When looking for a fun new game to play with friends and family, you might be looking for something with higher stakes than UNO and a little more entertaining than charades. What could come with higher stakes than a board game literally inspired by Russian Roulette? Exploding kittens comes with the same nerve-racking concept of Russian Roulette without the risk. Cat-lovers and thrill-seekers alike will enjoy the wild intensity of Exploding Kittens.
Avoiding The Exploding Kitten
Exploding kittens is a card game that involves people taking turns drawing cards from a deck. Card by card, each player draws until BOOM—one player draws an exploding kitten and loses the game. The game only gets more and more intense as the deck continues to shrink, leaving everyone to wonder who will be next to explode.
Once you explode, you’re out of the game. However, there are a few tricks you can use to stop the kitten from exploding and leave you to fight another day. Defuse cards can be used to keep the kitten from exploding, with hilarious distractions such as kitten yoga, catnip sandwiches, or laser pointers (every cat’s favorite nemesis).
Sabotage Your Competitors
Sabotage is another unique feature of the game, as you can play certain cards that will allow you to attack one of the other players, sneak a peek at the deck, or even skip your turn entirely. Some cards will even allow you to secretly move an exploding kitten to somewhere else in the deck, giving you the opportunity to strategically remove another player from the board the next time they draw.
The Nope card is a particularly nefarious move you can make that will allow you to stop another player in their tracks. If another player uses a special move card to peek at the deck or skip their turn, you can play your Nope card at any time to keep them from using that card. While this may not be a very subtle way of sabotaging your foes, it’s sure to stir the pot and add some spice to the game (while making enemies along the way!)
Cat Cards
While the kittens in Exploding Kittens can be deadly, the cats will be your friends. Cat cards give you special powers you can use to get ahead. Collect two of the same cards (Tacocat and Hairy Potato Cat are some of the best) to steal a random card from another player. Collect three of a kind, and you can choose a specific card to steal. These cats are more than just cute—they may end up being the key to winning the game!
Exploding Kittens Expansions
If the original edition is too tame for you, the NSFW edition of Exploding Kittens is sure to spice things up. Both editions support 2-5 players, although the original is suitable for ages 7 and up while the NSFW edition is better suited for adults. There are also several expansions including the Barking Kittens and Imploding Kittens expansions that can extend gameplay and add fun new rules that mix things up.
Because the original edition features a game time of around 15 minutes, consider adding one or more of these expansions for a longer game. Combining multiple editions also allows you to include up to 10 players, making Exploding Kittens a perfect game for parties with bigger groups of people.
Play The Game But Don’t Blow Up!
Exploding Kittens is a wicked good time that capitalizes on humor appropriate enough for all ages. Adults and kids will both have a roaring good time avoiding the exploding kittens and collecting the special Rainbow-Ralphing Cat cards. Exploding Kittens is a creative and imaginative game that shows that there’s plenty of humor anyone can enjoy.
Gameplay isn’t that long at 15 minutes, so Exploding Kittens is more of an appetizer of a game rather than a main event. However, it’s funny and complex enough that you’ll want to pull it out anytime you have friends over to the house. Pick a card and choose your cats wisely, because Exploding Kittens will quickly become one of your favorite new card games!
