created by Elan Lee, Matthew Inman, and Shane Small.

The Oatmeal, July 2015

Genre: Strategic card game

Number of Players: 2 to 5 players

Play Time: 2 minutes to learn 15 minutes to play.

Keywords

Humorous, Card Game, Strategy

Short Description

Exploding Kittens is an exhilarating card game that combines strategic gameplay with whimsical humor, making it an instant favorite among players of all ages. The game is characterized by its easy-to-learn mechanics, fostering accessibility for both casual and experienced gamers. Players take turns drawing cards, hoping to avoid the dreaded “Exploding Kitten” that leads to elimination unless they can defuse it with unique cards like laser pointers and belly rubs.

Themes

Strategy and Luck: Exploding Kittens seamlessly blends strategic decision-making with an element of chance, creating a dynamic and unpredictable gameplay experience.

Humor and Whimsy: The game’s humorous illustrations and witty card descriptions add an entertaining layer to the strategic gameplay, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate lighthearted fun.

Player Interaction: The game thrives on player interaction, encouraging alliances, betrayals, and clever maneuvers. Social dynamics play a significant role in determining the outcome, enhancing the overall experience.

Type

Card game, Party Game

Mechanics

Draw and Play: The simple draw and play mechanics ensure that players can quickly grasp the rules, making it accessible for players of various skill levels.

Special Action Cards: Unique action cards introduce a variety of strategic elements, such as skipping turns, forcing opponents to draw multiple cards, or stealing cards, adding depth to the gameplay.

Defuse and Elimination: The tension rises as players navigate the risk of drawing an “Exploding Kitten.” The availability of defuse cards introduces a strategic layer, allowing players to avoid elimination if they play their cards right.

Key Components

• Exploding Kitten Cards
• Defuse Cards
• Action Cards (Skip, Attack, See the Future, etc.)
• Instruction Manual (Rulebook)
• Compact Box with thematic artwork
• Tokens or Scoring Cards (Depending on the edition)

Annotated Bibliography

Centoni, D. (2023, September 18). Exploding kittens card game review. Exploding Kittens Card Game Review. https://www.thespruce.com/exploding-kittens-card-game-review-4777131

Exploding Kittens, the most-backed Kickstarter project, reviewed by The Spruce, is a strategic card game designed by Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal fame and Elan Lee. The game involves avoiding the dreaded Exploding Kitten card to stay in the game. With a mix of luck and strategy, players manipulate the deck using various cards. The game’s irreverent humor, featuring Inman’s signature drawings, adds a fun factor. Despite its slightly higher price at $20, similar to other popular card games, the review suggests that Exploding Kittens is worth it for those who appreciate its unique blend of humor, strategy, and patience. The game is accessible to a wide age range, but its appeal depends more on temperament than age.

Magill, V. T. (2021, December 13). Exploding Kittens Strategy: 8 Tips to Win + Devastating Card Combos. Indoor Gamee Zone. https://indoorgameszone.com/exploding-kittens-strategy-8-tips-to-win-devastating-card-combos/

This article provides various strategies for playing the card game Exploding Kittens, emphasizing its unpredictable nature and luck-based elements. The author discusses defensive and offensive card categories, providing tips for countering common issues, such as opponents stealing cards or defusing an Exploding Kitten. The article suggests using Nope cards to prevent opponents’ actions and employing bluffing strategies. Tips include mixing up cards in your hand to prevent theft and using See the Future cards strategically. Advanced strategies involve devastating card combos and additional rules, encouraging an aggressive playstyle. The article concludes that being aggressive, drawing many cards early, and staying aware of opponents’ actions are key to winning Exploding Kittens. The importance of understanding card abilities, using advanced rules, and strategic bluffing is highlighted.

Okyle, C. (2015, January 29). How Exploding Kittens became the most-backed Kickstarter project. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/how-exploding-kittens-became-the-most-backed-kickstarter/242378

Exploding Kittens, a wildly popular card game, has made history on Kickstarter as the most-backed project, receiving support from over 112,000 backers and counting. With 22 days left in its campaign, the game has surpassed $4.4 million in pledges, far exceeding its original $10,000 goal. The success has allowed the NSFW version to become a standalone product. Shari Spiro, CEO of Ad Magic, the company manufacturing the game, expressed amazement at the online success and collaboration with Cards Against Humanity for order fulfillment. The game’s creators, known figures in the entertainment industry, leveraged their individual followings, contributing to the unprecedented crowdfunding success. Exploding Kittens, described as a strategic version of Russian roulette with a humorous twist, taps into the resurgence of low-tech games and “world-class humor.” Spiro, uncertain of production costs, focuses on managing orders amid the ongoing campaign. The Kickstarter, expected to ship this summer, continues to attract backers, potentially reaching $10 million.

Patil, R., Silva, R., & Parulekar, A. (2018, December 7). Reinforcement learning for Exploding Kittens. Reinforcement Learning for Exploding Kittens. https://web.stanford.edu/class/aa228/reports/2018/final135.pdf

In this study, a two-player version of the strategic card game Exploding Kittens is explored using neural networks and model-free reinforcement learning algorithms. The game, akin to Russian Roulette, involves drawing cards to avoid an “Exploding Kitten” that eliminates players. The rules are detailed, featuring 13 cards with various functions. The authors simplify the game for a two-player scenario, using self-play reinforcement learning to train agents. A Monte Carlo Tree Search calculates Q values for optimal actions, feeding them to a neural network. The game environment is set up with states, actions, and a simulator. Training involves gathering estimates, storing memories, and replaying them to train the neural network. Results indicate the developed agent outperforms a random agent in matches. The authors discuss potential improvements, suggesting modeling the game as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) and addressing the challenge of non-deterministic outcomes in Exploding Kittens. The report concludes with insights into the challenges and lessons learned during the research.

Withrow, A. (2023, November 5). Exploding Kittens. How to Play Exploding Kittens. https://the-game-farm.com/card-games/exploding-kittens/#:~:text=Setup%201%20Begin%20by%20taking%20out%20all%20of,cards%20back%20into%20the%20deck.%20…%20More%20items

The setup for Exploding Kittens involves 2-5 players, a deck of cards, and a few simple steps. Players begin with 4 cards and a Defuse card, aiming to avoid drawing Exploding Kitten cards strategically placed in the deck. The objective is to survive by playing action cards, each with unique effects, and drawing without encountering an Exploding Kitten. Key cards include Exploding Kitten, Defuse, Cat Cards, See the Future, Favor, Shuffle, Nope, Attack, and Skip. The game continues until all Exploding Kitten cards detonate, with the last remaining player winning. Strategic elements include counting cards in the draw pile, and players can adapt to various player counts by combining decks. The review highlights the game’s humor, ease of cleaning, and entertainment value, noting its appeal to those who enjoy a mix of luck and strategy. The recommended age is flexible, emphasizing temperament over age. Despite its higher price, the review suggests Exploding Kittens is worth it for those who appreciate its unique blend of humor and gameplay.