Pass the Bomb in a minute
Pass the Bomb is hot potato with a word challenge attached. A bomb with a hidden timer goes around the circle. Whoever holds it has to name something that fits the category, like "a type of fruit", before they are allowed to pass it on. Nobody knows when it will go off, so every answer gets faster and sillier as the round goes on.
How to play Pass the Bomb
You need at least two players, something to pass and a timer nobody can see. The boxed game comes with a ticking bomb and cards of letter combinations. At home, a soft toy and a phone timer set by someone who is not playing work fine, and categories make a good alternative to letters.
- Pick a category. Choose something with lots of answers, such as animals, colours or things in a kitchen.
- Start the hidden timer. Set it to a random time, somewhere between twenty seconds and a minute, so nobody can count down.
- Answer, then pass. The holder says one thing that fits the category and hands the bomb to the next player. No answer, no pass.
- No repeats. An answer already used in this round does not count, and the holder has to think of another one.
- Boom. Whoever is holding the bomb when the timer goes off takes a penalty. After the agreed number of rounds, the player with the fewest penalties wins. House rules vary, and some groups knock out the player caught instead.
See Pass the Bomb on your phone
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Answer and pass -
Watch the fuse -
Boom!
Playing Pass the Bomb online
Online, the room holds the bomb and the clock. Each round it shows a category and hands the bomb to a starting player, a different one each round. The holder says an answer out loud and taps Pass, which sends the bomb to the next player in the room. Everyone else can only watch the fuse.
The fuse is set at random for every round, somewhere between 20 and 45 seconds, and it is never shown on any screen. Passing does not reset it. If a holder drops out, the bomb skips past them and the fuse keeps burning. When it goes off, the holder gets a penalty, and after 4, 6 or 8 rounds the player with the fewest penalties wins. Rooms take 2 to 8 players, with categories from everyday life, around the world, wordplay or a mix.
The room cannot hear your answers, so the group keeps each other honest. Sitting together, call out answers across the table. Apart, use the built-in video call or keep your FaceTime or Zoom call running so everyone hears the holder.
Tips and house rules
- Think of your answer while the bomb is still two players away. Waiting until it reaches you wastes precious seconds.
- Short, obvious answers are your friend. "Cat" passes as well as "axolotl".
- Agree what happens with a challenged answer before you start. A quick group vote works.
- For younger players, pick broad categories like animals or colours and let repeats count.
- For a harder game, ask for words that start with a set letter or contain a letter pair, like the boxed version.
- With a big group, sit people so friends who think alike are not next to each other.
75 Pass the Bomb categories
Everyday
- Name a type of fruit
- Name something in a kitchen
- Name a piece of clothing
- Name a board game
- Name a farm animal
- Name something with a screen
- Name a breakfast food
- Name a reason to set an alarm
- Name a vegetable
- Name an animal that makes a good pet
- Name a sport
- Name a musical instrument
- Name something in a bathroom
- Name a job
- Name something you wear on your head
- Name something made of wood
- Name a toy
- Name a room in a house
- Name something that flies
- Name a drink
- Name something in a toolbox
- Name a type of dance
- Name something you'd see at a park
- Name a dessert
- Name a kind of insect
Around the World
- Name a country in Europe
- Name a capital city
- Name a language people speak
- Name an ocean or sea
- Name a famous landmark
- Name a country in Africa
- Name something you pack for a trip
- Name a country in Asia
- Name a country in South America
- Name a famous river
- Name a mountain or mountain range
- Name a continent
- Name a city with more than a million people
- Name a food from another country
- Name an island
- Name a desert
- Name a country whose flag has red on it
- Name an animal found in Africa
- Name a way to travel between countries
- Name a country in North America
- Name a currency
- Name a country beginning with the letter M
- Name a sport played around the world
- Name a city by the sea
- Name a country with no coastline
Wordplay
- Name a word starting with S
- Name a word ending in -ing
- Name a five-letter word
- Name a word that rhymes with 'day'
- Name a compound word
- Name a colour
- Name a word with double letters
- Name a word starting with B
- Name a word that rhymes with 'cake'
- Name a word ending in -tion
- Name a three-letter word
- Name a word that starts and ends with the same letter
- Name a word that means 'big'
- Name a word that means 'happy'
- Name a word ending in -ly
- Name a word with the letter Z
- Name a word that rhymes with 'blue'
- Name a word starting with T
- Name a word that reads the same backwards
- Name a word with a silent letter
- Name an animal starting with C
- Name a word that rhymes with 'light'
- Name a first name starting with A
- Name a word ending in -ful
- Name a sound word, like 'buzz' or 'pop'
Pass the Bomb FAQ
How do you play Pass the Bomb?
The player holding the bomb names something in the category, then passes it on. The bomb has a hidden timer, and whoever holds it when it goes off takes a penalty. Fewest penalties at the end wins.
How long is the bomb timer?
In the online room every round gets a random fuse between 20 and 45 seconds that no screen shows. At a table, pick a random time of up to a minute and keep it hidden.
How many people can play Pass the Bomb?
Two can play, though it is more fun with four or more. The online room takes up to 8 players.
Is Pass the Bomb good for kids?
Yes. The categories in the online room suit all ages, and there is nothing to read except the category. Broad categories help younger children keep up.
Can you play Pass the Bomb on Zoom or FaceTime?
Yes. Share the room link on your call, or use the room's own video call. Everyone sees who is holding the bomb, and the holder taps Pass on their own phone.
Is it free to play Pass the Bomb online?
Yes. The room is free in any browser, with no app to download and no account to create.
