How to Play

Bubble Burst — a chain reaction strategy game

The basics

Players take turns placing a bubble of their color. You can place a bubble in an empty box, or add one to a box you already own. The turn then passes to the next player and comes back around.

Each box has a limit: it can hold one bubble less than the number of neighbouring boxes it touches (horizontally or vertically). When the limit is passed, the box bursts and sends one bubble into each neighbour.

Bursting on an edge

Two green bubbles in box 8, on the right edge of the board — Before: two green bubbles in box [8]

The bubbles from box 8 spread to boxes 12, 9 and 4 — After: the burst fills [12], [9] and [4]

Box [8] sits on the edge, so its bubbles can only go up [12], down [4] and left [9]. When Green places a third bubble in [8], it bursts and one bubble moves into each of those three boxes.

Bursting in the middle

Three red bubbles in box 6, in the middle of the board — Before: three red bubbles in box [6]

The bubbles from box 6 spread to boxes 10, 7, 2 and 5 — After: the burst fills [10], [7], [2] and [5]

Box [6] has neighbours on all four sides — up [10], down [2], left [7] and right [5]. When Red places a fourth bubble in [6], it bursts into all four.

Corners burst fastest — and capture

One red bubble in corner box 0 — Before: one red bubble in corner box [0]

The corner burst captures the green bubble in box 4 — After: the burst captures Green's bubble in [4]

A corner box like [0] only has two neighbours — up [4] and left [1] — so just two bubbles make it burst. And notice: box [4] already held a Green bubble. When Red's burst arrives, that bubble is captured and turns Red.

The objective: capture every opponent bubble. When a burst takes a player's last bubble, they are out of the game — the last color standing wins.

Watch it in motion

The animation below shows a full chain reaction. The green bubbles at the edge only mark Green's turns — they take no part in the demo.

Animation of a chain reaction — Normal speed

The same chain reaction, slowed down — Slow motion

The same chain reaction, even slower — Even slower