Short Fuse

How to play Short Fuse

Break open an arena of crates, collect upgrades, and outlast the other bombers. You can practise against bots or play with friends, with up to eight players in a match. The last survivor takes the round.

Move, plant, and escape

With the default keyboard settings, move using the arrow keys or WASD and plant a bomb with Space or Enter. On a phone, use the movement control and bomb button. You can change your keys and sound in Settings.

Bombs explode along straight lines. Solid walls provide cover; crates block routes until destroyed. Your own blast is dangerous too, so choose a way out before planting. Nearby bombs can set one another off, making a chain reaction arrive sooner than you expect.

Make a safe opening

1. Use your first bombs to clear nearby crates while keeping a route back to cover.
2. Collect upgrades when the blast has cleared. More powerful bombs also make your escape plan more important.
3. Watch where opponents can go, not just where they are standing. A bomb that closes an exit can be more useful than one planted beside a player.
4. Move toward open space as the arena closes in. Waiting in a corner can leave you with no safe route.

A useful first tactic

Plant beside a crate, then turn around a solid corner instead of running straight down the same corridor. The corner breaks the blast’s line of travel. Check for another bomb on the far side before committing: cover from one explosion may still be exposed to another.

Practise your timing against bots before joining a busy room. For another quick reaction game with a different rhythm, try Road Fury.

Upgrades change the arena

Bomb pickups increase your active bomb capacity; flames increase range; speed improves movement; kick lets you push bombs by walking into them. A new bomb normally has a 2.5-second fuse, but a chain reaction can trigger it earlier. Blasts remain dangerous for half a second. Plan your next route around the upgraded range, not the range you started with.

Win rounds, then the match

The last survivor receives a round win. If everyone dies together, the round gives no win. The default match target is three round wins. Closing walls eventually take away the outer routes, so move inward while you still have choices.

Questions players ask

Why did my bomb explode early?

Another blast can trigger a chain reaction. The normal fuse does not protect a bomb from an earlier explosion.

Does leaving the tab pause the match?

No. This is a live match. Use Leave when you need to stop; other players continue playing.

How can I practise escaping?

Start against bots and plant beside one crate at a time. Reach a solid corner, wait for the flame to disappear, then return.

Keep playing and learning

Work through a bomb escape decision, or try Road Fury for a solo challenge where safe routes and timing matter.