Defusing Bombs

A bomb will explode when its countdown timer reaches 0:00 or when too many strikes have been recorded. The only way to defuse a bomb is to disarm all of its modules before its countdown timer expires.

Example Bomb

Front

Side

Modules

Each bomb will include a certain number of modules that must be disarmed. With a few exceptions, each module is discrete and can be disarmed in any order.

Instructions for disarming modules can be found in Section 1. "Needy" modules present a special case and are described in Section 2.

Strikes

Strike Indicator

When the Defuser makes a mistake, the bomb will record a strike which will be displayed on the indicator above the countdown timer. Bombs with a strike indicator will typically explode upon the third strike. The timer will begin to count down faster after a strike has been recorded.

If no strike indicator is present above the countdown timer, the bomb will explode upon the first strike, leaving no room for error.

Gathering Information

Some disarming instructions will require specific information about the bomb, such as the serial number. This type of information can typically be found on the top, bottom, or sides of the bomb casing. See the appendices, most notably A, B and C, for instructions that will be useful in disarming certain modules.

On the Subject of Wires

Wires are the lifeblood of electronics! Wait, no, electricity is the lifeblood. Wires are more like the arteries. The veins? No matter…

• A wire module can have 3-6 wires on it.
• Only the one correct wire needs to be cut to disarm the module.
• Wire ordering begins with the first on the top.

On the Subject of The Button

You might think that a button telling you to press it is pretty straightforward. That’s the kind of thinking that gets people exploded.

See Appendix A for indicator identification reference.
See Appendix B for battery identification reference.

Follow these rules in the order they are listed. Perform the first action that applies:

1. If the button is blue and the button says "Abort", hold the button and refer to "Releasing a Held Button".
2. If there is more than 1 battery on the bomb and the button says "Detonate", press and immediately release the button.
3. If the button is white and there is a lit indicator with label CAR, hold the button and refer to "Releasing a Held Button".
4. If there are more than 2 batteries on the bomb and there is a lit indicator with label FRK, press and immediately release the button.
5. If the button is yellow, hold the button and refer to "Releasing a Held Button".
6. If the button is red and the button says "Hold", press and immediately release the button.
7. If none of the above apply, hold the button and refer to "Releasing a Held Button".

Releasing a Held Button

If you start holding the button down, a colored strip will light up on the right side of the module. Based on its color, you must release the button at a specific point in time:

• Blue strip: release when the countdown timer has a 4 in any position.
• White strip: release when the countdown timer has a 1 in any position.
• Yellow strip: release when the countdown timer has a 5 in any position.
• Any other color strip: release when the countdown timer has a 1 in any position.

On the Subject of Keypads

I'm not sure what these symbols are, but I suspect they have something to do with occult.

• Only one column below has all four of the symbols from the keypad.
• Press the four buttons in the order their symbols appear from top to bottom within that column.

On the Subject of Simon Says

This is like one of those toys you played with as a kid where you have to match the pattern that appears, except this one is a knockoff that was probably purchased at a dollar store.

1. One of the four colored buttons will flash.
2. Using the correct table below, press the button with the corresponding color.
3. The original button will flash, followed by another. Repeat this sequence in order using the color mapping.
4. The sequence will lengthen by one each time you correctly enter a sequence until the module is disarmed.

If the serial number contains a vowel:

If the serial number does not contain a vowel:

On the Subject of Who’s on First

This contraption is like something out of a sketch comedy routine, which might be funny if it wasn't connected to a bomb. I’ll keep this brief, as words only complicate matters.

1. Read the display and use step 1 to determine which button label to read.
2. Using this button label, use step 2 determine which button to push.
3. Repeat until the module has been disarmed.

