BOMBANANA! Blind, Deaf, Mute Roles: How to Communicate
Nobody has the full picture: Mute has the manual but cannot speak, Deaf can see and talk but cannot hear, Blind can touch the bomb but cannot see. Here is the comms chain that actually defuses bombs.
Core problem: teams explode when they skip a handoff, invent gestures mid-timer, or let Blind act on a half-finished call. The chain that works: Blind reports what they feel - Mute hears it, looks it up, and gestures - Deaf reads the gesture and speaks one instruction - Blind repeats it, then acts. Do not run that loop backwards, and diagnose failures at Deaf first.
1Assign Roles Before the Timer
- 1Blind: the calmest, most precise player.
Their whole job is wait - repeat - touch. Impulsive players cut the wrong wire.
- 2Mute: the fastest reader.
They turn a manual page into one small gesture.
- 3Deaf: the best short-term memory.
They watch the bomb and Mute at the same time, then talk to Blind.
2Lock a Signal List Before Start
| Meaning | What Mute Does |
|---|---|
| Yes / go | Nod or thumbs up |
| No / wrong | Head shake or thumbs down |
| Wait / hold | Both hands up or "stop" emote |
| Repeat that | Wave / swirl |
| Numbers 1-10 | Number wheel / fingers |
| Zero | Agree a dedicated swirl or 10-fingers before the bomb - the wheel has no 0 |
| Left / right | 1 finger = left, 2 = right (Blind's left/right only - pick one and never mix) |
| Unclear / cannot answer | A unique "X" sign that is not the same as "no" |
3Run One Module at a Time, in This Order
- 1Name the module first.
"Wires," "braille," "switches," "keypad." Mute needs the right manual page before any colors or numbers.
- 2Send only the facts that page needs.
Wires: count + order + indicator light. Braille: Blind reads dots by touch and speaks the pattern. Switches: current up/down positions. Keypad/Simon: one stage at a time.
- 3Mute puts the book down, then gestures.
Read - decide - lower the book - signal. Gesturing with the manual in frame blocks Deaf's view.
- 4Deaf speaks one complete instruction to Blind.
Not "maybe the blue one." One sentence: "Third wire from Blind's left. Cut."
- 5Blind repeats it back.
"Third from my left - confirm?"
- 6Deaf visually checks Blind's hand, then says "Confirmed."
Only then does Blind cut, press, or flip.
- 7Blind reports the result by feel.
"Thinner wire," "clicked," "nothing happened" - so Mute can hear the next lookup.
Decision Points
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Should Blind cut because it "feels right"? | No. Blind never acts on a partial sentence. |
| Should Mute mime a whole paragraph? | No. Shrink the answer: yes/no, a number, a position, one color at a time. If Deaf has to decode charades, the timer wins. |
| Should Deaf watch the bomb or Mute? | Both, glance-swapping. If you lose the gesture, say "pausing - incomplete" and make Mute repeat. Blind waits in place until Deaf looks back - Deaf cannot hear a redo request. |
| External voice chat to bypass the limits? | Community play is built around the in-game limits (emote wheel, number wheel, body language, thrown items). External voice breaks the intended chain and usually leaves Deaf more lost. |
Common Mistakes
- Starting the timer before roles and three gestures (yes / no / wait) are locked.
- Blind moving while Deaf is still reading Mute.
- Mute signaling with the manual covering their hands.
- Deaf relaying a guess before Mute finishes the gesture.
- Mixing "my left" and "your left."
- Stacking two modules at once. One comms channel cannot carry two puzzles.
- Treating "no" and "I don't know / incomplete info" as the same sign.
- Blind screaming numbers at Deaf. Deaf cannot hear - those reports go to Mute, who can.