About Exploding Kittens
Chaotic and hilarious for the right group. Draw cards until you hit an Exploding Kitten. Use action cards to avoid, shuffle, skip, or attack others.
Is Exploding Kittens Right for You?
Best for
Exploding Kittens is a light, chaotic party game for groups that want laughs over strategy. You draw cards until someone hits an Exploding Kitten, using action cards to dodge, peek, skip, or sabotage. It is quick, silly, and great for casual gatherings and families with older kids.
Maybe skip it if…
It is heavily luck-driven with player elimination, so strategy gamers will find it shallow and the eliminated player waits for the round to end. Not the game for a group seeking depth.
How to Play Exploding Kittens
Setup
Remove Exploding Kittens (keep N-1). Deal 7 cards + 1 Defuse each. Reinsert Exploding Kittens.
On Your Turn
- Play action cards (optional).
- Draw 1 card.
- Exploding Kitten with no Defuse = out.
How to Win
Last player standing.
💡 Strategy Tips
Save Defuse cards. Nope cancels most actions. Skip and Attack avoid drawing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Wasting Defuse cards — they are your only protection from an Exploding Kitten, so save them.
- Forgetting you can reinsert a defused kitten anywhere in the deck, including right on top for the next player.
- Not using See the Future cards before risky draws when you have them.
- Ignoring Nope cards' timing — a well-timed Nope can cancel an Attack or Skip aimed at you.
Advanced Strategy
- Track how many Exploding Kittens remain versus cards left — the odds of a draw being fatal climb sharply late in a round.
- Use Attack cards to force opponents to take consecutive turns when the deck is dangerous.
- Reinsert a defused kitten just beneath the top card to catch a rival who you know will draw soon.
- Hold a Nope for defence rather than spending it early on a minor play.
Variants & House Rules
Imploding Kittens / expansions
Add new card types and support more players. The original deck supports up to five; expansions and the party pack push that higher.
Streaking Kittens
A small expansion that lets a player hold an Exploding Kitten without dying under certain conditions, adding a chaotic twist.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Exploding Kittens is unapologetically silly and makes no claim to depth — and for the right group, that is exactly the point. As a quick, funny ice-breaker or a game for kids and casual players, it does its job well. Just do not expect it to satisfy strategy fans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people can play Exploding Kittens?
The base game supports two to five players. Combining it with expansions or the Party Pack raises the maximum to nine or more.
Is Exploding Kittens a strategy game?
Not really — it is a light, luck-driven party game with a bit of push-your-luck and card-timing tactics. It is built for laughs and quick rounds rather than deep strategy.
Is Exploding Kittens suitable for kids?
The standard edition suits ages 7 and up. There is also a separate adults-only NSFW edition, so check which version you are buying for younger players.