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How to play Flash Point: Fire Rescue (2026): Flash Point: Fire Rescue is a cooperative board game for two to six players, ages 10 and up. Players are firefighters racing through a burning house to rescue victims before the building collapses. Everyone wins or loses together, and games take about 45 minutes. This guide follows the official rulebook and covers the Family game, which is the best way to learn, plus a short overview of the Experienced rules.
The game you need: Flash Point: Fire Rescue (2nd Edition)
The box includes a double-sided house board, firefighter figures, fire and smoke markers, points of interest, damage cubes, doors and dice. The core rules match the first edition.
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Flash Point Family setup
- Use the house side of the board marked for the Family game and place closed doors on the door spaces.
- Place fire markers on the spaces shown in the rulebook's starting layout.
- Shuffle the point of interest markers face down and place three on the marked starting spaces. Some are victims; some are false alarms.
- Each player picks a firefighter and places it on any space outside the house.
- Keep the damage cubes and extra fire and smoke markers nearby, and choose a first player.
Action points: what you can do
Each turn you get 4 action points. You may save up to 4 unused points for a later turn. Every action has a cost:
| Action | Cost |
|---|---|
| Move one space | 1 AP |
| Move into a space on fire | 2 AP |
| Carry a victim one space | 2 AP |
| Open or close a door | 1 AP |
| Remove smoke, or turn fire into smoke | 1 AP |
| Remove fire completely | 2 AP |
| Chop a wall (adds a damage cube) | 2 AP |
When a firefighter enters a space with a face-down point of interest, flip it. A false alarm is removed; a victim stays and must be carried out of the house.
Advancing the fire
After your actions, roll the two dice to pick a space on the grid and place smoke there. If the space already has smoke, or smoke sits next to fire, it becomes fire. If the space is already on fire, an explosion happens: fire spreads in all four directions until it hits a wall, a closed door or an empty space, and walls and doors take damage. After that, any smoke touching fire flips to fire in a flashover.
Any firefighter caught in fire is knocked down and moved to the nearest ambulance space. Any victim or point of interest caught in fire is lost.
Replenishing points of interest
At the end of each turn, if fewer than three points of interest are on the board, add new ones by rolling for spaces until three are back in the house. This keeps the pressure on, because new people keep appearing in danger.
How Flash Point ends
- Win: rescue 7 victims by carrying them outside.
- Lose: 4 victims are lost to the fire.
- Lose: the house collapses when all 24 damage cubes have been placed.
A sample Flash Point turn
Jordan starts beside a smoky kitchen with 4 action points and 1 saved from last turn. She spends 1 point to move into the kitchen, where the point of interest flips over to reveal a victim at no cost. She spends 2 more to carry the victim one space toward the door and saves her last 2 points. Next she rolls the dice to advance the fire: smoke lands next to an open flame in the hallway and flips to fire, cutting off her route. The team now has to decide who clears that hallway before her next turn.
Moving up to the Experienced game
Once your group wins the Family game, try the Experienced rules. They add firefighter specialties, such as the Paramedic and the Fire Captain, plus hazardous materials, hot spots and a fire engine and ambulance that can move around the house. The same action point system applies, but the fire grows faster and each role changes how you plan.
Flash Point tips for new crews
- Fight fire near victims first. A lost victim is a step toward defeat.
- Close doors. They slow explosions and protect rooms.
- Save points for big turns. Carrying a victim to safety often needs more than 4 AP.
- More team games: see our games like Pandemic for other cooperative picks.
Flash Point rules questions
How many victims do you need to rescue in Flash Point?
Seven. The team loses if four victims are lost or the building collapses.
How many players can play Flash Point?
Flash Point: Fire Rescue plays two to six, and a single player can run several firefighters.
Is Flash Point good for kids?
The box says ages 10 and up. The Family rules are easy for kids that age to follow.
