How to Play

FUSE

1-5 players 10-10 min 7.0 Board Game Geek Rating

Players form a bomb defusal team racing against a ten-minute timer to disarm over twenty bombs threatening their ship. This cooperative dice game uses 25 dice and 65 bomb cards requiring specific dice combinations to defuse. Players roll dice equal to their count, then quickly distribute them with each person taking exactly one die. Victory requires defusing all bombs before time expires.

Published 2015

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Form the bomb deck

Shuffle all 49 bomb cards and select the appropriate number based on player count and difficulty level (e.g., 2 players on Standard = 22 cards), returning unused cards to the box without looking

Deal starting cards

Deal two bomb cards face up to each player (four cards in a 1-player game)

Ensure legal starting hands

If a player's first card is worth 3-4 points, their second card must be worth 1-2 points; in solo play, cards must have at least three different point values (e.g., 1,1,2,3 or 1,2,3,4)

Shuffle unused cards

Return any cards dealt but not kept to the deck and shuffle

Create the face-up row

Flip five cards from the bomb deck and place them in a row in the center of the table

Position the deck

Place the remaining bomb deck face down at one end of the face-up row

Prepare the dice bag

Add all 25 dice (5 each of 5 colors) to the dice bag, shake thoroughly, and give to any player

Start the timer

Begin the 10-minute countdown clock using the app or any timer

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Draw and roll dice

The player with the bag draws dice equal to the number of players (4 dice in 2-player games, 3 dice in solo) and rolls them where everyone can see

Handle insufficient dice

If not enough dice remain in the bag, draw what's available; if the bag is completely empty, you lose the game

Distribute dice

Each player must take exactly one die and place it on an open slot on one of their bomb cards if possible

Match card requirements

Dice must match the color, number, or equation requirements shown on bomb card slots; illegal placements require removing all dice from that card back to the bag

Defuse completed bombs

When all dice requirements on a card are met, remove the dice to the bag, discard the bomb card, choose a replacement from the face-up row, then refill the row from the deck

Handle multiple defuses

Resolve each completed bomb one at a time in any order, allowing strategic selection of replacement cards between placements in 1-2 player games

Reroll unused dice

Any dice not taken must be rerolled one at a time; after each reroll, every player must remove one die matching the rerolled die's color OR number from their cards (if possible) and return all removed dice plus the rerolled die to the bag

Protect stacked dice

Dice below other dice in stacks or pyramids are safe from removal during rerolls

Build stacks correctly

Place dice on stack cards in order from bottom to top following the arrow direction

Build pyramids correctly

Place either bottom die first, then complete the bottom row before placing the top die

Avoid toppling

If a stack or pyramid falls for any reason, return all dice from that card to the bag

Pass the dice bag

Hand the bag to the player on your left to begin the next turn

Winning

How to claim victory.

Win condition

Successfully defuse enough bombs so that no cards remain in either the face-up row or the face-down deck before time expires; the final two cards in front of each player do not need to be defused (they are duds)

Insane difficulty exception

At Insane difficulty, you must defuse ALL bombs including each player's final two cards

Loss by time

If the 10-minute countdown reaches zero before clearing the row and deck, the ship is destroyed and you lose

Loss by empty bag

If you need to draw dice but the bag is completely empty, you lose immediately

Calculate your score

Add 10 points for saving the ship, plus 1 point per full 10 seconds remaining, plus the point values shown on all defused bomb cards, plus 2 points per fuse card activated (advanced levels only)

Track progress

Record scores in the BDT Log or app to monitor your team's improvement over time