Exploding Kittens gets a 2-player adaptation for faster, smaller games

A new two-player edition of the popular board game Exploding Kittens is now available. Exploding Kittens, officially described as a “highly strategic, kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette,” is a fast-paced social game where the objective is to avoid pulling the deadly exploding kitten card. Players build up arsenals of silly weaponry and gadgets to avoid this fate and turn it around on their foes. A round only takes 10 minutes, and it’s a simple game, which means it works well for quick at-home play. The original game takes up to five players and retails for $19.99, while the two-player version is $9.99.

Exploding Kittens, created by Matthew Inman and Evan Lee, is built around ridiculous, theatrical cards like the Tacocat, who proclaims “I’m a palindrome!” or the pig-unicorn that grants insights into the future. The game has proven popular enough to warrant several expansion packs that take the game up to a maximum of nine players. Those include Streaking Kittens, Party Packs, and Betrayal Pack, as well as a port to the Nintendo Switch.

In Polygon’s 2015 review of the game, Charlie Hall wrote: “Mechanically, Exploding Kittens is fairly straightforward. The thematic goal is to prevent curious, cuddly little kittens from detonating themselves and, via proximity, you. [...] Exploding Kittens is quick, it’s fun and yes, it is functional. It’s safe for kids, too; in fact, my 5-year-old spent much of one game on my lap telling me what to do, and loving every minute of it.”