Exploding Kittens

1 Overview

Exploding Kittens is a card game for 2 to 5 players (up to 9 with multiple decks) designed by Elan Lee, Shane Small, and Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal). Players draw cards trying to avoid the Exploding Kitten. If you draw one, you explode and are out of the game -- unless you have a Defuse card. The last player standing wins.

Exploding Kittens became the most-funded Kickstarter game in history at the time of its 2015 campaign. It plays in 15 minutes, requires no reading, and generates pure chaotic fun. Games are fast, losses are dramatic, and the card illustrations are hilarious.

2 Components (Base Game)

• 56 cards total:
  • 4 Exploding Kittens
  • 6 Defuse cards
  • 4 Attack cards
  • 5 Skip cards
  • 4 Favor cards
  • 5 Shuffle cards
  • 5 See the Future cards
  • 4 Nope cards
  • Various cat cards (pairs for stealing)

3 Setup

1. Remove all Exploding Kittens and Defuse cards from the deck.
2. Deal 7 cards to each player. Also give each player 1 Defuse card (so each starts with 8 cards).
3. Insert remaining Defuse cards into the deck (0 for 2-3 players, 2 for 4-5 players -- see card for exact guidance). Shuffle.
4. Insert Exploding Kittens back into the deck: one fewer than the number of players (e.g., 4 players = 3 Exploding Kittens).
5. Shuffle the whole deck thoroughly. Place it face-down as the draw pile.
6. Youngest player goes first.

4 Gameplay

1. On your turn, you may play any number of action cards from your hand (or none).
2. At the end of your turn, you MUST draw the top card from the deck.
3. If you draw an Exploding Kitten and have no Defuse card: you explode, show your hand, and are eliminated.
4. If you draw an Exploding Kitten and DO have a Defuse card: play the Defuse to survive, then secretly reinsert the Exploding Kitten anywhere in the deck (face-down). Your turn ends.
5. All other drawn cards go to your hand.

Nope cards can be played out of turn on any player's action card (including another Nope, creating a Nope chain). Nope cannot cancel Exploding Kittens or Defuse cards.

5 Card Types

6 Winning

Last player alive wins. Players are eliminated when they draw an Exploding Kitten without a Defuse card. With 4 players and 3 Exploding Kittens in the deck, eliminations happen quickly.

7 Strategy Guide

See the Future + Skip is the Core Combo

See the Future tells you if the top card is an Exploding Kitten. If it is, play a Skip to end your turn without drawing. This is the most reliable survival combo in the game. Hold both together when possible.

Place Kittens at the Bottom

When you Defuse and reinsert an Exploding Kitten, place it at the very bottom of the deck. This delays the threat as long as possible and is a valid psychological move -- opponents who know the bottom is dangerous may start playing Shuffles.

Nope Hoarding

Save Nope cards for high-value targets: Attacks aimed at you, Favors that would strip your Defuse, or another player's See the Future when you know where a Kitten is. Wasting a Nope on a low-stakes card leaves you exposed.

Target the Defuse-Rich

Use Favor and cat pair cards to steal from players you suspect have multiple Defuse cards. Taking their Defuse dramatically improves your odds of surviving to the final two.

8 FAQ

9 Expansions & Major Variants

Exploding Kittens has grown into a full game system. Each expansion adds new mechanics that layer onto the base game:

Imploding Kittens (2016)

The first expansion adds 20 new cards including the Imploding Kitten — a unique card that, when drawn, is reinserted face-up into the deck. The next player to encounter it cannot Defuse it and is immediately eliminated. New action cards include Reverse (reverses turn order), Draw from the Bottom (avoid the top of the deck), and the Feral Cat (acts as any cat card type). Supports up to 6 players with both decks combined.

Streaking Kittens (2017)

Introduces the Streaking Kitten card: if you secretly hold it in your hand alongside an Exploding Kitten (drawn but not exploded), you are protected. This transforms holding an Exploding Kitten into a strategic asset — bluffing that you have protection is now possible. Adds extra Defuse cards and a few new action cards. This is the most strategically interesting expansion.

Barking Kittens (2020)

Designed with a 2-player focus. Adds the Cone of Shame mechanic (forcing a player to perform silly actions) and new cards like Garbage Collection (steal the entire discard pile). Playable as a standalone 2-player game or shuffle into larger games.

Zombie Kittens (2020)

Solves the elimination problem: players who explode become Zombies and can rejoin the game using special Zombie cards. This keeps everyone engaged throughout the game and eliminates the "sit and watch" experience for eliminated players. Works as a standalone or as a shuffle-in expansion.

Party Pack

An extended version supporting up to 10 players. Uses more copies of each card type to accommodate larger groups. Ideal for big game nights or parties where maximum player count matters.

10 Common Mistakes

• Reinserting Exploding Kitten face-up: When you Defuse and reinsert the Kitten, it goes back face-down and secretly. You never reveal where you placed it. Showing the position defeats the bluffing mechanic entirely.
• Trying to Nope an Exploding Kitten: Nope cancels Action cards but cannot cancel the Exploding Kitten itself or a Defuse card. If you draw an Exploding Kitten, only Defuse saves you.
• Misunderstanding Attack stacking: If Player A Attacks Player B, Player B takes 2 turns. If Player B then Attacks Player C during those 2 turns, Player C must take 4 turns (the attack count carries through). Attacks in multi-player games can stack to very high numbers.
• Showing what you stole: When using two matching cat cards to steal from a player, you take a random card from their hand — but you do not announce or show what you took. It goes quietly into your hand.
• Drawing before finishing action card plays: You may play any number of Action cards before drawing. Once you choose to draw, your turn ends (barring an Exploding Kitten situation). Do not draw mid-turn unless you intend to end your turn.