Squares of Detonation

From Looney Pyramid Games Wiki
Squares of Detonation
Designed by Luci Bracegirdle
A game of Civil Engineering. And Dynamite.
:Players Players: 2 - 4
:Time Length: Medium
:Complexity Complexity: Medium
Trios per color: 3 or 4
Number of colors: 3 or 4
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:
Five-color sets:
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
Board, 2d6
Setup time: 10 minutes
Playing time: 10 minutes - 30 minutes
Strategy depth: Medium
Random chance: Medium
Game mechanics: Explosion
Theme: Explosion and Building
BGG Link:
Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2011


What You Need[edit | edit source]

  • The game board (pictured below)
  • Two six sided dice
  • Either three or four sets depending on player number. For three players use 4 sets in three colours, and for 2 or 4 players use 3 sets in four colours.

About the Game[edit | edit source]

Squares of Detonation is a game about civil engineering. And Dynamite. You are a group of architects who want to rebuild a district of the city. The authorities haven’t given you any money or materials, but have given you workers. And dynamite. Lots of dynamite. So, the plan is this: destroy the district and reuse the materials to build your skyscrapers before the completion, while the people in charge have their backs turned. Whoever builds first might get funding next time, so you’ve got to be quick.

The 2 or 4 player board
The 3 player board
Photo of setup with blue and purple against pink and red

Starting the Game[edit | edit source]

Lay out the pyramids in the multi-coloured nests as shown on the board for the player number. These are the houses, built out of different materials. Each player chooses a colour. This is the material they will be using to build their skyscrapers, which are built as trees.

To win a player must completely assemble the pyramids of that player's colour into monochrome trees on edge squares.

Game Play[edit | edit source]

On your turn, roll the dice. This indicates how many workers and how much dynamite you have. One point of movement will move any piece one space. You can move pieces of any colour. Only the top pyramid of a stack is available for movement, pyramids can only move onto the top of stacks. Pieces can only move diagonally in and out of the corner spaces, everywhere else pieces move orthogonally. You do not have to use all your rolled points. Skyscrapers can only be built on the edge squares, not the central squares. A fully complete skyscraper cannot be used as storage for pieces, nor can it be taken apart or moved. Any other stacks on the board may be moved.

Explosions: To use dynamite, it costs three points. Stacks explode across the middle area. The top piece is moved onto the closest square. The next piece is moved onto the next closest square. The third piece is moved onto the square on the opposite edge. If the opposite edge square is occupied by a fully complete skyscraper, the third piece remains on the starting square. Any extra pieces remain on the starting square.

You do not have to explode stacks, they can be taken apart piece by piece. You cannot use dynamite on the corners, this is too dangerous.

2 Player Variant[edit | edit source]

If there are two players they play with two colours each, and try to create all their monochrome skyscrapers before the other player.