Boomstone

Boomstone is a turn-based strategy puzzle game developed by independent studio Red Kite Games and released in 2023. The game is set on a grid-based board where two players compete to destroy the opponent’s central stone, known as the Boomstone, while protecting their own. Each player controls a set of colored stones that can be placed, moved, or detonated. The board is symmetrical, and each match begins with an identical arrangement of neutral stones and player-owned stones. The objective is to reduce the opponent’s Boomstone health to zero by causing chain reactions of explosions. The game supports local multiplayer, online matchmaking, and a single-player campaign against AI opponents of varying difficulty. Boomstone is available on Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, and mobile platforms.

Gameplay mechanics are governed by a turn-based system. Each turn, a player may perform one action: place a new stone of their color on an empty cell, move an existing stone to an adjacent empty cell, or detonate a stone they control. Detonation causes the stone to explode in a cross-shaped pattern, destroying all stones in the four cardinal directions up to a range of two cells. Destroyed stones are removed from the board. If a player’s Boomstone is destroyed, that player loses immediately. Stones of the opponent’s color that are caught in an explosion are removed, but neutral stones (gray) can also be destroyed, altering board geometry. Chain reactions occur when an explosion destroys another stone that then detonates, provided that stone is of the same color as the player who initiated the blast. Neutral stones never detonate.

Controls vary by platform. On keyboard and mouse, left-click selects a player-owned stone, then left-click on an adjacent empty cell moves it; right-click detonates the selected stone. On gamepad, the D-pad or left stick moves a cursor, A button selects, B button detonates, and X button places a new stone from a reserve pool. On mobile, tap to select, then tap a destination to move, or double-tap to detonate. A stone reserve counter is displayed on the HUD, showing how many stones remain for placement; reserves replenish by one every three turns.

Tactical techniques include controlling the center of the board to maximize explosion coverage. Players often create “bridges” of their own stones to extend explosion range toward the opponent’s Boomstone. Sacrificing a stone to trigger a chain reaction that clears a path is a common opening strategy. Defensive play involves placing stones in a ring around the Boomstone to absorb blasts. Advanced players use “delayed detonation” by moving a stone into position over multiple turns before detonating, forcing the opponent to react. Neutral stones can be used as shields or as obstacles to redirect explosion paths. Managing the stone reserve is critical; running out of stones leaves a player unable to place new defenses.