You drop bombs on a grid to blow up blocks and other players, trying to be the last one standing while chain explosions ripple across the arena. A newer Castle mode flips the format, with one player defending a fortress against a horde of attackers trying to break through. It works best with a group of friends in the same room, since local multiplayer is where the chaos really shines.
Gameplay video
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Screenshots & review notes
The short version
It brings real ambition to a series that could have coasted on nostalgia, and the new Castle mode is a genuinely clever addition.
In the hands
Chaotic grid-based bombing still feels great, and the asymmetrical mode adds a fresh layer of strategy for one side to defend and the other to overwhelm.
Look and sound
Bright, chunky visuals and upbeat music keep the mood light even during the most explosive multiplayer chaos.
The long haul
With support for up to 64 players, this is built for parties and gatherings. A great pick for local multiplayer nights.
Frames captured from the gameplay video above; notes are our own take on the game.
What it's like to play
You control a small round Bomberman character on a grid-based arena, dropping bombs with one button that explode in a cross pattern a moment later, and the entire game revolves around timing those explosions to catch other players in the blast while dodging your own bombs, which is easier said than done once the arena fills up with chains of explosions. The classic mode here is an eight-player free-for-all where the last Bomberman standing wins, but this entry adds a new asymmetric mode called Castle mode, where one team of players defends a base against a much larger group of attackers, changing the dynamic completely since defenders and attackers have different goals and tools. A level editor lets you build your own arenas and share them with others.
Your goal in any match is simply to outlast or overwhelm your opponents, and games tend to be short, a few minutes at most, which makes it easy to queue into match after match. A separate story mode gives you a structured single-player campaign with light puzzle-style objectives layered on top of the bombing, and a Grand Prix mode adds team-based objectives beyond just last-one-standing, giving some variety if you are not always in the mood for straight elimination matches. Online play connects you with other players when local friends are not around.
Session to session this is best enjoyed with other people in the room, since reading your friends' movements and needling them with a well-placed bomb is a lot of the fun that gets lost against strangers online. What may frustrate you is that the single-player story mode feels like an afterthought and does not offer much on its own, so if you are buying this to play solo the value is thinner than the multiplayer suggests. This is a great pick for game nights and family gatherings, less so for someone hunting for a substantial solo campaign.