LET'S PLAY
EXPLODING KITTENS
Exploding Kittens—the game where your survival depends on deception, strategy, and sheer luck. A modern version of musical chairs, in this 'Knock Out' game, draw the wrong card, and you’re out—unless you can defuse it or sabotage your friends first. With ridiculous artwork, unexpected twists, and just enough control to keep it from being pure chaos, Exploding Kittens is the perfect mix of strategy and absurdity. Who will be the last player standing?
Object
Avoid drawing an Exploding Kitten card and be the last surviving player. If you draw an Exploding Kitten and don’t have a Defuse card, you’re out!
What You Need
• Exploding Kittens deck.
• 2 to 5 players (or up to 9 players with expansions).
Set Up
1. Remove all Exploding Kitten and Defuse cards from the deck.
2. Give each player 1 Defuse card.
3. Deal 4 additional cards from the deck to each player (totaling 5 cards per player).
4. Shuffle the remaining Defuse cards and Exploding Kittens into the deck:
• Use one fewer Exploding Kitten than the number of players.
5. Place the deck face-down as the draw pile.
Watch the step by step guide here!
Game Play
1. Play Any Cards (Optional)
→ On your turn, you can play as many action cards as you’d like or none at all.
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2. Draw a Card (Required)
→ After playing or skipping, you must draw one card from the draw pile.
• If it’s an Exploding Kitten, you must immediately resolve it.
• If you can’t defuse it, you’re out.
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3. Play moves clockwise to the next player.
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Getting an Exploding Kitten
• If you draw an Exploding Kitten, you must defuse it immediately with a Defuse card or be eliminated.
• After using a Defuse, you can place the Exploding Kitten anywhere in the deck (without looking at other cards).
• You can place it on top, bottom, or buried to sabotage an opponent.
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Winning the Game
• Play continues as players get eliminated.
• The last surviving player wins!
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Types of Cards & Their Effects
1. Exploding Kitten Cards (Bad!)
• If you draw an Exploding Kitten, you must defuse it or be eliminated.
2. Defuse Cards (Good!)
• Negates an Exploding Kitten and keeps you in the game.
• After playing it, you secretly place the Exploding Kitten anywhere in the deck (top, bottom, or buried).
3. Action Cards (Used for Strategy & Defense!)
• Attack → Ends your turn without drawing and forces the next player to take two turns in a row.
• Skip → Ends your turn without drawing a card. If you’re under an Attack card, this only skips one of your two turns.
• See the Future → Peek at the top three cards of the deck without rearranging them.
• Shuffle → Shuffle the deck before drawing to prevent predictable outcomes.
• Favor → Choose a player, and they must give you one card from their hand (of their choosing).
4. Nope Cards (The Wild Card!)
• Cancels any action card except Exploding Kittens or Defuse cards.
• Can be played at any time, even when it’s not your turn.
• You can Nope a Nope! If someone plays a Nope to block your action, you can play another Nope to cancel their Nope! (Example: “Nope!” → “Nope your Nope!” → “Well, Nope to your Nope that Noped my Nope!”)
5. Cat Cards (Tricky but Useful!)
• Unlike action cards, Cat Cards don’t have immediate effects unless you play them as a pair or set:
• Matching Pair → Play two identical Cat Cards (e.g., two Taco Cats) to steal a random card from another player.
• Three-of-a-Kind → Play three matching Cat Cards and demand a specific card from another player. If they have it, they must give it to you. If they don’t, too bad!
• Five Unique Cards → Play five different cards (not Exploding Kittens) to take any card you want from the discard pile.
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Advanced & House Rules
Ghost Rule (Cuccu Variation)
• If you explode, you become a ghost.
• If you can trick an active player into acknowledging you (by speaking to you, answering a question, or reacting), you steal a card from them and re-enter the game!
Stealing with Pairs or Special Plays
• Two-of-a-Kind Cat Cards → Steal a random card from another player.
• Three-of-a-Kind Cat Cards → Demand a specific card from another player.
• Five Different Cards → Take any card you want from the discard pile.
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Final Thoughts
Exploding Kittens is a fast-paced, strategic, and chaotic knockout game that blends luck, sabotage, and suspense. Whether you’re playing defensively, stacking the deck against an opponent, or unleashing a well-timed Nope, every round is unpredictable—and that’s what makes it so fun!
