Time Bomb Evolution is a game for 4 to 6 players from 8 years old and lasts on average 15mn. The big bad Moriarty has dropped bombs everywhere. His team’s goal is to explode at least one bomb and Sherlock Holmes’ team’s goal is to defuse them. Discover Time Bomb Evolution and all the rules that will allow you to fully enjoy this game.
Material
In a Time Bomb Evolution box, you will find the following items:
-6 “turn count” tokens
-a cutting card and a 3D cutter
-6 numbered cards for the red bomb effect
-6 character cards (2 red cards for the Moriarty team and 4 blue cards for the Sherlock Holmes team)
-36 cable cards (6 cable cards and 5 bomb cards for 6 different bomb colors: 5 pink bomb cards, 5 red bomb cards, 5 green bomb cards, 5 blue bomb cards, 5 yellow bomb cards and 5 orange bomb cards)
Set up
- Add as many defusing cards as the number of players
- Add as many numbered cards as the number of players (4 players: 0 to 3, 5 players: 0 to 4, 6 players: 0 to 5)
- Add as many “turn count” tokens as the number of players
- Add as many colors of bombs as the number of players (e.g. for 4 players, add pink, red, blue and green colored bomb cards)
- Add 3 cards from the Sherlock Holmes team (blue) and 2 cards from the Moriarty team (red) if there are 4 or 5 players (if there are 4 players, the last character card will be set aside after distribution)
- Use all the character cards if there are 6 of you
- Shuffle all the bomb cards face down and randomly
remove as many bomb cards as the number of players - Replace the removed cards with the defusing cards and shuffle them
- Deal 1 character card face down to each player (everyone looks at their role secretly)
- Deal 5 cable cards face down to each player
- Each player looks at their cable cards secretly, shuffles them face down and places them face down in front of them
- Use the cutter card or the 3D cutter and place it in the center of the table
- Place the tower counters in the middle of the table
- The game can now begin
Goal of the game
Moriarty’s team has to cut 4 bomb cards of the same color to win the game. The Sherlock Holmes team has to cut all the bomb cards to win the game.
The special effects of each bomb
Defusing card
This card is used to defuse a bomb. When you place this card on top of one or more bombs of the same color that have already been cut and turned over, they will no longer be able to explode.
Yellow bomb card
This card allows you to defuse a bomb. When you place this card on top of one or more bombs of the same color that have already been cut and turned over, they will no longer be able to explode.
Blue bomb card
This card allows you to remove the defuse from a bomb. When you manage to cut and turn over a blue bomb card, you can choose the color of a bomb that you want to remove the defusing. Just remove the defusing card that was placed on the bomb.
Green bomb card
This card does not need to be 4 to explode. You just have to cut and turn over 3 of them to make it explode.
Orange bomb card
This card decreases the number of rounds in the last round. The last round decreases by 1 turn for each orange bomb cut and turned over.
Pink bomb card
When this card is cut and turned over twice in a row, it explodes (even if the second pink bomb card is turned over at the beginning of the next round).
Red bomb card
When this card is cut and turned over, the numbered cards come into play as follows:
1. The player who cut and turned over this card takes the numbered cards
2. He shuffles them face down and chooses one at random
3. If it’s a 0, he cuts a cable card from his own
4. If it is a 1, he cuts a cable card from the first player to his left
5. If it is a 2, he cuts a cable card of the second player on his left and so on
Flow of the game
How does a round go?
- The last player who was in London starts the game and takes the wire cutter
- He chooses a cable card to cut among the other players
- He places the wire cutter on the card he has chosen, turns it over and places it in the middle of the table
- The player, whose card was cut last, starts the next round
- He follows exactly the same steps as the previous player
Note:
The other players have the right to discuss and influence a player who starts his turn. They can encourage him to cut a cable card from theirs, while bluffing or telling the truth.
Example: A player on Moriarty’s team can bluff Sherlock’s team by saying that he has a defusing card. A player on Sherlock’s team can bluff Moriarty’s team by saying that he has bombs.
- Each time a turn ends, a turn count token must be discarded
- The players will take turns playing until the last turn count token is discarded, which marks the end of the round
♦ Attention! It is forbidden to pass your turn
End of a round
A round ends when all the turn count tokens have been discarded.
√ At this point, collect all the remaining cable cards from each player and shuffle them
√ Redistribute 4 cards face down to each player
√ Each player consults them, shuffles them and places them face down in front of them
√ The next round can now begin
√ The last player to have the cutter starts the next round
√ Each round is played exactly like the first round
Note:
♦ THE NUMBER OF CARDS TO DISTRIBUTE DECREASES BY 1 FOR EACH NEW ROUND
♦ THE NUMBER OF ROUNDS DURING A TIME BOMB EVOLUTION GAME IS 4
End of the game
- A game ends when a bomb explodes. At that moment, Moriarty’s team wins
- A game ends when all the deactivation cards have been cut. At this point, the Sherlock Holmes team wins.
- When neither team has been able to complete their objective by the end of the fourth round, the Moriarty team win
