Top Picks

First Session Plan

Your first evening with this game will include explosions – that’s part of the fun, and BOOM! is even an achievement. But there’s a big difference between a session where every explosion teaches the group something and one where three friends spend an hour arguing about what a gesture meant. This plan walks a new group through the whole first session: the setup before the first timer, the opening levels, what to do after a bomb goes off, and when to swap seats.

Before Anyone Joins

  • Three players, each on their own device and Steam account.
  • The game is updated to the latest version on all three machines.
  • At least two working microphones – the Deaf and Blind Monkeys both speak.
  • Headphones or speakers for everyone who can hear in their role.
  • A stable internet connection; the game is online only.
  • One player ready to host and share the room code.

Step 1: The Lobby (5 Minutes)

The host creates a lobby and shares the room code. Keep the lobby private if you don’t want strangers to fill the slots. Once all three are in, the host can assign roles or turn on random selection – for a first session, choosing deliberately is better.

Seat Give it to
Blind Monkey The most nervous player – the role needs no rules in its head
Deaf Monkey The calmest talker – they describe the bomb and relay every answer
Mute Monkey The player most comfortable with puzzles – or whoever has no microphone

Step 2: The Two-Minute Agreement

Before the first timer, agree on the basics. Guides on communication consistently give the same advice: decide your signals before the clock runs, never during it.

  1. Yes, no, wait. Nod, head shake and one fixed “wait” signal for the Mute Monkey.
  2. Direction. Positions are counted left to right – and agree from whose point of view.
  3. Numbers. Finger counts, plus one sign for zero.
  4. Stop. A slap means “stop everything”.
  5. Read-back. The Blind Monkey repeats every instruction before acting.
  6. Questions. The Deaf Monkey asks the Mute Monkey yes/no questions instead of waiting for complex signs.
Remember who can hear what. The Mute Monkey hears everyone, so talk to them calmly. The Deaf Monkey hears nobody, so anything aimed at them has to be visible.

Step 3: The Opening Levels

Level Bomb Goal for your group
1 Cable, 2:30, one mistake allowed Run the full relay once: count, light, color, position, cut
2 Color Slider, 2:30, one mistake allowed Move four sliders in order, one confirmed move at a time
3 Cable + Color Slider, 2:30, three mistakes allowed Finish one module, announce it, then start the next
4 Color Slider + Direction, Chaos Slider Agree on left and right; handle the first Chaos module
5 Color Slider + Calculator, Chaos Slider Learn that the Calculator has two stages

Completing five levels unlocks the Junior Defuser achievement – a nice target for a first evening. Don’t rush past Level 3: it’s the first bomb with two modules, and the habit of finishing one module before starting the next is the most important thing to learn early.

Step 4: After an Explosion

Guides recommend one habit above all here: debrief instead of quitting or blaming. It takes thirty seconds and turns a failure into progress.

  1. Find the broken link. Was the bomb described wrong, the manual read wrong, the gesture misread, or the input made too early?
  2. Name it out loud. “The Blind Monkey cut before the read-back.” Naming the mistake is usually enough to stop it repeating.
  3. Fix the rule, not the person. If “left” meant different things, agree on it again.
  4. Try again straight away. The same level with the fix in place.

Step 5: Swap Seats

After a few bombs, rotate roles. A Deaf Monkey who has played Blind gives clearer instructions, and a Blind Monkey who has played Mute understands why the read-back matters. Rotate on purpose, though: if the same thing keeps going wrong, fix the shared rule first, because a new player in the seat will run into the same problem.

Common First-Session Problems

Problem Fix
Everyone talks at once Only the Deaf Monkey gives instructions; the Blind Monkey only reads back
The Blind Monkey acts early No input until the instruction is repeated and confirmed
Gestures are misread Use fewer signals and more yes/no questions
Two modules get mixed up Finish and announce one module before the next
Nobody hears a player Check whether they’re the Mute Monkey; if not, check their microphone
The group gets frustrated Stop for a debrief, swap seats, or replay an easier level

End-of-Session Checklist

  • Everyone has played at least two different roles.
  • The group’s signals are agreed and remembered.
  • You know which module causes most of your explosions.
  • You’ve noted where to pick up next time.

FAQ

How many players do we need?

Exactly three. The game won’t start with two, and there’s no solo mode.

Which role should a first-timer take?

Usually the Blind Monkey, which needs no rule knowledge, or the Deaf Monkey. The Mute Monkey is the most demanding seat.

How far should we get in the first session?

There’s no target, but clearing the first five levels – which unlocks Junior Defuser – is a good goal for a new group.

What if one of us has no microphone?

That player takes the Mute seat, which is the only role that doesn’t need to speak.