Exploding Kittens: Russian Roulette Has Never Been This Cute

The card game that broke Kickstarter records and deserves every bit of the hype. My review of the kitten-powered version of Russian Roulette.

Players: 2-5 (up to 10 with Party Pack) | Time: 15-20 minutes | Age: 7+ | My Rating: 5 out of 5 cupcakes

What Is Exploding Kittens?

Exploding Kittens is one of those games that became a phenomenon almost overnight. It started as a Kickstarter project with a $10,000 goal. It hit that goal in eight minutes. By the end of the campaign, it had nearly 220,000 backers and raised over $8 million. That should tell you something.

The game itself is as simple as it sounds. You take turns drawing cards from a deck. If you draw an Exploding Kitten and can’t defuse it, you’re out. Last player standing wins.

Simple Premise, Wild Gameplay

The genius of Exploding Kittens is in the action cards. Before you draw at the end of your turn, you can play cards that let you peek at the top of the deck, skip your turn entirely, force someone else to take multiple turns, or shuffle the whole deck to change your odds. You can even snatch cards from other players’ hands.

The Defuse card is your lifeline. If you draw an Exploding Kitten while holding a Defuse, you use it up, defuse the kitten, and secretly slide it back into the deck wherever you want. Burying it right on top of someone you don’t like? That’s an option.

Tension That Builds in Real Time

As the deck gets smaller, the tension goes up. Everyone knows there’s an Exploding Kitten in there somewhere. Nobody knows where. That rising suspense over a 15-minute game is genuinely thrilling in the goofiest possible way.

The Art Is Half the Fun

The cards were illustrated by The Oatmeal, a webcomic known for its absurd, irreverent humor. The card art alone is worth a look. Even the descriptions of what cards do are written to make you laugh.

Perfect for All Kinds of Groups

Exploding Kittens works for kids and adults alike. It’s quick enough to play multiple rounds in a row, which is exactly what happens every time I bring it out. No one is ever satisfied with just one game.

Do I Recommend It?

Absolutely. This is one of the best quick games out there. It’s cheap, portable, funny, and endlessly replayable. I’d recommend it to literally anyone.