Somewhere in the world right now, a friendship is ending over a card game about exploding cats. This is not an exaggeration. Someone is accusing their own sibling of bluffing. Someone just got Attacked twice in a row and is taking it personally. Somewhere, a Nope card is being slammed onto the table with the force of a legal objection. All because of a box with an exploding kitten on the front.
If you've picked up Exploding Kittens off our shelves and wondered what kind of chaos you're signing up for, congratulations, you're about to find out. It takes about five minutes to learn and roughly zero minutes to start regretting your alliances. Before you dive in, let's walk through exactly how this card game works.
The General Object of the Game
Everyone's playing with a deck full of landmines disguised as adorable cats. On your turn, you draw a card. Most of the time, nothing happens. Then eventually, bang, you draw an Exploding Kitten, and unless you've got a Defuse card tucked away, you're out. Last player standing wins. That's it. That's the whole game.
It sounds simple because it is. The chaos comes from everything else in the deck actively working to make sure the explosion lands on someone who isn't you.
Exploding Kittens
The card everyone fears. Draw one, and it's game over for you, unless you defuse it.
Defuse Cards
Your emergency parachute. Playing one when you draw an Exploding Kitten lets you secretly slide it back into the deck instead of exploding. Everyone starts with one in their hand, which is the game's way of saying "you're safe... for now."
Action Cards
This is where the personality lives. Things like:
- Skip: End your turn without drawing a card
- Attack: Force the next player to take two turns instead of one
- Favor: Demand a card from an opponent
- Shuffle: The entire deck gets reshuffled
- See the Future: Peek at the top three cards so you know what's coming
Each one of these cards is a tiny lever you can pull to tilt the odds in your favor.
Nope Cards
The chef's kiss of the whole game. A Nope card cancels whatever action was just played, by anyone, at any time. Someone plays a Favor to steal your best card? Nope. Someone Noped your Nope? There's a card for that energy too, if you've got one.
Setting Up the Game
- Shuffle out all the Exploding Kittens and Defuse cards from the deck first. Don't just shuffle the whole thing together yet.
- Deal each player a hand of cards (typically seven), plus one Defuse card each.
- Add back Exploding Kittens equal to one fewer than the number of players. Four people playing means three kittens go into the deck. This guarantees exactly one person will not explode, which is the whole point of the game.
- Shuffle everything together, place the draw pile in the middle, and you're ready to ruin some friendships.
How a Turn Works While Playing Exploding Kittens
Here's the part that trips people up, so let's slow down for a second: a turn has two possible phases, and the second one is optional.
Phase One: Play Cards (optional)
Before you draw, you can play as many action cards from your hand as you want. Want to peek at the future with See the Future, then Skip your turn entirely so you never have to draw? Go for it. This phase is where strategy actually lives.
A good player is constantly using action cards to avoid ever touching the draw pile when things look dicey.
Phase Two: Draw a Card (mandatory, unless you skipped)
If you didn't play a Skip (or an Attack that got redirected onto you, more on that below), you have to draw the top card of the deck. This ends your turn. If it's a normal card, you're fine and the turn passes to the left. If it's an Exploding Kitten, everything gets very interesting very fast.
That "optional" phase is the entire soul of the game. New players tend to just draw immediately every turn like it's Go Fish. Veteran players are the ones hoarding See the Future cards and quietly calculating exactly how many turns until doom.
What Happens When You Draw an Exploding Kitten?
Deep breath. This is not necessarily the end.
If you have a Defuse card, play it immediately. You get to secretly tuck the Exploding Kitten back into the deck, anywhere you want. This means the kitten is still in there, waiting for someone else. You just bought yourself and everyone else a fresh dose of anxiety.
If you don't have a Defuse card, you're out of the game. Your seat is now just for commentary.
A Few Tips For Your First Game
- Use Your Favor Cards Early: Trading isn't just polite, it's important. You learn what other people might be holding onto.
- Don't Hoard Defuse Cards You Don't Need: If you're worried, use See the Future to check whether an Exploding Kitten is close, instead of guessing.
- Watch What People Avoid: If someone suddenly plays three Skips in a row, that's not a coincidence. That's a person who peeked at the future and didn't like what they saw.
- Nope is a Weapon, Not Just a Shield: New players tend to save Nope only for defense. Seasoned players use it offensively, cancelling a Favor or an Attack right when it'll do the most damage to momentum.
Why This Card Game Works So Well For a Game Night
Exploding Kittens is simple enough to teach in under five minutes, but it stays interesting because the tension keeps compounding as the deck shrinks. Early turns are relaxed. Late turns, when there are only a handful of cards left and everyone's out of Defuse cards, are pure theater.
A full round rarely drags past twenty or thirty minutes, which makes it the perfect opener before a longer game. On the flip side, it's the perfect closer when everyone's a little tired and wants something loud and silly to end the night on.
Next time you're at The Corner, you'll know exactly what you're getting into: a deck full of landmines and a room full of friends who will absolutely betray you the moment it benefits them.
Come Play Exploding Kittens at The Corner in Ferndale, MI
The Corner is Ferndale's favorite spot to play games and hang out with friends in a casual setting. We have over 100+ games on our game wall, delicious food, and plenty of thirst-quenching beverages (both alcoholic and mocktail). Come experience our unique spot for yourself!
Walk-ins are always welcome here, but to guarantee you and your friends have a spot, we recommend reserving a game table. See you soon!