Chairman of the Board: Fun feline fiasco

‘Exploding Kittens’ game review

By Ed Appleby, Illustrator

The fun of the game is not always in the mechanics. Sometimes it just takes a madman to come up with an insane premise and execute it well.

Exploding Kittens (2015) is a card game for two–five players, designed and published by Matthew Inman, Elan Lee, and Shane Small. The game is based on a simple concept; players draw cards until they draw an “exploding kitten,” at which point they are eliminated. All other cards influence how the game is run, forcing people to draw cards, look at the deck, or steal cards from other players. The last player standing wins.

For such a simple game, I found the play to be pretty intense. The risks of drawing cards are huge, and there is a very strong player-vs-player aspect. Such a simple game wouldn’t warrant much note, but this game also has the benefit of Matthew Inman’s sense of humour and comic art style. Although the Oatmeal artist’s work may not appeal to everyone, those who do like it will love this game.

Strategy plays a huge part in the game, since multiple players are always trying to control the deck. The game can also be expanded upon, with the Basic deck, the NSFW (Not Safe For Work) deck, and various expansions upping the number of players that can enjoy the game at once.

Again, the style of game isn’t for everyone, but if you and your friends are familiar with Inman’s work, or have a little bit of a sadistic streak, I would check this game out.