Pass the bomb

Remember playing hot potato or musical chairs as a kid? Well Pass The Bomb is a little like playing hot potato or musical chairs while trying to think of words that contain a certain set of letters at the same time. Only instead of music or a hot potato you have a ticking bomb phone that you have to pass before it explodes. The only problem is that you can't pass the bomb before you say a correct word.
Pass The Bomb is a board game designed for 2 players and up, but more fun with 4 or more players. Like all word games it is educational and does help increase your vocabulary the more often you play it. Individuals have created different versions of the game to play at wedding and baby showers and even to use as a drinking game by simply
making small changes in the rules.

Skills Needed To Play This Game:
A reasonably sized vocabulary
The ability to think quickly under pressure
Steady hands!

The object of the game is to say an acceptable word using the letters on the screen before the ticking bomb explodes. Of course, this isn't quite as easy as it sounds. The bomb has an internal timer which, when set, will make the bomb go off anywhere between 10 and 60 seconds, so you have no way of knowing just when the bomb will explode.
You have to use the letters at certain places in the word. On the screen, if the word "tick" comes up you cannot use the letters at the beginning of the word. If the bomb triggers you can use the letters anywhere in the word, and then if the word "tack" comes up you can't use the letters at the end of the word.
The good news is that you can use any common word you can think of, including brand names, proper names and even the more popular foreign words.
Here is an example: If the letters "TR" are turned up and the dice says you cannot use the letters at the end of the word, then the first person might say "tree" the second one "treat" the third one "trunk" and so on. While this all seems easy enough in theory, it is much more difficult to think of words while you are holding a bomb that is ticking quite loudly not knowing if it will go off or not. Of course, it is even harder if you get letters such as "ING" and can't use them at the end of the word.

No word can be used twice in any one round of play so you not only have to think of your own word but, try to remember the words everyone else has used.

The person holding the bomb when it goes off loses the round. However, if they manage to get out their word before the bomb explodes, the person next in line is the one who loses the round.

The action is fast paced and those holding the bomb when it goes off will breathe a sigh of relief, claiming that despite the bomb not being real, the tension of not knowing when it will explode is high.
Also, there really is no way to cheat in the game or to get an upper hand as there are no strategies one can use except quick thinking. All agree that it is an extremely engaging game and slightly addictive.
If your family gets together often, or if you entertain friends on a regular basis, this game is a definite must have to add fun and excitement to those boring Tuesday night gatherings.

Pass the bomb ;)