Snip. Snip. Boom!
Location: at home
Date Played: December 20, 2018
Team size: 1-10; we recommend 2-4
Duration: 5 -15 minutes per round
Price: $33
Publisher: YULU
REA Reaction
Cut the Wire was a bomb defusal game, rooted in turn-based deduction and chance. Our goal was to use clues and a bit of luck to cut the right wire.
As far as straightforward, kid-friendly games go, this was about as enjoyable a game as I’ve seen. The interactions felt great. There was a solid mix of luck and skill, and a round of play never lasted more than a few minutes. This is one of YULU’s strongest offerings (although their essentially unreleased Fire Quest is still our favorite #Justice4FireQuest).
Additionally, I think it’s the kind of toy that could break out of board game play and be used for imaginative play (provided that you don’t have a problem with the subject matter).
If that sounds like it will fit into your family’s game night… then give it a clip.
Who is this for?
- Deductive puzzlers
- Kids
- Families
Why play?
- Cutting the wires was bafflingly satisfying
- Fast-paced
Objective
Cut the right wire and disarm the bomb.
Setup
We plugged in all of the wires and turned the game on. We then rolled the die and did as the die commanded.
Everyone took a turn, rolling the die and doing as it said. We repeated until someone cut the defuse wire and won… or cut the detonate wire and lost.
Wires
There were nine wires: 3 green, 3 blue, and 3 red.
Each wire was also labeled with a shape: circle, square, or triangle.
Dice
A turn consisted of rolling the die, then doing what the die commanded.
The die could tell you to:
- Get a Clue (1/6 chance) – Push a button and receive a random hint as to which wire was either the defuse or the detonate wire.
- Cut a Wire (2/6 chance) – Cut a wire blindly, without getting any clues that round.
- Clue + Cut (2/6 chance) – Take a clue, then cut a wire in a single turn.
- Clue + Force Cut (1/6 chance)– Take a clue, then force another player to cut a wire of your own choosing.
Game End
The game concluded when someone cut the defuse wire and won or cut the detonate wire and lost.
“Timed Mode” added 1 additional hurdle of a 15-second clock to complete an action. Failure to take an action within the allotted time would detonate the device.
Gameplay
Spy Code’s Cut the Wire was a play-at-home game of deduction and chance with a low level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around deduction, memorization, and chance.
Analysis
➕ The device was designed as a caricature of a bomb. It looked fun and non-threatening.
➕ The physical act of cutting wires in Cut the Wire was especially pleasing. The wire cutters had a good feel to them. The sound, sight, and feel of clipping was delightful.
➖ I found a little too much variation in cut tension. Most of the wires felt great. One was too hard to cut. One felt just a touch too loose.
➕ I cut the loosest wire about 40 times to see if it would break. It did not. Similarly, the stiffest wire didn’t loosen. This speaks well to Cut the Wire’s durability.
➕ The clue system was great. The display was recessed deep into the device such that it was easy for the active player to see it and difficult for other players to sneak a glance.
➕ There was a clip on the back of the device that perfectly held the wire cutters and die (all of the things you need to play). This made me inordinately happy.
➖ We found it a bit difficult to visually distinguish the shapes printed on the wires. If I were planning to play regularly, I’d modify the game by taking a Sharpie marker to the shapes to make them easier to see.
➕ Cut the Wire was easy to set up, quick to learn, and approachable for most ages. It was simple, but there was an actual game to play.
Tips For Player
- Space Requirements: a small table or the floor
- Required Gear: 3 AAA batteries and a small Phillips head screw driver to install the batteries
Buy your copy of Cut the Wire, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: YULU provided a sample for review.
(If you purchase via our Amazon links, you will help support Room Escape Artist as we will receive a very small percentage of the sale. We appreciate the support.)