY AREA.
Playing the Game
Players alternate in turns, starting with the first player. The player whose turn it is is known as the active player.
Playing a Card
The active player can play only their own EQUIPPED CARD.
Card Action
ACTIONS that affect the EQUIPPED CARDS, affect just the EQUIPPED CARDS of the active player. The exception is when a CARD ACTION mentions a specific card by its name or class. In this case, you can manipulate the other player's EQUIPPED CARDS. (The ignited "CROISSANT" can, for example, take the "PANCAKES" from the other player's EQUIPPED CARDS.)
Clean-Up
At the end of the turn, the active player chooses an EQUIPPED CARD of theirs and gives it to the other player to EQUIP.
G. Expansions
ALL IS BOMB comes with 6 expansions. Each one brings new cards and new win conditions. Expansions can be freely mixed with the base game in any configuration. Additional win conditions of expansions stack up with the win conditions of the base game and with each other. When you add an expansion, you simply shuffle its cards into the deck. You can differentiate the expansions by the icons in the lower left corner of the cards.
Besides the expansions, All Is Bomb includes also a helper pack, a Blitz variant (page 15) and a Campaign Mode (page 16).
Discard Pile
This rule applies to all of the expansions. You always DISCARD to the top of the DISCARD PILE. You can't change the order of the cards in the DISCARD PILE, unless a CARD ACTION states otherwise. When a CARD ACTION instructs you to DISCARD a card that's already in the DISCARD PILE, you ignore the DISCARD effect for this card.
"Hands" – Helper Pack (2 cards)
Playing with expansions can be quite difficult, especially when discovering them for the first time or when mixing them together. If you want to lower the difficulty at any time, you can add the "HANDS" cards. As a rule of thumb, add the "HANDS" when you lose and remove them when you win.
"Mosquitos" – 1st Expansion (2 cards)
The old acquiantances of the castle, the husband-wife mosquito duo of Skoot and Squeek, are back again. Of course you find them already attached to the Princess' neck. Smack them away, before the princess wakes up and realizes they were even there.
The "MOSQUITOS" add another spicy challenge to the base game.
ADDITIONAL WIN CONDITION: Both "MOSQUITO" cards must be in the DISCARD PILE.
"Dream Guide" – 2nd Expansion (5 cards)
The princess has fallen so deeply asleep, she can't wake up! You need the help of the Dream Guide, to enter the dream realm and bring her back.
The "DREAM GUIDE" provides a longer, epic game.
ADDITIONAL WIN CONDITION: You must play the "DREAM GUIDE" at least once during the game.
"Gifts" – 3rd Expansion (4 cards)
The court regulary receives gifts from distant relatives and other monarchs. These gifts are almost always deadly traps, but they must still be opened to not insult the gifters.
The "GIFTS" make the game more cutthroat, crazy and unpredictable.
ADDITIONAL WIN CONDITION: You must play at least 3 "GIFT" cards during the game.
Note: The new cards reference "COURT" cards. These are: the "PRINCESS", the "KING", both "JOKERS" from the base game; plus the "QUEEN" and the "PRINCE" from the "DREAM GUIDE" expansion.
"The Juice" – 4th Expansion (3 cards)
The princess is pale lately – she claims the food she eats is making her sick and tired. She rejects any solid food, trying to cleanse herself. It doesn't matter which breakfast does the princess truly desire – when she'll wake up, she will demand only "the juice".
"THE JUICE" twists the win conditions of the base game in a novel way, making them thrillingly harsher.
ADDITIONAL WIN CONDITION: "THE JUICE" must be the "DESIRED DISH".
"Waking Up" – 5th Expansion (6 cards)
It is becoming more and more apparent that there is a hushed conspiracy in motion. The plan is simple: the princess must not wake up and realize her potential. She has been poisoned day after day, breakfast after breakfast, to stay in bed and not become the rightful ruler of the kingdom. The conspirators, including her own father king, know her rule would mean the end of old ways and waking up of the whole world into a new reality.
If you play with the "WAKING UP" expansion, you have to remove the "PRINCESS" and "KING" out of the base game cards. They are replaced by the "PRINCESS" and "KING" from the "WAKING UP" expansion.
The three win conditions of the base game are replaced by three new win conditions.
NEW WIN CONDITIONS:
- An ignited "PROPHET" card must be played to specify what is the "DESIRED DISH".
- The "DESIRED DISH" must be in the DISCARD PILE.
- The ignited "PRINCESS" must EQUIP the ignited "THRONE".
"All" – 6th Expansion (1 card)
All is bomb and it always will be. You must end every story with a bang, with an explosion of the world, to begin everything anew again. Don't worry, it's a natural process and nothing is ever lost, only reshuffled to be played through once more.
"ALL" expansion adds only one card, which represents all that exists and its explosion. It's a very challenging expansion with a ticking timer.
ADDITIONAL WIN CONDITION: "ALL" must be an EQUIPPED CARD at the end of the game.
"Blitz" – Variant
The "BLITZ" variant is the quicker, thinner, but also the harder variant of the base game. You play it when you have only a few minutes to spare. It expects you to know the ins and outs of the base cards. You use only the cards from the base set and you remove one card from each of the duplicate pairs ("JOKER", "MENDER", "RASCAL", "LIBRARIAN", "GUARDIAN"). You should be left with 13 cards.
H. Campaign Mode
If you wish to find out how good of an All Is Bomb player/duo are you – or if you're stuck on a train or an airport and want a long experience with many ups and downs – you can play the Campaign Mode. You play 6 games, each with one expansion, starting with the 1st expansion ("MOSQUITOS") and ending with the 6th ("ALL"). You start the campaign with the "HANDS" helper pack included.
Immediately after each game, you look through the cards of the played game and remove all with the circle symbol in the bottom right corner. You then remove all cards with the star symbol from the DISCARD PILE (other cards remain). All of the removed cards are permanently removed for the rest of the campaign. Now, take all remaining cards of the played game and add them to the cards of the next expansion. This is the DECK with which you play the next game. You only play with the win conditions of the current expansion.
When you remove the base game "PRINCESS" and "KING" because of the "WAKING UP" expansion, you remove them for the rest of the campaign. You also retain the new win conditions of the "WAKING UP" expansion for the next (last) game.
Score
After playing 6 games, you score a point for every card you managed to keep until the last game (so, whichever cards you end up with in the 6th game, you score them all). You add 1 point for each win you had. The win of the last game ("ALL") is worth 3 points.
5 points or up: Bronze win; 10 points or up: Silver win; 15 points or up: Golden win.
H. F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to approach my/our first game? Just take it one card at the time. In your first game, first learn the flow of the game, then what the cards in front of you do, then try to win.
How much communication is allowed in a two-player game? It depends on your playstyle: you can discuss every move or be completely silent. In any case, try to avoid dictating the moves to your playmate.
What is the order in which "RASCAL" IGNITES the cards? You IGNITE the cards from the topmost card in the DECK downwards, one by one, discarding them if necessary in the same order.
Can the "KING" recall the PRINCESS from the DISCARD PILE? Yes it can.
If you have any more questions, write to [email protected].
Credits
Game design, graphic design, illustrations by Blaž Urban Gracar
Additional development by Igor Zuber
Big thanks to Igor, Drago, Aleksandra, Jani, Nataša, Mojcej
All Is Bomb v0.98
Letibus Design 2021 ©