Step 1:

Based on the display, read the label of a particular button and proceed to step 2:

YES	FIRST	DISPLAY	OKAY	SAYS	NOTHING
	BLANK	NO	LED	LEAD	READ
RED	REED	LEED	HOLD ON	YOU	YOU ARE
YOUR	YOU'RE	UR	THERE	THEY'RE	THEIR
	THEY ARE	SEE	C	CEE

Step 2:

Using the label from step 1, push the first button that appears in its corresponding list:

On the Subject of Memory

Memory is a fragile thing but so is everything else when a bomb goes off, so pay attention!

• Press the correct button to progress the module to the next stage. Complete all stages to disarm the module.
• Pressing an incorrect button will reset the module back to stage 1.
• Button positions are ordered from left to right.

On the Subject of Mazes

This seems to be some kind of maze, probably stolen off of a restaurant placemat.

• Find the maze with matching circular markings.
• The defuser must navigate the white light to the red triangle using the arrow buttons.
• Warning: Do not cross the lines shown in the maze. These lines are invisible on the bomb.

On the Subject of Passwords

Fortunately this password doesn't seem to meet standard government security requirements: 22 characters, mixed case, numbers in random order without any palindromes above length 3.

• The buttons above and below each letter will cycle through the possibilities for that position.
• Only one combination of the available letters will match a password below.
• Press the submit button once the correct word has been set.

On the Subject of Colour Flash

It’s easy to identify colours. Red, Blue, Green, etc. Turns out it's a bit harder when you display a word colour in a different colour though...

• A Colour Flash module will repeatedly flash a sequence of 8 different words representing colours in different colours.
• The possible colours are Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Magenta and White.
• There is also a Yes button and a No button on the module.
• Only one of the Yes and No buttons need to be pressed to disarm the module, but must be pressed at the correct time according to the rules below.
• The colour of the last word in the sequence determines which set of rules to follow below.
• Follow the rules down from the top-most rule, down to the bottom-most rule for the block that applies to your module.

Continuation of previous table...

On the Subject of Turn The Key

How can something so simple be so infuriating?

Turn the key when the bomb's timer matches the time on the display, no sooner, no later.

On the Subject of Turn The Keys

Order is everything.

This module has two keys and a display. The display indicates this module’s priority.

LEFT KEY

Turn the left key after you have done all of the following:

• Turned the right key on all ‘Turn the Keys’ modules.
• Turned all lower priority left keys.
• Solved all Password modules.
• Solved all Who’s On First modules.
• Solved all Keypad modules.

But before you have done any of the following:

• Turned any higher priority left keys.
• Solved any Maze modules.
• Solved any Memory modules.
• Solved any Complicated Wires modules.
• Solved any Wire Sequence modules.

RIGHT KEY

Turn the right key after you have done all of the following:

• Turned all higher priority right keys.
• Solved all Morse Code modules.
• Solved all Wires modules.
• Solved all The Button modules.
• Solved all Colour Flash modules.

But before you have done any of the following:

• Turned any left keys.
• Turned any lower priority right keys.
• Solved any Simon Says modules.

On the Subject of 3D Maze

You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike. Exits are to the north, south, east, and west.

• The defuser starts in a random position and orientation in one of the ten mazes below.
• Locate the defuser using a 3D view of the maze walls, which also shows the symbol on the floor of the current space, and if there is a symbol in the space ahead.
• The maze map is cyclic; moving off one of the edges will take the defuser to the space on the opposite side, provided there is no wall in between the space.
• One of the walls is the goal, the rest will cause strikes if moved into.
• To defuse the module, locate the goal wall, and move through it from either side.
• Using the methods below, calculate a row (0-7), a column (0-7), and a direction; the goal wall will be the first wall from these coordinates in the given direction.

Row:

• Start with the first numeric digit in the serial number.
• Add 1 for every unlit indicator with a letter in “MAZE GAMER”.
• If the row number is greater than 7, subtract 8.

Column:

• Start with the last numeric digit in the serial number.
• Add 1 for every lit indicator with a letter in “HELP IM LOST”.
• If the column number is greater than 7, subtract 8.

