Pyrotechnics (2025)

Overview

Meet Pyrotechnics, the two‑player card duel that fits in your pocket and delivers ten minute bursts of lightly strategic gameplay. With just eighteen cards and thirty‑six spark tokens, it’s the perfect travel game or quick filler between activities—yet beneath its compact size lies surprising depth.

To begin, shuffle the deck and remove the top three cards from play. Deal five cards face down to each player, then lay out five cards face up in the center of play as a shared tableau. Place the spark tokens and reference guide within reach. Choose who will take the first turn and give the other player one spark token in red, yellow, or blue.

On your turn, you’ll perform two steps. First, Research: select one card from your hand, play it in front of you, and carry out the actions shown in the upper‑left corner. Then, from the shared tableau, choose a card to Discover or Showcase. If you Discover, do the actions in the lower-left and add the card to your hand, expanding your options. If you Showcase, pay the cost in the lower-right, remove the card from the game, and shrink your hand—bringing you closer to victory.

Every time you Showcase, your hand grows smaller. The duel accelerates as both players balance the lure of helpful cards against the need to whittle down their hand. The first pyrotechnical engineer to Showcase five cards and end their turn with no cards in hand wins instantly. Pyrotechnics is easy to learn but endlessly replayable. You’ll bluff, block, and bait your opponent—timing your Research, Discover and Showcase just right to outmaneuver them. It’s a micro‑game with macro thrills.

Pyrotechnics brings big excitement in a tiny package. Ready to spark your next game night? Start it with a bang!

—description from the publisher