Exploding Kittens Card Game Review

Exploding Kittens: A Card Game About Kittens and Explosions and Sometimes Goats

I admit, I was hesitant to do an Exploding Kittens Card Game Review… It just seemed… wrong. I have nothing against cats, they are what they are, I just don’t like the idea of animals exploding. But…we’ve played quite a few rounds of this game, and it turns out, it’s a lot of fun.

Exploding Kittens is a card game fraught with tension and laughter. Basically, you draw cards until you get the “exploding kitten” card, then you are out. LUCKILY… there are lots of other action cards to keep things interesting, and there is even a Defuse card to save your hairy butt.

And there is a Tacocat card…. did you know Tacocat is a Palindrome?

Exploding Kittens Card Game Review

This highly anticipated, and wildly backed Kickstarter game delivers on it’s promise. It is, in fact, a card game for people who like Kittens, explosions, laser beams… and sometimes goats. (Although, the goat thing might be a reach). In your little box, you get 56 assorted cards, and a sheet of instructions.

The instructions are fairly straightforward, and anyone who can read should be able to follow them. If you feel confused, or can’t be bothered to read, go ahead and watch the simple instructional video (I’ve linked it below).

Now, I freely admit, I am not a huge fan of reading the instructions. I read them, I can learn the game… but, sometimes I drift off in my brain a bit, and stuff gets missed.

My 13 year old is a wizard at game instructions (I found her under a cabbage leaf).

Both of us figured this game out in one go.

We gathered the family around the table and started to play. Everyone “got it” right away…

Exploding Kittens and Defuse card…

Exploding Kittens moves along pretty quick (really, no one needs to spend an hour deciding on the best strategy to take… you just draw a card, and hope you don’t die). Everyone starts with a hand of cards, including one defuse card. When it’s your turn, you play a card … maybe an action like Shuffle (where you Shuffle the cards) or Favor (where another player must give you a card)… or you turn in a pair of cards (like 2 Beard Cats, or 2 Taco Cats) in exchange for drawing a card from an opponent. (Why do you want to draw a card from an opponent? Why, to steal their Defuse card, of course!).

After playing a card, you draw a card… (DEEP BREATH!)

If it’s an Exploding Kitten, you die… you are out… BOOM.

UNLESS! you have a defuse card (see… this is why you steal from your neighbor).

Last person alive … Wins.

Who Can Play Exploding Kittens?

Action Cards!

Anyone who can read… and who isn’t freaked out by cartoon cats exploding… can play Exploding Kittens.

It’s a silly game for ages 7 and up… and you can play with 2 to 5 people. It’s the perfect entry level game for people who “don’t like figuring out games”. Play it as an icebreaker at gatherings…. play it before breaking out the “serious” games… or do what I do and take it to a bar and play with friends.

(Actually, according to my underage daughter, Exploding Kittens is developing a reputation as a “drinking game” on her campus…. I gave her the stern Mother is NOT AMUSED look, and told her she could take the chess board when she goes back to school).

In all seriousness, Exploding Kittens is a lighthearted, and easy to play game that could be loads of fun for all ages. EVERY time we play, we end up laughing. There’s some strategy, but nothing you need a Phd in gaming for…

Add Exploding Kittens to your game shelf… the price is right, the size is small, and the laughs are huge.