Puzzle · 2015 · Steel Crate Games · local
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
One of you sits in front of the bomb, the other holds the manual — and neither may see what the other sees.
What it is about
On the screen sits a bomb with several modules: wires, buttons, symbols, a maze, a keypad. Beside it a clock runs. Whoever sees the screen may not read the manual — and whoever has the manual cannot see the bomb.
So you talk. 'Four wires, the third one is red.' — 'Wait, does any of them have a little star?' The manual is a rulebook of exceptions and branches, and the right answer often hangs on some detail nobody thought to ask about.
After three mistakes the bomb has gone off. The next attempt starts immediately, with a freshly assembled bomb. You play on one device, optionally in VR — the manual is available as a free PDF.
Our verdict for couples
One of you sits in front of the bomb, the other holds the manual, and neither may see what the other sees. The manual is a free download to print out and only one of you needs the game — one of the rare occasions where the second person has to buy nothing at all. What follows always runs the same way: after twenty seconds you are spelling colours at each other, after a minute it is nothing but numbers, and in the final five seconds nobody is talking, you are both shouting. After a few evenings you know the standard modules, but until then there is little that makes a living room reliably louder.
Pros
- The second person needs no game at all — just the free manual
- Straight in even with no gaming experience whatsoever
- Endlessly extendable through the Workshop
Cons
- It does not work without time pressure — that is the point
- The manual has to be printed or opened on a second device beforehand
- After a few evenings you know the standard modules
Suitable from
Casual
- Conflict potential
- Heated
- Cosiness
- Draining
- When you can stop
- After 15 minutes
- How long it lasts
- 5–15 hours
What other co-op fans say
Rarely is a community this united: nearly every review is not about the game but about the talking. Several describe it as an exercise in clear communication, one even as preparation for group work at the office. It is recommended to couples and families strikingly often, and just as often called a stress test for nerves and patience — both in the same breath and without contradiction. Anybody who dislikes time pressure is warned plainly.
- “Great game for couples, really improves those communication skills.”
- “Great opportunity to involve complete non-gamers.”
- “Definitely tests the limits of your patience with friends”
Summarised by machine from 60 Steam reviews, not written by our editors. The quotes appear verbatim in those reviews.
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