How to Change the Rule Seed in Three Places

To change the rule seed, use one of three places: the Rule seed box in the manual's sidebar, the "Manual (rule seed)" field in freeplay, or the same field in an online room's setup, which only the host can edit. Then run one check: the Defuser reads the bomb's number aloud and every Expert reads their manual header.

Can you change the rule seed from the manual sidebar?

Yes, but only for your own manual. The sidebar's Rule seed box opens a different manual on that device. It does not touch the bomb or anyone else's screen. Use it when you are an Expert matching a bomb that is already set, or when you want to browse another seed's pages.

The steps:

1. Open any manual, such as manual 1.
2. Find the box labelled Rule seed in the sidebar, under the list of sections.
3. Type a whole number from 1 to 999,999.
4. Press Open. The page moves to the manual for that number.
5. Check: read the header on the first page. It should say "manual" and your new number. The Defuser reads the bomb's number from their setup or briefing screen, and the two must match.

If Open does nothing, the number is outside the range, such as a zero, a blank or seven digits. The sidebar does not print, so a paper copy shows only the header number. You can also change the number at the end of the page's address, as long as it has no leading zero.

Where do you set the rule seed in freeplay before the bomb arms?

On the Play page, in the section called "Freeplay on this device". The field is labelled "Manual (rule seed)". Set it before pressing "Deal me a bomb", because the bomb takes its seed from that field when it is dealt. Once the bomb is on the briefing screen, the number is fixed for that round.

The steps:

1. Open Play and scroll to "Freeplay on this device".
2. Choose modules, needy modules, time and strikes as you like.
3. Type the seed into "Manual (rule seed)". Values outside 1 to 999,999 are pulled back into range, and a blank becomes 1.
4. Read the button beside "Deal me a bomb". It now says "Open manual" and your number. Use it to open the matching manual, or read the number out to the Experts.
5. Press "Deal me a bomb". The briefing screen says which manual the Experts should open.
6. Check: before pressing "Arm the bomb", the Defuser reads the number from the briefing screen and each Expert reads it from their manual header.

The freeplay settings are saved in the bomb's address, so a link to the setup carries the seed with it.

Setting a room's rule seed as the host: the steps

In an online room, only the host can change the rule seed, and the room uses one seed for every Expert. Pick "Freeplay (custom)" in the room's setup to type a seed, or pick a mission to take that mission's seed. When the host arms the bomb, every Expert's screen loads the matching manual.

The steps:

1. On Play, enter a name and press "Create a room". Share the five-letter code with the others.
2. Under Bomb, open "What to play".
3. For a custom seed, choose "Freeplay (custom)" and type the number into "Manual (rule seed)". For a mission, choose it from the list; its seed is fixed.
4. Read the line below the setup. It says "Experts will use manual" followed by the number.
5. Once a Defuser has picked their role, press "Arm the bomb".
6. Check: the Defuser reads the number from the room's setup line, and each Expert reads it from the manual header on their screen.

Other players see the host's choice but cannot edit it. The full picture of how a room sets one rule seed for every Expert is in the online multiplayer guide.

The rule seed change mistake: one Expert on the old tab

The most common slip after a change is one Expert still reading the previous manual in another tab. Every manual looks alike, so that Expert sees nothing wrong. They give instructions from the old rules, the Defuser follows them, and the first strike gets blamed on the description rather than the seed.

It happens in a few predictable ways. In the same room, an Expert opened the manual earlier and never refreshed it. In an online room, an Expert clicked the lobby's manual link, which opens a separate tab, before the host changed the setup. With a printed stack, the paper still carries the old number.

The cure is the check at the end of each step list above, done out loud. Say the number, then have each Expert say the number on their header. If anyone differs, fix it before arming. If a strike already landed, the guide to a manual that does not match the bomb covers recovering mid-round.

Changing the manual never changes the bomb. A separate bomb seed deals the modules and the casing, as explained in whether the same seed gives the same bomb. If you are deciding whether to change at all, see when a group should switch to a new seed, part of the guide to replayable party games.