A 2 player browser game needs only two devices with a recent browser and the same address typed into both. For Bomb Appétit, one player opens Play and deals the bomb, the other opens the manual at the matching rule seed, and you start talking. In one room you need no account and no room code.
What does a 2 player browser game need on each device?
Each device needs a recent browser and an internet connection, and nothing else. Bomb Appétit runs in current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge on a computer, tablet or phone. One device will show the bomb and the other will show the manual, so the bigger screen should take the bomb.
The two devices do different jobs, which is why they do not need to match. Here is what each one carries:
- Device A, the bomb. It runs the game itself: the modules, the timer, the strike lights and the casing details. The player holding it, the Defuser, taps and clicks on it, so a laptop or tablet is easiest. The bomb can be shown in 3D or 2D, and a slower device may prefer the 2D view.
- Device B, the manual. It shows a long page of rules, one section per module, plus an edgework appendix and a glossary. Text reads well on anything, so a phone is fine. A printed copy can replace Device B entirely.
Two laptops, a laptop and a phone, a tablet and a phone, or two computers in different rooms all work. If you have a pair of PCs on one desk, turn the bomb screen away from the second seat.
Neither device needs an account. Guests can play every mission and freeplay bomb. Signing in with GitHub only adds leaderboards and saved progress, so it can wait until after the first round. A broader list of what a group needs before playing, with options for phones only and for a printer, is in what a free bomb defusal game needs before the first round.
Opening the bomb and the manual in two browsers
To open the bomb and the manual, type the game's address into both browsers. On Device A, go to Play and press "Deal me a bomb" for a freeplay bomb, or pick a mission. On Device B, open the manual at the same rule seed as the bomb. Check both show the same seed, then start.
The table below shows the whole sequence for two people in one room, with the two devices side by side. Steps on the same row happen at the same time. The address and button labels are the ones on the site. The freeplay settings in step 3 are examples.
| Step | Device A: the bomb | Device B: the manual |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Type bombappetit.com into the address bar. | Type bombappetit.com into the address bar. |
| 2 | Press Play. | Wait for the Defuser to choose the bomb. |
| 3 | Under Freeplay on this device, set the bomb: for example, one module, five minutes, three strikes, rule seed 1. | Wait for the seed. |
| 4 | Read the rule seed out loud. | Open the manual at that seed, for example bombappetit.com/manual/1. |
| 5 | Check the seed on the bomb matches. | Check the seed at the top of the manual matches. |
| 6 | Turn the screen away from the Expert. | Ask the Defuser to read out the edgework once the bomb is up. |
| 7 | Press "Deal me a bomb" and start describing. | Write the edgework down and find the first module's section. |
The Play page also has an "Open manual" button beside "Deal me a bomb", labelled with the chosen seed. That button is for the device that holds the manual. If only one device is handy for setup, the Defuser can read the seed, and the Expert types it into their own browser.
To play a mission rather than freeplay, press Missions instead of building a bomb. The first missions use the standard manual, seed 1, so the Expert can open the standard manual straight away. One mission later in the list uses a different seed, which the Defuser should read out.
Matching seeds is the step pairs skip most often. A bomb on one seed and a manual on another gives rules that do not fit, and the first sign is usually a strike. Checking the manual and the bomb share a seed explains where to look on each screen.
Do two browsers in one room need a room code?
No. Two browsers in one room do not need a room code. The bomb runs on the Defuser's device by itself, and the manual is an ordinary page on the Expert's device. Because you can talk face to face, nothing needs to pass between the two browsers. A room code is for players who are apart.
An online room does more than connect two browsers. The host creates the room on the Play page and shares its five-letter code, and the other player joins with it. Each player picks a role, and there is one Defuser per bomb. When the host starts the bomb, the Defuser's browser shows the bomb, and the Expert's shows a status bar with the time, the strikes and the modules solved, with the manual at the room's seed underneath.
That is useful in two cases:
- You are in different places. The room keeps the Expert's timer in step with the bomb, and the pair talks over a phone or video call, because the game has no voice chat of its own.
- You want the seed matched for you. In a room, the Expert's manual opens at the room's seed automatically. Before the bomb starts, the lobby also names the manual the Experts will use.
In one room, those benefits matter less. You can see the timer by asking, and you can read the seed out loud. A room is still allowed in one room, and some pairs like the status bar on the Expert's side. It is a matter of taste.
For two people far apart, the room is the way to play. How the code joins two browsers, and what each one sees, is covered in how a room code connects browsers far apart.
Two player browser roles: who opens Play?
The Defuser opens Play, because the bomb runs on the Defuser's device. In a same-room game, that person chooses the mission or builds the freeplay bomb, reads out the seed and starts the round. The Expert opens the manual. In an online room, the host opens Play to create the room, and either player can be the Defuser.
That leaves the question of who should be the Defuser in the first place. For a first game, give the bomb to the partner who is happier talking while doing something with their hands. The Defuser describes every module out loud, often with the timer audible, and repeats every instruction before acting. The Expert reads, asks and instructs, which suits someone who likes looking things up.
A few things help decide:
- The device. If one person's device has the bigger screen, it is easier for that person to hold the bomb.
- Experience. If one partner has played before, they can take the manual first and coach the other through describing.
- Comfort. If one partner dislikes being watched while acting, they may prefer the Expert seat for the first round.
In an online room, roles lock while the bomb is armed, so a swap happens between bombs. In one room, it is even simpler: the Defuser hands the device over and the partners trade seats.
Whatever the start, swap after each bomb. Each role teaches the other. A Defuser who has read the manual describes in the order the rules need. An Expert who has held the bomb knows how hard it is to name a glyph quickly.
When a round ends with every regular module solved, the bomb is defused. Needy modules never get solved, and what counts as finished is laid out in when the case counts as safe in a disarm a bomb game.
When a 2 player browser game stutters: tabs, extensions and sleep
When a browser game stutters, the cause is usually the device, not the game: too many tabs, a heavy extension, a power-saving mode or a screen going to sleep. Close what you do not need, try the 2D bomb view, plug in the device and stop the screen locking during a round. Most stutters disappear with those four steps.
Too many tabs. Every open tab can hold memory, and some keep running scripts or video in the background. On an older laptop or phone, a dozen tabs can slow the bomb. Close the ones you do not need, especially anything playing media.
Extensions. Browser extensions run on the pages you visit. Most are harmless, but a few can slow pages or block parts of them. If the game behaves oddly, try a private window, which often starts with extensions turned off, or switch extensions off for the session.
The 3D view. The 3D bomb asks more of the device than the 2D one. If the bomb loads slowly or the frame rate drops, switch to 2D. It shows the same modules.
Sleep and power saving. Laptops on battery and phones in low power mode may slow themselves down. A screen that dims or locks mid-round is worse: it hides the bomb while the timer keeps the pressure on. Before you start, plug in the bomb device if you can, and lengthen the screen timeout.
Network. In one room, the two devices never talk to each other, so a slow connection matters mostly while the pages load. In an online room, both browsers stay in touch with the server, so a weak connection on either side can lag the Expert's status bar. A wired connection or a spot nearer the router helps.
A quick test before the evening catches most of these. Open both devices, deal a one-module bomb and solve it together. If that runs smoothly, longer bombs will too.
If a browser bomb is not what your pair is after, an escape room is the other common choice for a timed co-op evening. A free online escape room or a bomb round weighs up the clock, the roles and what each needs.