Power-ups are the key to success in Bomberman. Hidden under soft blocks throughout each stage, these items permanently upgrade your bomber until you die. Knowing what each power-up does—and which ones to prioritize—can mean the difference between breezing through stages and struggling to survive.
This guide covers all 7 power-ups in Play Bomber, explaining exactly what each one does, when it's most useful, and how to build an optimal upgrade path.
Power-Up Overview
Power-ups spawn under soft blocks when you destroy them with bombs. Not every soft block contains a power-up—most are empty—but each stage has several items waiting to be discovered. The exit door is also hidden under a soft block, so you'll find power-ups naturally as you search for it.
Important: Power-ups persist between stages but are lost when you die. This makes staying alive especially important in later stages where you've accumulated many upgrades.
🔥 Fire Up
Fire Up
Increases explosion range
Effect: Each Fire Up increases your bomb's explosion radius by 1 tile in all four directions (up, down, left, right).
Fire Up is the most important power-up in the game. A larger blast radius means you can hit enemies from farther away, destroy more soft blocks per bomb, and create more dangerous chain reactions. With enough Fire Ups, a single bomb can clear an entire corridor.
Starting bombs have a radius of 1 tile. With 5 Fire Ups, your explosions reach 6 tiles in each direction—often enough to cross half the map.
đź’Ł Bomb Up
Bomb Up
Carry more bombs
Effect: Each Bomb Up lets you place one additional bomb before waiting for explosions.
You start with the ability to place 1 bomb at a time. With 3 Bomb Ups, you can have 4 bombs on the field simultaneously. This enables powerful tactics like laying bomb trails, creating chain reactions, and trapping enemies between multiple explosions.
Bomb Up becomes more valuable once you have decent Fire Up range. There's little point placing multiple bombs if each one barely reaches beyond where it sits.
đź‘ź Speed Up
Speed Up
Move faster
Effect: Each Speed Up increases your movement speed.
Speed Up is a double-edged sword. Faster movement helps you escape explosions, dodge enemies, and navigate the map quickly. But too much speed makes your character hard to control—you'll overshoot corridors, accidentally walk into bombs, and struggle to make precise movements.
Most players find 2-3 Speed Ups optimal. Experienced players comfortable with fast movement might push to 4-5. Beyond that, the control problems outweigh the benefits for most people.
If you're dying frequently after collecting Speed Ups, you may have collected too many. There's no way to undo power-ups, so be cautious. A slightly slower character you can control is better than a fast one you can't.
🧱 Wall Pass
Wall Pass
Walk through soft blocks
Effect: Allows you to walk through soft blocks (brown destructible walls).
Wall Pass opens up new strategies. You can take shortcuts across the map, escape through walls enemies can't follow through, and access areas without bombing your way in. It's also a great defensive tool—when an enemy corners you, just walk through a wall to safety.
Note that Wall Pass only works on soft blocks. You still can't pass through hard blocks (the gray indestructible ones).
đź’¨ Bomb Pass
Bomb Pass
Walk through bombs
Effect: Allows you to walk through bombs you've placed.
Bomb Pass is a safety net that prevents one of the most common ways to die: trapping yourself with your own bomb. Without Bomb Pass, placing a bomb in a dead-end or narrow corridor means certain death. With it, you can drop a bomb and simply walk through it to safety.
This power-up is especially valuable for aggressive players who like to place bombs in tight spots to trap enemies.
🎮 Remote Control
Remote Control
Detonate bombs manually
Effect: Your bombs no longer explode automatically. Instead, press the bomb button again to detonate all placed bombs.
Remote Control is the most skill-dependent power-up. In the hands of an expert, it's incredibly powerful—you can place bombs as traps and detonate them exactly when an enemy walks by. In inexperienced hands, it can actually hurt you by making you forget to detonate bombs or detonating them at the wrong time.
The biggest risk: if you forget you have Remote Control and keep placing bombs expecting them to explode, you'll end up surrounded by undetonated bombs with no escape route.
đź”® Mystery Item
Mystery
Random bonus effect
Effect: Grants a random bonus—could be points, temporary invincibility, or other effects.
Mystery items are wildcards. Sometimes you'll get something amazing like temporary invincibility or a big point bonus. Other times the effect might be minimal. Since you can't predict what you'll get, only collect Mystery items when it's safe to do so.
Don't go out of your way for Mystery items, but don't avoid them either. They're a nice bonus when they appear in your path.
Collection Priority Guide
Not all power-ups are equally valuable. Here's the optimal order to prioritize them:
| Priority | Power-Up | Target Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 🔥 Fire Up | 3-5+ | Bigger explosions = easier kills, more coverage |
| 2nd | đź’Ł Bomb Up | 2-4 | Multiple bombs enable chain reactions and traps |
| 3rd | đź‘ź Speed Up | 2-3 max | Better movement, but too much hurts control |
| 4th | đź’¨ Bomb Pass | 1 | Prevents self-trapping deaths |
| 5th | 🧱 Wall Pass | 1 | Useful shortcuts and escapes |
| 6th | 🎮 Remote | 0-1 | Powerful but requires practice |
| 7th | đź”® Mystery | Any | Nice bonus, don't prioritize |
Optimal Early Game Build
In the first 10 stages, aim for this baseline:
- 3+ Fire Up - Your explosions should reach at least 4 tiles
- 2+ Bomb Up - Ability to place 3 bombs for chain reactions
- 2 Speed Up - Noticeably faster without losing control
With this foundation, you'll be well-equipped to handle the tougher enemies that appear in mid-game stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Fire Up do in Bomberman?
Fire Up increases your bomb's explosion radius by one tile in each direction. Each Fire Up you collect permanently extends how far your bombs reach, making it easier to hit enemies and destroy more blocks with each bomb.
What is the best power-up to get first?
Fire Up is generally the best power-up to prioritize early. Increasing your blast radius makes it easier to hit enemies and clear more blocks per bomb. After 2-3 Fire Ups, focus on Bomb Up to place multiple bombs.
How many Speed Ups should I collect?
Most players should stop at 2-3 Speed Ups. While extra speed helps you escape explosions, too much speed makes your character difficult to control. You'll overshoot corridors and have trouble making precise movements.
What does Wall Pass do?
Wall Pass allows you to walk through soft blocks (the brown destructible walls). This gives you shortcuts across the map and escape routes that enemies can't follow. You still can't pass through hard blocks (gray indestructible walls).
Do power-ups carry over between stages?
Yes, power-ups carry over between stages in Play Bomber. However, if you die, you lose all collected power-ups and restart with base stats. This is why collecting power-ups early and staying alive is so important.
Ready to Collect Some Power-Ups?
Put this knowledge to work and build the ultimate bomber!
Play Now — It's Free