Flash Point: Fire Rescue 2nd Edition

This was a chance purchase. I didn't know what this game was about but it looked interesting so I got it. What a wonderful surprise! I've found that most people that I introduce this to love playing it. Even ones that are scared of thinking games like this one. What I love of this game is that it is a cooperative game. Everybody wins or everybody dies. There are quite a bit of rules but if you take it one step at a time it isn't hard and many people pick it up quickly. If you can read and follow rules then you can play. There is a set of easier family set of rules and game play that is easier for beginners and there are advanced rules that add more dynamics to the game. The advanced game play adds characters with special jobs that help or hinder you. The advanced game play also adds hazardous material that could explode and it also adds the use of the firetruck. Flashpoint has very high replay value. Every game is different. My family has mostly played the Family set of rules because we seem to introduce this to many different people and so those are easier to start out with. One family that was introduced want to play it again because they think of new strategies to play. There are two sides to the board so there are two house layouts. One side is way harder than the other side because there are less doors that lead to outside. This game really makes you think about your own house layout and if it is safe and what should we do in case of a fire. It really gives you a sense of accomplishment when you get to save one of the victims in the house. It can make someone tense and even sad if we lose one of the victims. We really get into the game. It makes us think that we should be grateful that we aren't really in this situation for real and also makes us have deeper respect for real firefighters. The game pieces are nice; the art is amazing. But there wasn't any way to keep them neat after you pop them out of the cardboard they came in. So we have been putting them back into the cardboard holder that they came in. It is a puzzle game after the game to fit them in the correct spot. So that is fine but I don't know what we are going to do when they get too loose to be securely held in place. We always have good fun playing this with varying age groups. My family laughs at me every time because I'm now known as the one that wants to break down the walls. We actually died at least once because I chopped down a wall and the house collapsed on us. Not in that order; there were just too many explosions. Funny tidbit: One time I went to save one of the victims and I turn over the piece to see if it was a victim or not and I wondered, "Why are we saving the coffee pot?" The picture was upside down and it was actually the dog.

We got this game about 1-2 weeks ago and we love it! The game is exciting and fun for everyone. In case you didn't read the description, it's a cooperative board game about firefighters saving people from a burning building. Cooperative means everyone is on the same team playing against the fire. This game involves a lot of teamwork, strategizing and collaboration. To add to the strategy, players can choose a firefighter specialty. One of the nice things in this game is that it offers 4 difficulty levels, so you can start off easy and try for a challenge when you feel up to it. The easiest is the "family" version, then there's rookie, veteran and hero. I will say that the full rules seem a little intimidating at first, but we found progressively adding the advanced rules instead of jumping straight into it made it easier. We played the "family" version the first couple times, then the next time we played with the randomized set up for the advanced game and the rules from the "family" version, next game we added the Specialists and Hazmats, then finally we tried a game with all the rules. I definitely recommend following a similar progression, it gave me a chance to get familiar with a few rules at a time instead of all at once. Now I feel comfortable explaining the full rules to a new group of players. One note about this game's kid friendliness: My 5 year old can't quite grasp the strategies involved, but he loves the firefighter figures that come with the game. I'd say this game is good for ages 7 and up. Overall, I like this game because it offers a great mix of strategy and excitement. No one we've played it with so far has said anything bad about it. After playing through 6 times, the only thing I can think to complain about is that there are a lot of different pieces to keep sorted. For now I've put everything in ziploc bags, but I'm thinking about buying a small, clear plastic tacklebox to keep it all sorted. A nice bonus that surprised me is that the board is actually double-sided, you can play on either side.

I supervise an after-school game group for teens (mostly boys), and they're pretty good board gamers. (I played the 'Lord of the Rings' co-op game with them and we actually won. If you've tried it, you might know how difficult that is.) We jumped right into the advanced rules of Flash Point (Recruit Level) and it was pretty easy for us, but the boys immediately wanted to play it again at a higher difficulty level, which speaks volumes to me about the fun-factor and replay value of 'Flash Point.' Like most cooperative games, each player has a specific role within the group based on their skill or character. Flash Point is unique in that players can actually change their specializations during the game, so you don't get stuck the entire time with a skill that becomes useless or redundant at some point. I think the player specializations in 'Flash Point' are more thematic than in any other cooperative game. In 'Shadows Over Camelot' (my other favorite) for example, character skills allow you to do things like pass cards between players or look at the top card of a deck - helpful, but artificial. In 'Flash Point,' your skills might allow you to treat wounded victims, dispose of hazmat, or use the truck to spray a large area - things real firefighters actually DO. Most co-operative games follow the formula of "take your actions and then something bad usually happens" on each player's turn. Players then must talk and decide how to utilize each of their skills to slow down the bad stuff while working toward their shared objectives. Nothing new in that area here, but again it's the way the design incorporates things like chain explosions and structural damage to create tension and a sense of urgency that fit the theme of firefighting so well. Currently there are still only a handful of cooperative board games on the market, and they vary in degree of difficulty. I've played nearly all of them, and they're pretty good. 'Forbidden Island' and 'Castle Panic' are great for younger kids because they set up and play quickly and are easier to win. 'Shadows Over Camelot' and 'Lord of the Rings' can be extremely trying even for the experienced, but deeply satisfying. I'd put 'Flash Point' and 'Pandemic' in the middle. I prefer 'Flash Point' primarily for the variety of firefighter specializations, and the greater sense of thematic tension that comes from trying to rescue everyone as fire and explosions tear through the building.

