Bloom or Boom
How to play

Pack it, light it, watch it bloom

Bloom or Boom takes a minute to learn. Here is everything you need, in plain words.

The basics

  1. Every level is a firework shellEach shell is a shape made of empty cells. Bigger levels have more than one shell, one for every rocket in the show.
  2. Drag pieces into the shellA short countdown starts the level. Then drag pieces from the tray onto the shell. Pieces only go on cells of their own colour.
  3. Beat the fuseEach shell has a fuse. Pack every cell before it burns out.
  4. Watch the showWhen the shells are packed, the rockets launch and your fireworks burst over the crowd.
The first tutorial level: Sparky says Drag this piece here, above a shell at Kirby Park and a tray of four pieces
Sparky shows you the ropes in the first levels
Bloom or KABOOM

Full shells always bloom

A fully packed shell always blooms. Empty cells are what make a show risky.

  • Stage 1 has no KABOOM. Every show blooms while you learn.
  • From Stage 2, each shell has a line. A bar beside the shell shows how many cells you still need. Past the line, every cell you pack adds to the shell’s chance to bloom, and a full shell is a sure bloom.
  • Each rocket rolls its own chance at launch. The game draws a number from 0 to 100, and the shell blooms if the draw beats its risk. The first KABOOM ends the show.
  • You can always check the roll. Tap Details after any show to see the chance and the number that was drawn.
The How the odds work card: a bloom chance of 67 percent, a draw of 15 out of 100, and the word KABOOM
The game explains every roll
Stars

Stars come from seconds saved

The faster you pack, the more seconds are left on the fuse. Those seconds saved earn your stars.

★ One star

Win the level: your show blooms.

★★ Two stars

Win with every cell filled.

★★★ Three stars

Fill every cell and save enough seconds to beat the level’s three-star mark.

Pack a shell perfectly in the very last second of its fuse and you get a Buzzer Beater. Win in a row to build a win streak; a KABOOM, or leaving a level, ends it.

Boosters

A little help when you need it

You earn boosters as you play, from missions, prize wheels and rewards, and the Shop sells them too.

Hint

Shows where one piece goes.

Time Freeze

Stops the fuse for a few seconds so you can study the board. Nothing can move while it is frozen. Tap again to unfreeze early.

Skip

Packs the whole shell for you, and counts as perfect. Best saved for a tough one.

Relight

After a KABOOM, relight the show to keep going. It saves the show with one star and keeps your win streak.

Time Freeze arrives at Stage 2, Level 5, and Skip at Stage 2, Level 10. Your first KABOOM comes with a free Relight.

As you travel

New twists along the way

Later stages bring new ideas, each one introduced when you get there:

  • Decoy pieces: one piece in the tray does not belong. Work out which one to leave behind.
  • Turned pieces: pieces arrive turned the wrong way. Tap a piece in the tray to rotate it.
  • Hidden colours: some cells hide their colour until you fill a cell next to them.
  • The chop tool: one piece is too big to fit. Cut it in two with the cleaver.

Having a rough patch? After a tough streak, Sparky can offer a relaxed game with no fuse, for half the coins.

The result screen after a win: WHAT A SHOW, with a win streak of 1 and a Buzzer Beater
Every win ends with a show
Make it yours

Collect your show

In the Workshop you choose how your show looks: the launcher, the fireworks, the explosion for a KABOOM and the smoke trail. Equip all four pieces of a matching set and they play one connected animation together. Cosmetics are just for looks: they never change your odds.

See the game modes