Enter your email Address

ENTROPY
  • About
    • About
    • Masthead
    • Advertising
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Info on Book Reviews
  • Essays
    • All Introspection
      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      On Britney, Party Girls, and the Fight for Narrative Control

      March 2, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Variations on a Theme: Individuation

      February 27, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Our Side Of The Clouds

      February 26, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Side Effects May Include Monstrosity

      February 25, 2021

      Introspection

      Variations on a Theme: Individuation

      February 27, 2021

      Introspection

      Variations on a Theme: Radio Days

      February 23, 2021

      Introspection

      Variations on a Theme: Daddy Rocked the Baby, Mother Said Amen

      February 20, 2021

      Introspection

      Variations on a Theme: The End of the World

      February 9, 2021

  • Fiction
    • Fiction

      The Birds: Canada Geese

      March 1, 2021

      Fiction

      BLACKCACKLE: Cain, Knocking

      February 24, 2021

      Fiction

      The Birds: A Bird Heart for Forgiveness

      February 19, 2021

      Fiction

      New Skin

      February 17, 2021

      Fiction

      The Birds: Skittering

      February 17, 2021

  • Reviews
    • All Collaborative Review Video Review
      Review

      Weirder Sadness, Reverberating Empathy, Invisible Revolution — Joanna Fuhrman’s To a New Era

      March 1, 2021

      Review

      Review: To Limn / Lying In by J’Lyn Chapman

      February 25, 2021

      Review

      Review: Nudes by Elle Nash

      February 22, 2021

      Review

      Burials Free of Sharks: Review of Xandria Phillips’ Hull

      February 18, 2021

      Collaborative Review

      Attention to the Real: A Conversation

      September 3, 2020

      Collaborative Review

      A Street Car Named Whatever

      February 22, 2016

      Collaborative Review

      Black Gum: A Conversational Review

      August 7, 2015

      Collaborative Review

      Lords of Waterdeep in Conversation

      February 25, 2015

      Video Review

      Entropy’s Super Mario Level

      September 15, 2015

      Video Review

      Flash Portraits of Link: Part 7 – In Weakness, Find Strength

      January 2, 2015

      Video Review

      Basal Ganglia by Matthew Revert

      March 31, 2014

      Video Review

      The Desert Places by Amber Sparks and Robert Kloss, Illustrated by Matt Kish

      March 21, 2014

  • Small Press
    • Small Press

      OOMPH! Press

      February 24, 2021

      Small Press

      Dynamo Verlag

      February 17, 2021

      Small Press

      Abalone Mountain Press

      February 3, 2021

      Small Press

      Gordon Hill Press

      December 8, 2020

      Small Press

      Evidence House

      November 24, 2020

  • Where to Submit
  • More
    • Poetry
    • Interviews
    • Games
      • All Board Games Video Games
        Creative Nonfiction / Essay

        HOW VIDEO GAMES MADE ME BIOPHILIC

        February 12, 2021

        Creative Nonfiction / Essay

        How Zelda Saved Me: The Inspiration, Feminism, and Empowerment of Hyrule

        November 2, 2020

        Board Games

        Session Report: Victoriana and Optimism

        December 14, 2019

        Games

        Best of 2019: Video Games

        December 13, 2019

        Board Games

        Session Report: Victoriana and Optimism

        December 14, 2019

        Board Games

        Ludic Writing: Lady of the West

        July 27, 2019

        Board Games

        Session Report: Paperback and Anomia

        July 27, 2019

        Board Games

        Ludic Writing: The Real Leeds Part 12 (Once in a Lifetime)

        November 10, 2018

        Video Games

        HOW VIDEO GAMES MADE ME BIOPHILIC

        February 12, 2021

        Video Games

        How Zelda Saved Me: The Inspiration, Feminism, and Empowerment of Hyrule

        November 2, 2020

        Video Games

        Best of 2019: Video Games

        December 13, 2019

        Video Games

        Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the Spirit of Generosity

        December 31, 2018

    • Food
    • Small Press Releases
    • Film
    • Music
    • Paranormal
    • Travel
    • Art
    • Graphic Novels
    • Comics
    • Current Events
    • Astrology
    • Random
  • RESOURCES
  • The Accomplices
    • THE ACCOMPLICES
    • Enclave
    • Trumpwatch

