Flash Point: Fire Rescue 2nd Edition - A Thrilling Cooperative Board Game For Kids, Teens & Families to Save Lives - For 2-6 Players Ages 10+ with 30 Minute Play Time by Indie Boards & Cards

This was a chance purchase. I didn't know what this game was about but it looked interesting so I got it. What a wonderful surprise! I've found that most people that I introduce this to love playing it. Even ones that are scared of thinking games like this one.What I love of this game is that it is a cooperative game. Everybody wins or everybody dies.There are quite a bit of rules but if you take it one step at a time it isn't hard and many people pick it up quickly. If you can read and follow rules then you can play. There is a set of easier family set of rules and game play that is easier for beginners and there are advanced rules that add more dynamics to the game. The advanced game play adds characters with special jobs that help or hinder you. The advanced game play also adds hazardous material that could explode and it also adds the use of the firetruck. Flashpoint has very high replay value. Every game is different.My family has mostly played the Family set of rules because we seem to introduce this to many different people and so those are easier to start out with. One family that was introduced want to play it again because they think of new strategies to play.There are two sides to the board so there are two house layouts. One side is way harder than the other side because there are less doors that lead to outside. This game really makes you think about your own house layout and if it is safe and what should we do in case of a fire.It really gives you a sense of accomplishment when you get to save one of the victims in the house. It can make someone tense and even sad if we lose one of the victims. We really get into the game. It makes us think that we should be grateful that we aren't really in this situation for real and also makes us have deeper respect for real firefighters.The game pieces are nice; the art is amazing. But there wasn't any way to keep them neat after you pop them out of the cardboard they came in. So we have been putting them back into the cardboard holder that they came in. It is a puzzle game after the game to fit them in the correct spot. So that is fine but I don't know what we are going to do when they get too loose to be securely held in place.We always have good fun playing this with varying age groups. My family laughs at me every time because I'm now known as the one that wants to break down the walls. We actually died at least once because I chopped down a wall and the house collapsed on us. Not in that order; there were just too many explosions.Funny tidbit: One time I went to save one of the victims and I turn over the piece to see if it was a victim or not and I wondered, "Why are we saving the coffee pot?" The picture was upside down and it was actually the dog.

We got this game about 1-2 weeks ago and we love it!The game is exciting and fun for everyone. In case you didn't read the description, it's a cooperative board game about firefighters saving people from a burning building. Cooperative means everyone is on the same team playing against the fire. This game involves a lot of teamwork, strategizing and collaboration. To add to the strategy, players can choose a firefighter specialty.One of the nice things in this game is that it offers 4 difficulty levels, so you can start off easy and try for a challenge when you feel up to it. The easiest is the "family" version, then there's rookie, veteran and hero.I will say that the full rules seem a little intimidating at first, but we found progressively adding the advanced rules instead of jumping straight into it made it easier. We played the "family" version the first couple times, then the next time we played with the randomized set up for the advanced game and the rules from the "family" version, next game we added the Specialists and Hazmats, then finally we tried a game with all the rules. I definitely recommend following a similar progression, it gave me a chance to get familiar with a few rules at a time instead of all at once. Now I feel comfortable explaining the full rules to a new group of players.One note about this game's kid friendliness: My 5 year old can't quite grasp the strategies involved, but he loves the firefighter figures that come with the game. I'd say this game is good for ages 7 and up.Overall, I like this game because it offers a great mix of strategy and excitement. No one we've played it with so far has said anything bad about it. After playing through 6 times, the only thing I can think to complain about is that there are a lot of different pieces to keep sorted. For now I've put everything in ziploc bags, but I'm thinking about buying a small, clear plastic tacklebox to keep it all sorted.A nice bonus that surprised me is that the board is actually double-sided, you can play on either side.