Overview
Russian Roulette with cats. Draw cards until someone pulls the Exploding Kitten. Use action cards to peek at the deck, shuffle it, steal from opponents, or force them to draw — and be the last player standing.
Whitney’s Review
Likes
- Hilarious illustrations throughout
- Easy to learn in under 5 minutes
- Quick to play — great for a round or a break
- Equal-chance design: skill matters, but sometimes you just draw the kitten
Dislikes
- One box maxes out at 5 players (combine versions to expand)
- Cards will wear out with heavy use — invest in card sleeves
First Impressions
I was initially horrified by the exploding cat concept. That horror dissipated in the first five minutes of our first game with the NSFW version. The images aren’t offensive — they’re just hilarious. Dirty humour, inappropriate themes, ridiculously-named cards. The family-friendly version has the same energy with age-appropriate illustrations.
The Oatmeal really came through on this one.
Thoughts
Exploding Kittens is fast and easy to learn. Stack your hand with defensive and offensive cards, avoid the Exploding Kitten, and be the last player standing. You can explain it in two minutes.
One detail that catches card-game veterans off guard: you draw to end your turn, not to start it. You can also play as many or as few cards on your turn as you want — even none. If you choose to do nothing, just draw and your turn is over.
The cards do most of the work. Action cards are paired or tripled for stealing effects. Five different non-action cards let you sift through the discard pile. Even cards without printed actions have uses. The game rewards hand management, but not in an overwhelming way.
The tension spikes without warning. One minute it’s a relaxed card-swapping game; then someone plays an action card and suddenly everyone is piling on, trying to chain their plays before someone drops a Nope. The swing from peaceful to chaotic is fast and consistently entertaining.
The dead still participate. Once you draw an Exploding Kitten without a Defuse card, you’re eliminated — but you get to secretly insert the Exploding Kitten back into the deck, at any depth you choose. That moment of revenge is consistently satisfying.
Conclusion
A great, inexpensive addition to any game collection. Works equally well with two or six players. Suited for adults and older kids, and easy enough to hand to people who don’t usually play games. Not a deep strategy experience, but a reliable, funny, quick-play game that earns its place on any shelf.