ENTROPY

  • About
    • About
    • Masthead
    • Advertising
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Info on Book Reviews
  • Essays
    • All Introspection
      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      On Britney, Party Girls, and the Fight for Narrative Control

      March 2, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Variations on a Theme: Individuation

      February 27, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Our Side Of The Clouds

      February 26, 2021

      Creative Nonfiction / Essay

      Side Effects May Include Monstrosity

      February 25, 2021

      Introspection

      Variations on a Theme: Individuation

      February 27, 2021

      Introspection

      Variations on a Theme: Radio Days

      February 23, 2021

      Introspection

      Variations on a Theme: Daddy Rocked the Baby, Mother Said Amen

      February 20, 2021

      Introspection

      Variations on a Theme: The End of the World

      February 9, 2021

  • Fiction
    • Fiction

      The Birds: Canada Geese

      March 1, 2021

      Fiction

      BLACKCACKLE: Cain, Knocking

      February 24, 2021

      Fiction

      The Birds: A Bird Heart for Forgiveness

      February 19, 2021

      Fiction

      New Skin

      February 17, 2021

      Fiction

      The Birds: Skittering

      February 17, 2021

  • Reviews
    • All Collaborative Review Video Review
      Review

      Weirder Sadness, Reverberating Empathy, Invisible Revolution — Joanna Fuhrman’s To a New Era

      March 1, 2021

      Review

      Review: To Limn / Lying In by J’Lyn Chapman

      February 25, 2021

      Review

      Review: Nudes by Elle Nash

      February 22, 2021

      Review

      Burials Free of Sharks: Review of Xandria Phillips’ Hull

      February 18, 2021

      Collaborative Review

      Attention to the Real: A Conversation

      September 3, 2020

      Collaborative Review

      A Street Car Named Whatever

      February 22, 2016

      Collaborative Review

      Black Gum: A Conversational Review

      August 7, 2015

      Collaborative Review

      Lords of Waterdeep in Conversation

      February 25, 2015

      Video Review

      Entropy’s Super Mario Level

      September 15, 2015

      Video Review

      Flash Portraits of Link: Part 7 – In Weakness, Find Strength

      January 2, 2015

      Video Review

      Basal Ganglia by Matthew Revert

      March 31, 2014

      Video Review

      The Desert Places by Amber Sparks and Robert Kloss, Illustrated by Matt Kish

      March 21, 2014

  • Small Press
    • Small Press

      OOMPH! Press

      February 24, 2021

      Small Press

      Dynamo Verlag

      February 17, 2021

      Small Press

      Abalone Mountain Press

      February 3, 2021

      Small Press

      Gordon Hill Press

      December 8, 2020

      Small Press

      Evidence House

      November 24, 2020

  • Where to Submit
  • More
    • Poetry
    • Interviews
    • Games
      • All Board Games Video Games
        Creative Nonfiction / Essay

        HOW VIDEO GAMES MADE ME BIOPHILIC

        February 12, 2021

        Creative Nonfiction / Essay

        How Zelda Saved Me: The Inspiration, Feminism, and Empowerment of Hyrule

        November 2, 2020

        Board Games

        Session Report: Victoriana and Optimism

        December 14, 2019

        Games

        Best of 2019: Video Games

        December 13, 2019

        Board Games

        Session Report: Victoriana and Optimism

        December 14, 2019

        Board Games

        Ludic Writing: Lady of the West

        July 27, 2019

        Board Games

        Session Report: Paperback and Anomia

        July 27, 2019

        Board Games

        Ludic Writing: The Real Leeds Part 12 (Once in a Lifetime)

