Pyrotechnics review - A fiery two-player fireworks show

It’s official: I’ve corrupted my wife to the dark side of gaming. She has turned into a cutthroat, take-no-prisoners, competitor who will go for the jugular when needed to get the victory. That also means that we are looking for games to take with us to restaurants and coffee shops so that we can scratch the itch on the road. Pyrotechnics is a perfect game to keep in the car for on-the-go head-to-head gaming.

Pyrotechnics is the upcoming release from publisher The Seahorse and the Hummingbird, who design small games to “think deep & play light,” and designed by Michael Byron Sprague. In Pyrotechnics, two players will face off, trying to shed the cards in their hands and create the best fireworks show. The first player to shed all five cards from their hand wins.

At the start of the game, players will shuffle the 18 included cards, dealing five to each player and another five face up to a common row. A supply of primary and secondary color “spark” tokens is set within both players’ reach. 

On a turn, a player will deal a card from their hand to take its “research” action, located in the top corner of the card. This will usually allow them to gain spark tokens from the supply or exchange two primary tokens for a secondary token. Then, a player will choose either the discover or showcase action from one of the cards in the central row. A “discover" action will often give players more spark tokens, allow them to exchange tokens, and even steal tokens from the other player. If the “discover” action is taken, the player will exchange the card they played from their hand with the card they used for discovery in the central row.

If a player has the necessary tokens, they can take the “showcase" action on one of the central cards. This usually requires having a large number of the same primary tokens or a certain combination of secondary tokens. In essence, you are setting off the fireworks. The showcase card is added to a personal discard pile on the player’s side, and the card they played in the research phase is added to the central row. The player will now have one less card in their hand until the next showcase action. Play will continue back and forth until a player can set off their fifth showcase.

This was a simple and fast-paced game that both my wife and I enjoyed quite a bit. We were able to get a couple of games within 30 minutes, which included learning the rules. The footprint is small, which makes it a great game to stick in my wife’s purse when heading out to a coffee shop or a restaurant. I loved the multi-use cards and how seamlessly they flowed from one phase of the game to another. Taking a card from the center row may cause you not to be able to showcase it for another couple of turns, but it could take the benefits away from your opponent. Since all spark tokens are common knowledge, you have to keep an eye on your opponent to see what they may be saving up for and block them when the time is right. The artwork by Gavin Pouliout and his graphics, in conjunction with developer Jason Katzwinkel, are welcoming and easy to follow. Each of the firework illustrations makes you want to see that exact pattern light up the sky. The instruction folios that are included are also easy to read and understand, to get the game to the table quickly. 

This is definitely a lighter game and may not scratch the itch for some deeper strategy gamers, and I could see it losing its “spark” if put into a heavy rotation, but for an 18-card deck with a few extra tokens on the side, it’ll be a great game to grab and come back to when needing a fill.

Pyrotechnics will go on sale on December 31st, 2025, from The Seahorse and The Hummingbird’s website.