It's a Zombie Fluxx card, not a game you play on its own

The Flamethrower is a single card designed for Zombie Fluxx. It is not a standalone card game, so there are no separate Flamethrower rules or a Flamethrower party game hiding in the listing. You use it inside a Zombie Fluxx deck that already has Creepers in it.

The card was originally released in 2008 in a pack with six extra zombies to promote the second printing of Zombie Fluxx. Those six zombies are now included in all Zombie Fluxx decks, so in 2014 Looney Labs reprinted just the Flamethrower as a single card.

What the card actually says

  • The Flamethrower: If you have this on the table, you can destroy any Creeper in front of you at any time during your turn. This is the entire play effect. It gives you a standing ability while the card is on the table, not a one-time action.

    The Flamethrower

    The Flamethrower

  • The Flamethrower: Counts as the Can of Gasoline. If a rule or card checks for the Can of Gasoline, the Flamethrower satisfies it.

  • The Flamethrower: Discard during Out of Ammo. (POW!) The card leaves the table when Out of Ammo is played, so its Creeper-destroying ability ends at that point.

Flamethrower card game rules questions

Can I play The Flamethrower in a Fluxx deck without Creepers?

The card is clearly for use in decks that have Creepers. In a deck with no Creepers, its main destroy-a-Creeper effect has nothing to target. The listing does not describe any use for it outside Zombie Fluxx.

Is The Flamethrower itself a Creeper?

No. The listing states that it is not, itself, a Creeper. It is a card you keep on the table to deal with Creepers in front of you.

When can I use its ability?

At any time during your turn, as long as the card is on the table. You can destroy any Creeper in front of you, not just one specific Creeper.

Does it count as the Can of Gasoline?

Yes. The card counts as the Can of Gasoline, so it can fill that role in the deck.

What happens when Out of Ammo is played?

You discard The Flamethrower during Out of Ammo. Once it is discarded, its on-table ability no longer applies.

What the listing does not confirm

The supplied record does not list an age range, player count, play time, or a complete Zombie Fluxx deck list. It also does not describe how The Flamethrower interacts with every other Zombie Fluxx card beyond the Can of Gasoline and Out of Ammo references above. Treat those as open questions rather than assuming a rule that is not written on the card or in the listing.

The Flamethrower at a glance

  • The Flamethrower: Originally released in 2008 in a pack with six extra zombies to promote the second printing of Zombie Fluxx. Explains why older copies may be associated with a pack, while the current listing is for the single card.
  • The Flamethrower: Since those six zombies are included in all Zombie Fluxx decks now, the Flamethrower was really the main point of getting the pack for most people, so we reprinted just that card as a single in 2014. Confirms that the single-card version is the intended way to get this card today.