        November 10, 2018

        Video Games

        HOW VIDEO GAMES MADE ME BIOPHILIC

        February 12, 2021

        Video Games

        How Zelda Saved Me: The Inspiration, Feminism, and Empowerment of Hyrule

        November 2, 2020

        Video Games

        Best of 2019: Video Games

        December 13, 2019

        Video Games

        Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the Spirit of Generosity

        December 31, 2018

    • Food
    • Small Press Releases
    • Film
    • Music
    • Paranormal
    • Travel
    • Art
    • Graphic Novels
    • Comics
    • Current Events
    • Astrology
    • Random
  • RESOURCES
  • The Accomplices
    • THE ACCOMPLICES
    • Enclave
    • Trumpwatch
Board GamesGamesReview

12 Days of Gaming: Flash Point Fire Rescue

written by Byron Alexander Campbell December 15, 2014

Flash Point: Fire Rescue by Kevin Lanzing
Indie Boards and Cards, 2011
Indie Boards and Cards / Amazon

I’ve been wanting to write about Flash Point: Fire Rescue for a while. Cooperative games comprise my favorite genre in board gaming–heck, I love co-ops in video games, as well, though at the end of the day, I tend to prefer the more immersive single-player experience. Amongst tabletop game designs, co-ops most closely emulate that single-player video game experience, pitting the player(s) against the game itself, to win or lose as a team. All you need to design a good competitive game are a few simple rules and an understanding of human nature, but it takes real cleverness to design a good co-op, to craft an antagonistic system of rules that creates constant tension and drama without feeling overwhelming, random, or hard to remember (since, unlike video games, the players must enact these rules themselves). When done well, though, cooperative games fill several important niches: they’re great for introducing to new players, since players are encouraged to discuss their options as a team; they’re ideal for groups who don’t like competitiveness or cutthroat actions, and they allow players of differing skill levels to participate together without fear of a runaway game; and finally, they make perfect candidates for single-player gaming. As such, cooperative games dominate my collection.

Among co-ops, Flash Point: Fire Rescue hits the perfect sweet spot. It presents itself as an accessible game for families–the publisher’s website features lines like “Get those kids away from their screens!”–and with its simple-to-understand rules and universally appealing theme (who doesn’t like firemen?), it achieves that goal. However, unlike other kid- and newbie-friendly co-op titles such as Gamewright’s Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert, or Fireside Games’ Castle Panic, Flash Point packs in enough depth and expandability to keep veteran cooperative gamers coming back, as well. If I had to recommend a “one size fits all” co-op board game, this would be the one.

Flash Point also does something magical with its dice. I normally avoid co-op games that rely heavily on dice rolls, because they tend to signify an antagonistic system ruled by randomness, and how satisfying is it really to know you’ve overcome the “challenge” of a random number generator? However, while Flash Point has the players roll the dice (a six-sider and an eight-sider) at the end of every turn, the rules that translate these rolls into bursts of flame and screaming civilians cleverly emulate the real-life spread of fire, allowing the players to predict and outmaneuver the blaze even as it grows chaotically.

The board’s broken into a grid of numbers matching the potential values of the dice. In the grid square matching your roll, you must…well, the rules have a different word for it, but I find it easier to think of as “adding heat.” If you add heat to an empty space, smoke appears. If you add heat to a space with smoke already in it, the smoke becomes fire (the flash point from which the game borrows its title). If you add heat to a space already on fire, it becomes an explosion, sending shockwaves in all four directions–basically, you trace a line in the direction of the shockwave until you find a space without fire or a solid wall (or closed door), placing fire in the space or damaging the wall (or blowing the door off its hinges), as appropriate. As fire spreads, the concept of “flashover” comes into play–if a space with smoke is ever adjacent to a space on fire, the smoking space ignites, as well, which may set off a chain reaction, instantly turning a smoke-filled room into a blazing inferno.

Into this clever simulation come the firefighters, tasked with only one job: rescue the civilians (and pets) trapped in the blaze. The dice also bring “points of interest” into play during the course of the game; these points of interest could be civilians, or they could be false alarms. The firefighters must identify civilians and drag them to the safety of the ambulance circling the building before the fire claims them. This often necessitates a host of other actions: dousing flames, opening and closing doors, and even chopping through walls. Be careful, though–the building can only sustain so much damage before it suffers a structural collapse, ending the mission in immediate failure, so any new holes you make only speed that process along. However, sometimes it’s a necessary sacrifice to reach a civilian in time.