Direction:

• Each maze contains three star icons marked on the map.
• On the floor in each of these locations is a letter, which maps to the direction to the goal wall: “N” becomes North, “S” becomes South, “E” becomes East, and “W” becomes West.
• Beware of letters not in these marked locations, they carry incorrect decoy instructions!

On the Subject of Skewed Slots

This has to be illegal somehow...

• A skewed slots module contains 3 numeric displays and a submit button on it.
• Based on the current display on the slots, submit the correct digits based on following sections of rules. Each section is labeled with which slot it applies to.
• After all the rules have been applied, if the number is below 0, add 10. Otherwise if the number is above 9, subtract 10. Repeat this until the number is between 0-9.
• If you submit the incorrect digits, the slots will automatically spin and a strike will be assigned.

On the Subject of Follow the Leader

Child’s play. Just follow the leader. Only if you fail to follow, the penalty is somewhat more explosive.

This module contains 8-12 wires connecting numerically labeled plugs in a looping sequence. Each wire leads from one plug to the next plug that contains a wire in ascending numerical order. A wire leading from plug 1 is considered to be “wire 1”.

Progress through the module by first determining the starting wire, then checking whether to cut each wire in the sequence. Each wire will need to be either cut or left uncut based on the state of the previous wire(s) in the sequence.

Determine Start Position

Follow the first rule below that applies:

1. If an RJ-45 port is present and there is a wire leading from plug 4 directly to plug 5, begin at that wire.
2. Otherwise, if there is a wire that begins at a plug matching the number of batteries on the bomb, begin with that wire.
3. Otherwise, if there is a wire that begins at a plug matching the first numeral of the serial number, begin at that wire.
4. Otherwise, if there is a lit indicator with the label CLR, disregard all further instructions and cut all wires present on this module in descending numerical order.
5. If none of the above apply, the start position is the plug containing a wire earliest in numerical order.

Cutting Wires

• Always cut the wire at the starting plug. Then progress to the next wire.
• From this position, cut the wires as directed by the steps in the following table. The starting step corresponds to the first letter in the serial number. If the serial number contains no letters, begin at step A.
• When progressing to the next wire, also progress to the next step alphabetically in the table to determine whether to cut the wire.
• “Previous wire(s)” may refer to wires beyond the original starting position in the sequence.
• If the wire at the starting plug is red, green, or white, progress through the steps in reverse alphabetical order instead.

On the Subject of the Blind Alley

What? Where?

The module appears blank, but has eight touch-sensitive regions laid out as in the following diagram. Touch the regions that have the most conditions met in any order.

On the Subject of Battleship

FIRE! ... (splash) Missed.

Attention, Cadet. We’ve narrowed the enemy’s locations to within this 5×5 grid. The targets in this area are concealed, but we do have a fair bit of intelligence on them.

We suspect this information may not be enough to determine with accuracy where the enemy forces are deployed. This is where you come in. We need you to figure out which locations within the battle arena we can safely survey without being seen:

• Take the first letter and the first digit of the serial number. Add or subtract 5 to the letter or digit until it is in the range A–E or 1–5. This is the first safe location.
• Do the same for the second letter and the second digit. Keep going until you run out of either letters or digits.
• Finally, convert the number of ports into a letter A–E and the number of indicators plus batteries into a digit 1–5 in the same manner. This is your final safe location.
• In each case, the letter indicates columns (left to right), the number indicates rows (top to bottom).

Attention, Ensign. We need you to ascertain the locations of all enemy vessels. When you have done so, the module is disarmed. The following tools are at your disposal:

• Survey the safe locations by using the radar tool. Using the radar on any unsafe location reveals our position to the enemy, so don’t do that.
• Use the water tool to mark locations that definitely have no enemy vessel in them. You may also click the number above a column or beside a row to mark every unmarked location in that row/column as water.
• Use the torpedo to attack the enemy. Do not waste torpedos on water!

Our intelligence indicates that:

• Every enemy ship is either horizontal or vertical.
• None of the vessels are directly adjacent, not even diagonally.
• We know how many squares in each row and each column have a piece of a ship in them. This is indicated by the numbers along the edges of the grid.
• We also know how many ships of each size there are. This is indicated by the symbols below the grid.