I got this to play both with my young son, who loves firefighters, and with adult boardgamers looking for a co-op experience that isn't Pandemic. On the practical/presentation side, the components and art are of high quality, and the firefighter meeples are great. If you have a Hot Wheels firetruck and ambulance they're just the right size to take the place of the cardboard tokens :). The rulebook is pretty good. I had to go to the boardgamegeek.com forums to get some clarification, but that was for edge cases for the most part. My biggest gripe with the rules is the use of the term "hotspots" for what are really "roll again markers". They confuse everyone I've shown the game to because they don't actually generate fire nor can they be extinguished. I figured my son and I would play the family game rules (he's 5 1/2), but he handles the full rules just fine as long as I take care of spreading the fire. We've managed to win it with the experienced rules on the easy level with the front side of the board after 4 sessions of trying and he's eager for more. I've also done a couple of solitaire plays where I've managed to win. Turns play out quickly, and what happens on others' turns drastically affects your plans, so there's not a lot of idle time. The mechanic for spreading the fire is both thematically appropriate and makes for a tense, punishing, but not unwinnable game - you really get the sense of waging an ultimately hopeless battle against the fire, and even when everything appears under control, a series of unlucky rolls can flare everything back up to an inferno again in a single turn. Like most co-op games, this is actually a puzzle, and I'm not sure about the long-term replay value once the 'right' course of action seems apparent (get the fire under control first, then grab victims as the opportunity arises). That having been said, I have yet to try the game above the 'recruit' level, or to try the harder side of the board, or to try any of the expansions. For the price, I'm extremely happy with the purchase, and enjoying a new co-op experience I can both play with my kid and with serious boardgamers.

My son is really into firefighting right now, and we wanted to introduce "Family Game Night", so... The game is quite simply amazing- there's enough to the family rules to make it fun and exciting (and replayable), and for older players there are a further 3 levels of difficulty which introduce greater complexity. Our 4 year old couldn't wait until Friday night, so we played Tuesday afternoon. As the board set-up (and game play) uses a combination of die rolls (6 sided and 8 sided), he could handle that part all by himself. The mechanics of the game play were simple enough for him to understand, but the strategic aspects were a little beyond him; no matter, he enjoyed fighting the fires, leaving mom and I to rescue the victims. With guidance, he did make some rescues on his own- notably, two victims who were trapped on the other side of the house from us, leaving him their sole means of survival. His pride in extinguishing the fires, rescuing the victims, and saving the day was pure joy to watch. Sure it was only moving cardboard counters around- to him, it was real. This game is really astonishing. The way the fire spread was unpredictable and made for some tense moments. The rules are very simple but allow for complex mechanisms to play out. We were able to play through in about an hour, with little consultation of the rules after about the first 15 minutes or so. For little ones, there are plenty of tasks to keep them engaged, even if they don't understand the whole concept or don't yet grasp the strategy. One final note- the game is completely cooperative: there are no individual goals, and you win or lose as a team. This is great for introducing the concept of working together, reinforcing others' efforts, and making use of others' strengths (especially true when you use the advanced rules with unique firefighter roles). While it's possible to lose a game, no-one will get hurt feelings as a result of another player's actions.

