WBG Score: 8/10
Player Count: 2-4
You’ll like this if you like: Pretending to be a pirate!
Published by: McMiLLER
Designed by: David McGranaghan, Julian Miller
This is a free review copy. See our review policy here.
Before we get into this glorious game, can I take a second to praise the publisher, please? Thanks. McMiLLER is a new group of independent individuals who are truly caring folks. Seriously, visit their website. It's fantastic, welcoming, sustainable, transparent, and so much fun. I really admire them. Take a look for yourself.
Fire In the Hole is a game where players wear pirate eye patches, throw wool cannonballs at a pop-up 3D pirate ship. If you really need to know more, then fine. I guess I will just have to write this entire review. But surely that is enough? It certainly was enough for me when I saw the pictures of this game. I wanted to play the moment I saw it, and I sense you may be the same? So, here, take a look at this.
Not enough. Ok, let's get it to the table and see how it plays.
How To Set Up Fire In The Hole
Fold out the game board to reveal the awesome 3D pirate ship. Be sure to open the two side parts as well; I missed that to start with. Then shuffle the cards, deal four to each player, and place the rest in a face-down pile onto the space provided on the board. Give each player six wool cannonballs in the colour of their choosing, as well as an eye patch. The black cannonball, along with the X marks the spot, along with the dice, and place them into a central area; you are now ready to play.
How To Play Fire In The Hole
Players will now take turns to draw one card and play one card. The cards offer various ways to throw cannonballs at the ship, as well as rotate the ship into a more favourable direction for you, and remove other players' cannonballs. The aim of the game is to get four of your coloured cannonballs onto the ship in an orthogonal group (touching, but not diagonally!). The first to do this wins.
When you throw the balls, you must do so with your elbow on the table, and any cannonballs that do not land in a square can be rethrown until they do.
When you throw, you will be instructed by the card you are using to roll the dice first. This will determine if this is a throw just for you - a solo throw, or a throw for all players - All Fire. In which case, everyone must follow the card's instructions and throw as it dictates. Be that with the eye patch on, eyes closed, two balls in hand, or however it says. You can go all together or one at a time if you want to watch the other players.
Is It Fun? Fire In The Hole
This game is hilariously fun. It looks fantastic, and it just cheers me up when I open it up and look at the ship. The game itself is very easy. It is just a simple dexterity game where you throw woollen balls into holes. But it is incredibly satisfying when you do it, and I cannot play a game without cheering my successes like I have done something meaningful!
The variety in the cards is just enough to keep the game interesting, without it being taken too much away from the core game of simply throwing balls into a boat!
Other than firing with your eye patch, the red cards that let you mother players cannon balls, or swap you colours with other players.
The purple cards let you get more cards, fire two balls at once, or use the black cannon ball to destroy other cannonballs already in the ship!
The green cards force you to fire with your non-dominant hand, let you spin the ship around, block a space with the X, or steal a card from another player.
The chaotic fun of this game creates a highly entertaining experience that works for all ages. There is some skill involved, but not much. I would suggest that anyone over six could play this game and feel at ease with any adult, if not at an advantage!
For a few minutes, anyone can pretend to be a pirate. Make pirate noises, wear a pirate eye patch, and throw cannonballs at a pop-up boat. What's not to like!