Good luck. Make us proud.

On the Subject of LED Encryption

Ooooh, shiny lights and buttons. Touchy touchy!

• Two to five LEDs are installed at the top of the module, representing stages. To disarm the module, these stages must be solved in order.
• Four buttons with four different letters are shown. The letters change at each stage.
• The current stage is indicated by a number in the top left of the module.
• The current stage’s multiplier is indicated by that stage’s LED according to the following table:

  Red	Green	Blue	Yellow	Purple	Orange
  2	3	4	5	6	7

• Assign each letter of the alphabet to the numbers 0–25 (A = 0, B = 1, C = 2, etc.).
• A button is correct if its letter value, multiplied by the current stage’s multiplier, modulo 26, is equal to the value of the letter on its diagonally opposite button.
• At each stage, press a correct button. There may be more than one possible answer.

On the Subject of Yahtzee

When has bomb defusal ever been a game of chance?

There are five dice in the colors of purple, yellow, blue, white and black. Start by rolling the dice. Then choose which dice to keep and which to reroll. You may only keep dice of the same value. Keep repeating this process until you get a Yahtzee.^*

At each stage, the dice to keep are given by the following rules:

If you just rolled 5 dice:

Follow the first rule that applies:

• Large straight:^* keep the die with the highest value equal to a digit in the serial number; if none, keep the purple.
• Small straight:^* keep the outlier.^*
• Three of a kind or full house:^* keep the white die if there are ≥ 2 lit indicators; otherwise, the black die if there are ≥ 2 unlit; otherwise, the highest value not in the three-of-a-kind.
• Four of a kind or two pairs: keep any dice matching the number of batteries; otherwise, matching the number of battery holders; otherwise the yellow die.
• Pair: keep the die of the color listed in the first applicable row of the following table:

  If there is a...	Die color
  parallel port	purple
  PS/2 port	blue
  RCA port	white
  RJ port	black
  otherwise	yellow

• Otherwise: you must roll all the dice again.
• In all of the above cases, dice of the same value as a die to be kept may also be kept.

If you just rolled 4 dice:

• Straight (small or large):^* you must reroll the die you previously kept and keep a die or dice of a different value.
• Otherwise:
  • Rerolling all dice is always allowed.
  • Keeping 1 die is only allowed if it isn’t black.
  • Keeping 2 dice is only allowed if neither is blue.
  • Keeping 3 dice is only allowed if the values of the other two both aren’t in the serial number.
  • Keeping 4 dice is only allowed if the fifth die has a bigger value.
  • Keeping a number of dice equal to the number of port plates is not allowed unless it’s 2 or less.

If you just rolled 3 dice:

• Full house:^* reroll the pair if there are any duplicate ports; otherwise, reroll the three-of-a-kind.
• Otherwise:
  • Keeping 0, 1 or 2 dice is allowed.
  • Keeping 3 dice is only allowed if purple or white was kept during the previous roll.
  • Keeping 4 dice is only allowed if the fifth die has a smaller value.
  • Keeping any number of dice is allowed if the value of the kept dice is in the serial.

If you just rolled 2 dice:

• Keeping 0, 1, 2 or 3 dice is allowed.
• Keeping 4 dice is only allowed if yellow or blue was kept during the previous roll or if the fifth die is 1 away in value from the value of the kept dice.

If only 1 die is left to roll:

Keep rolling it until you achieve a Yahtzee.

On the Subject of Venting Gas

Computer hacking is hard work! Well, it usually is. This job could probably be performed by a simple drinking bird pressing the same key over and over again.

• Respond to the computer prompts by pressing "Y" for "Yes" or "N" for "No".

On the Subject of Capacitor Discharge

I'm going to guess that this is just meant to occupy your attention, because otherwise this is some shoddy electronics work.

• Discharge the capacitor before it overloads by holding down the lever.