Bubble Burst

Welcome to Bubble Burst! A game that will make you lose trust in your friends. Originally made within 48 hours for Global Game Jam Athens 2025.

How To Play

The game consists of two decks. The secret role deck and the main deck. You can easily distinguish them from their different back covers. Secret Role Cards: The secret role deck has several bubble cards, and only one bubble burst card, indicated by bubbles and spiky bubbles with needles alike.

These are the Regular Cards:

Soap: Use this card to gain one extra bubble for yourself. 

Bubble Blower: Use this card to either gift one player an extra bubble or give yourself an extra bubble (like the soap card). 

Bubble Gun: You can gift an extra bubble to two players or more, but no less than two. You can be one of the affected players too. 

Nails: Use this card to pop a player's bubble. If the targeted player is out of bubbles, they reveal their role and lose. You cannot use it on yourself. 

Cactus: Use this to remove one bubble from all the players excluding yourself, or remove one player from the game by popping all of their bubbles and revealing their role instead. 

Magnifying Glass: Use this card to instantly uncover a player's secret role if they only have their role card without any extra bubbles protecting it. The player you choose has to pass you their secret role card for you to see and then pass it back to them. But be careful! Only you get to see their secret role card and you can decide whether you want to tell the other players about their role without showing them their role card.

The Game Begins!

Depending on the amount of players, draw an equivalent amount of role cards. Make sure that one of them is the bubble burst card. Shuffle them and distribute them, one per person. After seeing their role, bubble or bubble burst, players must not show or tell their role to anybody and they must keep their role card closed and in front of them on the table. The remaining bubble role cards are still relevant and their deck remains open, seperated from the main deck on the table for people to be using.

Each player is given 5 random and hidden cards from the main deck at hand, and one extra open bubble card which they place next to their closed role card. Their closed role card is their last “life” and every open bubble next to it serves as an extra life, protecting their role card.

 • For the bubbles to win, they need to discover who the bubble burst is and rule them out of the game by depleting their bubbles and revealing their role. 

• For the bubble burst to win, all the bubbles except one have to be ruled out of the game. 

The youngest person plays first and then the turn order is counter-clockwise. The person sitting on the right from the one who was the first to play gets to play first on the next run. Each player has 5 cards on hand and must use one and replace it with another from the main deck. Players are not allowed to pass, they must always use a card, even if all cards at hand go against their roles.1 After several turns the main deck will be depleted. When that happens, players reshuffle the already used cards (not the ones at each player’s hands) after having removed all Soap, Bubble Blower and Bubble Blower Gun cards. Only Magnifying Glasses, Nails and Cactus cards remain on the main deck and players need to make calculated decisions so that they can win.

You are allowed and encouraged to discuss with other players during the game, even describe what your cards are (or lie about it!). Use any means at your disposal to understand who the bubble burst is or successfully pop every bubble in the game! And remember to have fun!