One thing that can really make for a great gaming session is tension. Whether it’s trying to figure out who the Cylons are in Battlestar Galactica, or trying to balance a high acrobat in Meeple Circus, tense moments are usually memorable ones. Today we are going to look at Boom Blast Stix, a dexterity game that cranks the tension up to the max. Was this is a good idea? Let’s find out.
Boom Blast Stix is a dexterity and party game for 2 or more players that takes about 5 minutes to play. It plays well at any player count.
Gameplay Overview:
The goal in Boom Blast Stix isn’t to be the winner, just not to be the loser. On a player’s turn, they place one of the triangle shaped sticks on top of the canister cap. If nothing happens, the next player takes their turn. If the pile explodes, that player is the loser.
Easy enough right? Not always, check out the brief video below for the explosion.
Game Experience:
Yes, Boom Blast Stix is a crazy and silly game that is definitely not going to be for everyone. But you know what, it’s a blast to play (pun intended). It’s incredibly easy to learn, has zero setup time, and is really entertaining. So whether it’s a filler game or something to play with your family, you can start playing in literally no time at all.
Early on, when I talked about tension, I wasn’t kidding. As the pile of Stix grows, every placement becomes just a bit more nerve-wracking. As you have less and less stix in the reserve, everyone is focused on that little yellow pile, waiting for the inevitable.
In fact, some people didn’t want to play Boom Blast Stix more than once because it was just TOO much tension for them. While they did enjoy the game, I don’t think their hearts could take too much it. However, the kids seemed to universally love it.
That being said, there are a couple of minor issues with the game. The ability for the stix to hold their shape seems fairly inconsistent. Some will snap into place rather consistently, while others don’t seem to want to hold together at all for no particular reason.
The other issue is that when the pile explodes, they go everywhere. If you have kids playing this unsupervised, expect to lose the stix pretty regularly. We ended up counting them when we were done playing (FYI: there are 32 of them), to make sure we’ve tracked down every last straggler. I’m sure my golden retriever would love to make a snack out of any he finds on the floor!
Final Thoughts:
Boom Blast Stix is a crazy, unique game that’s a lot of fun to play. It’s also a game that you are not going to play over and over. It’s pretty much a one-trick pony, and while it does that trick exceptionally well, after a few plays, you will most likely be ready to move on to another game. However, Boom Blast Stix is a great game to introduce to an unsuspecting player, as that first blast is pretty exciting. Overall though, I’ll be keeping Boom Blast Stix on my shelf for when I need a quick filler game or have some young ones that need to be entertained.
Final Score: 3 Stars – A unique and entertaining game that makes for some memorable moments, however, it’s best enjoyed in small spurts.
Hits:
• Tense gaming moments
• Easy to learn, accessible to all
• No setup time
Misses:
• Some component issues
• Will probably lose the pieces over time