Update after many months of owning this game: This game is still going strong in my house. We don't always play this game on our family nights but it does get played regularly in our rotation of games. We've moved on to more advanced rules and don't always win. I also like to throw in an exercise for my 9 year old niece by saying "okay, you are in charge of this firefighting operation - what is the plan this round?" It's an easy leadership exercise for her that she just loves. All in all, I am still glad I purchased this game. ONE WORD OF ADVICE FOR GAMING EXPERTS: If you play board games regularly and consider yourself a board gaming pro then I'd recommend skipping family rules. They won't challenge you. I'd recommend you skip straight to veteran difficulty. Original Week 1 review: I just got this two days ago, so this game still has that honeymoon period going for it, I'll try and come back after a month and update this review to see if my opinion has changed any. Sometimes you want to sit down with the people you care about and play a game with them. I purchased this game to do something with my niece other then play video games or watch movies with her. I choose this game because I've never played a coop board game before and I know my niece would get a thrill out of working with the adults to win the game. At first the rules seem a little complicated but after a game or two they become extremely easy to follow. That is to say, at least family rules are easy to follow. We haven't graduated to the experienced rule set but given how much we keep playing this game I suspect we will be moving to the experienced rule set very soon. Needless to say my niece, her dad, and I enjoy this game very much so far. Each play through is about 45 minutes total, you're mileage may very given there is a slight random element to this game between the fires and the point of interest. So far at the end of every game my niece asks if we can play it again, which means at the moment we've found something more fun then video games for her. All in all, I do not regret this purchase and I can't wait until my niece gets done with school today so she, her dad, and I can play another round of this game. Side note: I forgot to mention, the game recommends ages 10 and up, but if you focus on the family rule set you might be able to get away with 8 and up. At least my niece is 8 and she seems to be able to follow the game just fine. It depends on your kid, of course.

This is possibly one of my favorite coop games of all time. The mechanics and rules(Basic Rules) are fairly simple, yet it does give you the feeling of being a firefighter. You're wandering through a burning house, searching for victims and things are exploding all around you. Then, you are almost out of the house and a fire flares up right on top of you and you're knocked down and you've lost a victim. It really is an ingenious game and quite a lot of fun. I've not played with all the player counts, but for even two players it is fun. I think it would do well at gaming conventions, also. I will probably run it at the next one I attend. Now, I've not played with any of the "advanced rules", but I have read them over. At first, it seemed they had a potential for adding a lot of complexity to the game, but I think if you, as the designer suggested, add in a few new rules at a time until you get used to them, there shouldn't be any problem. Some see these new rules and player abilities as "pigeon-holing" them to certain roles and that might be true to a certain extent, every player still has the capability to enter the house and rescue victims. The hot spots do give the potential for really spreading the fire fast, but with the ability to shower down water from above, I believe it balances out. All in all, a great, fun game with lots of replayability and with the expansions you have a lot of options for new game boards and new scenarios. Top notch game.

I bought this for a family of adults to enjoy on game night. So far we've played it at 'Family' level (basic game) and enjoyed it. My son-in-law, who is a paramedic, found it mostly realistic, which is rare in a board game. My son and I have played it at 'Recruit' level, omitting some of the additional rules. That's a great feature of the game: the rules are well balanced so that you can pick and choose which ones you want to play without skewing the game. We like that you can change roles so you don't get stuck with an obsolete role. And, if there's only two of you, you can each control a couple of fire fighters. Although there is a certain amount of luck involved, real fires are unpredictable too. We were within one space of winning the game (just had to get the last victim out the door) when the building collapsed on us. The way in which the game handles fires, explosions, damage, flashover, shockwave, etc, give a degree of realism and suspense to the game. The rules are clearly written and logically laid out, so if you follow them step by step, it makes perfect sense. (I hate games where the rules are so poorly written you spend longer trying to figure them out than playing the game). Flash Point also includes two different maps with one being more challenging than the other. In short, it's enjoyable, realistic, and replayable. Update: We've now played the game at all difficulties levels and I've played it solo a number of times. I'm even more impressed. The game scales well and is flexible enough that if you're creative, you can make up your own hazards, specialists, and victory conditions. This now my absolute favorite board game. I like it better than Pandemic, to which is is often compared, because Pandemic is too abstract for me. (In Pandemic, you're pushing little plastic cubes around the map.) Flash Point is realistic enough that I find myself immersed in the world of the game, almost like a roleplaying game.

Great game

What a great game for the family! Fun for kids (and adults) with the roleplay aspect, and teaches teamwork -- and can scale to a harder game depending on how you play. Not easy to win if you're not trying hard and there's a chance element to how 'hard' the fire is to fight, so communication and strategy is important! We love it.

Muy bien juego, con reglas bastante sencilla y muy entretenido.

Instructions are in english, each game is about 30 mins.

I’m glad I picked this up. Was such a blast facing off fires as lifesavers! This game calls for a lot of team work and communication between players, and who hasn’t had a firefighting dream in the younger days? So this sort of gives we players the firefighting kicks a bit and appreciate how much the real firefighters must have gone through. And yeah, you could go solitaire too by commanding the team yourself, though that would need more strategy and though out planning ;-)