The object of Build or Boom is to be the first player to build the plans on the Blueprint Card. Once your building is done, smash your Boomer and your opponent’s structure comes down. If your tower matches exactly what’s on the card, score a point. Replace the blocks in the middle of the table and play again with a new Blueprint Card. The first Builder to reach 10 points wins.
Sounds simple, but is it really? At times, it can be, that is once the game has been played with for a while. Playing the game with my 5 year old, she and her friends struggled to get the pieces set up as pictured and it isn’t so easy to stack quickly with accuracy. For that reason, younger kids 5 to about 7 shouldn’t try to race until they really understand the game. It can be a super fast paced game that helps young children learn to react quickly and come up with some unique ideas, which is a great skill to learn. But, without the dexterity that older children have, it might make it downright frustrating to accomplish.
There’s 50 structures from the Blueprint Card deck to make. Build with speed but keep your buildings balanced. Some of these structures take some pretty careful balance. Ever build something several stories high on top of a cone before? You will now. Or boom goes the dynamite.
The game is well made from strong plastic and the packaging is sturdy. To optimize the game hopefully in future releases, they should rethink the platform by making it a flat concrete looking base and make the box from a cheaper material to cut on cost.
If you love games that are truly interactive, I give build or boom 3.5 out of 5 stars!
