tabletoppingboardgames 
Bug Run is one of those games that tricks you at first glance. You see the table, you smile, you think “oh this is adorable.” Five minutes later you’re calculating whether it’s worth letting your friend take the hit so you can steal the reward. I mean… that escalated quickly.
You play as imprisoned insects trying to escape a dungeon run by suspiciously cute animals. The art looks friendly, but the game itself isn’t soft. You’re fighting monsters, grabbing loot, and hoping someone else weakens the enemy so you can step in at the perfect moment. It’s cooperative in theory, competitive in practice, and socially messy in the best way.
What makes Bug Run interesting for us is that push and pull. You need other players. You absolutely do. But only one player wins. So every decision becomes a small negotiation between helping the group and helping yourself. Nobody says it out loud, but everyone’s thinking it. It’s teamwork with fine print.
👥 2-6 players, ages 10+
⌛ Playing time: 60 minutes
📝 Designers: Frank Crittin, Grégoire Largey & Sébastien Pauchon
🎨 Artwork: Felideus Bubastis
🏢 Publisher: Bombyx (review copy provided)
Gameplay overview
The game runs over four dungeon levels. Each level follows the same loop. First you trade. Then you explore. Once everyone reaches the stairs, the board resets and the next floor appears. It’s easy to follow and gives the game a nice episodic feeling. Four small stories instead of one long grind.
At the start of a level, monster and exploration cards form a path from left to right. That layout decides what kind of trouble you’re walking into and already influences your plan. Some levels feel generous. Some feel like a trap. You won’t know until you’re in it.
The trading phase is your preparation window. Players visit a shared bazaar to buy or sell equipment. Swords, bows, shields, extra hearts, arrows. Everything you buy is basically a bet on how aggressive you want to be. The catch is space. Each hero only has two sword slots, two bow slots, and one shield slot. So upgrades come with sacrifices. You’re always asking, is this actually better or am I just hoarding shiny toys?
Coins disappear fast. That pressure is intentional. When trading ends, the dungeon opens and suddenly all those choices matter.
During the adventure phase, turns are simple. Move forward or act where you stand. That’s it. But the game makes those choices feel heavier than they look.
Monster cards trigger combat. You roll dice, add your weapon bonuses, and hope the bones don’t bite back. Sword attacks are risky. Even if you defeat the monster, it still swings at you. Bow attacks are safer, but arrows are limited. It’s a classic risk trade. Early game players swing hard. Later turns get more careful. You can feel the mood change at the table.
When a monster falls, a flash phase starts. Only the heroes standing on that space share the rewards, starting with the one who delivered the final hit. Then those same heroes get a free move. It’s a small rule that creates a lot of table talk. Being present matters as much as doing the work. Sometimes more.
Quest cards replace combat with little challenges. Push your luck, pay resources, flip coins. When a quest finishes, it triggers a flash phase too, but here it’s just the free movement. The reward comes from the quest itself. These quests act like tempo buttons. They let you reposition while still progressing, which is huge in a game where space equals opportunity.
The stairs mark the exit of the level. Once you reach them, you can spend your turns taking the printed reward there, but only while at least one other hero is still somewhere in the dungeon. The moment everyone arrives, the level ends immediately, sometimes with a final group fight depending on the stair.
After the fourth level comes the final escape. One last climb. Each step costs resources or demands a single challenge attempt. No retries. Fail once and you’re done. It’s short and honest. The final scoring adds your earlier loot to how high you climbed. Highest total wins.
Artwork, components, and visual design
A lot of the game’s charm comes straight from how it looks. The insect heroes look like tiny fantasy adventurers carrying gear way too big for them. Cloaks, glowing weapons, instruments. They’re funny without trying too hard. The monsters lean more theatrical than scary, which fits the tone. It feels like a fairy tale that knows it’s being a bit mean.
The standees are big enough that you always know who’s where. You can read the board from across the table, which matters once everyone piles onto the same monster. Hero boards track hearts, arrows, and coins with sliding cubes. It’s tactile, clear, and easy to teach. No one’s squinting.
The dungeon cards form a horizontal corridor of illustrated rooms. Bridges, chambers, treasure spots. Once a level fills up, the table looks busy in a good way. Like a tiny diorama of insect chaos. I guess that’s the theme in one sentence.
The dice use engraved symbols, which are easy to understand while playing. Tokens are chunky enough to not feel flimsy. Nothing here feels cheap. It’s not luxury production, but it’s solid and functional. And honestly, in a game this interactive, readability matters more than fancy extras.
Our experience
Bug Run is a spectator sport even when it’s not your turn. You’re watching every move because position is everything. If someone’s about to finish a monster, you’re already thinking about what you might get out of it. Can I get there? Should I get there? Do I want them to succeed?
The flash phase is the engine of that interaction. Every shared space becomes a negotiation without words. A common style appears quickly. Let someone else take the risk. Be there when rewards are handed out. It’s not cruel, but it’s definitely opportunistic. Insect politics feels like the right term.
Combat makes risk visible. Sword attacks can punish success. Losing your last heart costs points and resets you, which always hurts more than expected. That threat pushes players toward safer plays over time. The table starts bold and ends careful. You can see the learning happen inside a single session.
Quests double as movement tools. They’re not just side activities. Completing one can break congestion and sling you into a better position. The stairs act as a soft timer. They don’t force the level to end immediately, but they pressure the group. Someone always wants to leave earlier than the rest. Someone always wants one more reward. That friction is half the fun.
Each level ends up feeling like its own little episode. A risky sword gamble. A stolen reward. A staircase standoff. Resets prevent runaway leads, but grudges absolutely survive between floors. We’ve seen players remember a betrayal three levels later. I wish I were joking.
Randomness is present but not sneaky. Dice and flips create uncertainty, but most risks are visible. When something fails, it usually feels like a bad bet, not a cheap surprise. That difference matters emotionally.
The game shines at higher player counts. With four to six, it gets crowded and the interaction blooms. With two, it still works, but it’s quieter and more tactical. Less table talk, fewer dramatic swings.
Our thoughts
Bug Run isn’t about perfect planning. It’s about timing and social reading. The design rewards selfish cooperation. Help, but not too much. Be generous, but in a way that still benefits you. Over time, experienced players stop chasing raw strength and start chasing moments. Wins feel negotiated rather than planned.
The final escape reframes the whole game. You suddenly see which earlier decisions were good and which were impressive but inefficient. We’ve seen players dominate the dungeon and then crash in the final escape because they couldn’t convert resources at the end. That stings the first time it happens.
Shared rewards tend to turn the leader into a target. Groups will absolutely dogpile whoever is ahead. If your table prefers everyone focusing on their own puzzle, this can feel rough. If your group enjoys negotiation and a bit of spite, it feels like a feature, not a bug.
There are also moments where the game constrains you. Sometimes congestion forces a move you didn’t want. Agency shrinks briefly. It’s not constant, but it’s noticeable. Players who want full control every turn will find that frustrating.
Bug Run is interactive, slightly mean, and very talkative. The cute theme softens the blows, but the design expects players to interfere with each other, and for us that’s the appeal. If your group enjoys timing, positioning, and social play wrapped in a colorful dungeon escape, Bug Run has enough bite under the fluff. It’s a game where cooperation is real… but so is the urge to trip your friend right before the finish line.
📝 We received a copy of the game from Bombyx.
