Boardgame Briefs: Exploding Kittens

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On April 20, 2025

A different type of review by your new favourite author!

Exploding Kittens is a fast-paced card game designed by We Make Games, and it’s all about kittens and explosions. It is a fun version of Russian Roulette for 2 to 5 players, with expansions to add more, and it does not support solo play.

Art

What immediately caught my eye was the amazing art. It features funny and colorful illustrations with odd scenarios like the shuffle one where a plague from bat farts descends from the sky. I’m very fond of this playful and cartoonish style that enhances the comedic nature of the game. The art plays a big part in setting the game’s vibe, making it feel even more chaotic and unpredictable.

The box

Inside the box, you will find 56 cards and a rulebook with a clear example to get you started. The rules are pretty straightforward, with detailed card explanations providing a breakdown of the cards and their use. A step-by-step guide on how to set up the game is also included. The cards themselves are quite sturdy, designed to withstand shuffling and repeated games.

A collection of the game's cards in Greek, organized by type and color, including red — *Action cards let you peek at the deck, shuffle it, skip turns, or force others to draw, adding a strategic edge to the chaos.*

Card Types & Rules

Let’s see what type of cards are included in the deck.

Exploding Kitten: A bomb that makes you lose the game.
Defuse: A card that stops the above one from exploding aka keeps you in the game.
Attack: Not only do you end your turn without drawing a card, but also force the next player to take 2 turns.
Shuffle: You randomly mix the cards in the deck.
See the future: You and only you can take a peek at the top three cards of the deck.
Nope: Can be played anytime, and stops the action of another player.
Skip: Simply end your turn without drawing a card.
Favor: You force a player to give you a card of his choice.

Other action cards work in matching pairs and are about stealing a random card from another player.

The cards Attack, Favor, Nope, Defuse of the Greek version of the Exploding Kittens original game — *The cards are basically colour-coded. So even if our copy is in Greek, anyone who has played it before knows what each card does*

The see-the-future cards are quite powerful as you can plan your next moves, bluff or mislead other players about where the dangerous feline lies. The defuse cards save you from an Exploding Kitten while letting you manipulate the deck and potentially explode an opponent.

Moreover, there are some special combinations you may use in your game. The matching pairs rule works for every pair of cards with the same title, while if you play three matching cards, you can name a player and a card, and if the player has it, they must give it to you. These extra mechanics add a more strategic vibe to the game and encourage calculated moves and deckbuilding.

A sheet with the rules of the game in greek. The sheet is divided into several sections with headings and illustrations explaining how to set up, play, and win the game. — *The rules are basically a pamphlet. In 5 minutes you can start playing*

Gameplay

Each game lasts about 15 minutes, I’d say half an hour max. The goal is simple: avoid drawing an exploding kitten while disrupting your opponents in order to survive. To set up the game, you remove the Exploding Kittens and the Defuse cards from the deck. Then you deal 7 cards to each player and one Defuse card, so everyone starts with a hand of 8 cards. You then add that many Exploding Kittens to the deck so that their total is the number of players minus 1. You also add the extra defuse cards back into the deck. Place the deck face down in the centre, and you are good to go.

The game is played in rounds and follows a clockwise turn order. During your turn, you can play any number of cards from your hand, or none if you choose to pass the turn, and then you must draw a card from the deck. Some cards help you skip the drawing phase, though. You lose the game if you draw an Exploding Kitten card and can’t defuse it – you don’t have a defuse card at hand. On the other hand, by defusing a kitten, you place the card back in the deck anywhere you like, without changing the card order or shuffling or peeking, which lets you influence the next turns and sabotage your friends along the way. After that, it’s the next player’s turn. The last player standing is the winner.

The other side of the rule sheet, divided into sections with colorful headings and illustrations explaining different card types, including — *The other side of the rules pamphlet is an explanation of the cards and some clarifications*

Luck definitely plays a big part in the game, as you never know what card you will draw. And honestly, it seems like I have a golden hand because I’ve been ridiculously lucky so far- including that one time I had 3x defuse at hand! I also know exactly where to sneak in the feline I defuse so that no one suspects a thing… looking at Chris with puppy eyes

Final Thoughts

Overall, Exploding Kittens is a fast-paced, easy-to-learn game full of humour and unpredictability. After playing it with my friends a couple of times, I can say that I believe it’s the perfect choice for a family gaming table, kids, trips, experienced and also inexperienced players. Have you ever played Exploding Kittens? Is it on your party game list?

Stay crafty and play more games,
Your new favourite author.