This sums up the basic or “Family Game”; the “Advanced Game,” which I played, adds many new features, including hazardous materials, hot spots, firefighters with unique special abilities, and a yellow fire engine from which the players can change crew or spray the firehose. The game also supplies a double-sided board featuring a choice of easier and harder burning house. For gamers unsatisfied with these options, expansions bring in a host of new features: 2nd Story adds two-story buildings, ladders and windows; Dangerous Waters brings in a boat and a sub, with rules for metal walls and mission-critical resources; and the forthcoming Honor & Duty brings in airplane and subway environments, with rules for navigating particularly difficult terrain.

As for my latest session of this game…well, it didn’t go as well as I’d planned. My Driver/Operator character wasn’t able to efficiently fire the deck gun, since the game doesn’t allow you to target areas containing firefighters. Midway through, I switched him out for the Rescue Dog, but couldn’t use him efficiently, either (a tricky character, the Rescue Dog can squeeze through tight spaces and move across the board quickly, but the other players must first clear a path through the smoke and fire). My Hazmat Technician disposed of several hazardous materials, but in retrospect, his services might have been better employed elsewhere. After only three rescues, the structure collapsed, killing the rest of the people inside and critically injuring my firefighters, who will live to serve another day.

It’s hard to describe in words how naturally the fire spreads, so I’ve included an illustrative slideshow of the last few rounds.

12 Days of Gaming: Flash Point Fire Rescue was last modified: December 15th, 2014 by Byron Alexander Campbell
12 Days of Gamingboard gamescooperative gamesFlash Point: Fire Rescueslideshowtabletop games
0 comment
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Avatar
Byron Alexander Campbell

Byron Alexander Campbell is an aspiring human living in Southern California. He is interested in games, story, and the surprising ways they intersect.

previous post
Mature Themes
next post
Dorothy, a publishing project

You may also like

Baveuse by Sara Sutterlin

December 11, 2015

All the People by Stephanie Barber

August 4, 2015

A Sheep in Sheep’s Clothing: Woman at War

March 21, 2019

Show Her a Flower, A Bird, A Shadow, by Peg Alford Pursell

April 4, 2017
Facebook Twitter Instagram
"target="_blank"

Recent Comments

  • furiousvexation Loved this. Killer first line and such a painted picture. Bravo!

    The Birds: a poem ·  February 17, 2021

  • Deidra Brown Wonderful, moving work!

    The Birds: a poem ·  February 15, 2021

  • Ceres Growing up in a rural area, I've observed first-hand the disparate outlooks between urban children with environmentalist parents and children raised in the country. Modern agricultural practices...

    HOW VIDEO GAMES MADE ME BIOPHILIC ·  February 13, 2021

Featured Columns & Series

  • The Birds
  • Dinnerview
  • WOVEN
  • Variations on a Theme
  • BLACKCACKLE
  • Literacy Narrative
  • COVID-19
  • Mini-Syllabus
  • Their Days Are Numbered
  • On Weather
  • Disarticulations
  • The Waters
  • Session Report series
  • Birdwolf
  • Comics I've Been Geeking Out On
  • Small Press Releases
  • Books I Hate (and Also Some I Like)
  • The Poetics of Spaces
  • Tales From the End of the Bus Line
  • Fog or a Cloud
  • 30 Years of Ghibli
  • Cooking Origin Stories
  • YOU MAKE ME FEEL
  • Ludic Writing
  • Best of 2019
  • Food and Covid-19
  • The Talking Cure
  • Stars to Stories
  • DRAGONS ARE REAL OR THEY ARE DEAD
  • Foster Care
  • LEAKY CULTURE
  • Jem and the Holographic Feminisms
  • D&D with Entropy

Find Us On Facebook

Entropy
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

©2014-2021 The Accomplices LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Read our updated Privacy Policy.


Back To Top