A popular strategic card game where players draw cards hoping to avoid the Exploding Kittens, using special action cards to peek at the deck, skip turns, or redirect the danger.
Exploding Kittens
2 - 5+ players
10 - 20 minutes
Objective: Don't pick up an Exploding Kitten
Setup:
- Each player gets a Defuse card
- Count the number of players, shuffle the same number of Exploding Kittens into the deck minus 1
- Shuffle extra Defuses into the deck
- Place the remaining (shuffled) deck face down
Take your turn:
- Play (and discard, using the ability) as many cards from your hand as you like until your turn is over
- End your turn by picking up a card
- If you pick up an Exploding Kitten, you must Defuse or lose
Defusing:
When you pick up an Exploding Kitten and Defuse, you must put the bomb back
You can put it face down, wherever you like, inside the deck, without inspecting the deck (and you can do this in secret).
Hints:
- Your cards help you avoid the Exploding Kittens, play as many as you like
- Running out of cards is fine, but now you're powerless to avoid the Exploding Kitten
- It's unlikely the Exploding Kitten is on top of the deck, especially at the start of the game
- The game really starts when someone picks up the bomb and defuses as they could put it anywhere
- When you've been Attacked, draw one card at a time
Cards:
| Card | Effect |
|---|---|
| Exploding Kitten | This kills you |
| Defuse | This is an extra life! Defuse the Exploding Kitten and place the King back wherever you like in the deck |
| Cat cards | Useless unless used in a combo |
| Favour | Force another player to give you 1 card from their hand. They choose which card to give you |
| Skip | End (only!) one of your turns |
| Shuffle | Shuffle the deck |
| See the Future | View the top 3 cards from the deck |
| Nope | Cancel the last played action (before it happens!). Can be played by anyone anytime. Cannot Nope a Defuse |
| Attack | Move play onto the next player, they get your # of turns + 2 |
Combos:
| Combo | Effect |
|---|---|
| 2 identical | A player must give you a card of their choice |
| 3 identical | Take a card from another player |
| 5 distinct | Take a card from the discard pile |