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Exploding Kittens Original Edition - 2-5 Players - Ages 7+ - 15 Minutes to Play - High Stakes Card Game - Party Game, Family Game Night, Kid and Adult Card Game
Exploding Kittens

Exploding Kittens Original Edition

Bottom line: The Exploding Kittens Original Edition ($19.82 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06): 56-card deck plays in about 15 minutes, easy to fit between other games; main trade-off: caps at 5 players without adding an expansion deck.

$19.82

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Buy on Amazon — $19.82 Compare to similar tabletop & card games

By , Founder & Editor-in-Chief · Listing data updated

Mike Perry — Hardware researcher since 2014, focused on GPU performance across gaming, rendering, and local-LLM inference. Synthesises community benchmarks, manufacturer specs, and public forum data into actionable buying guides.

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓ 56-card deck plays in about 15 minutes, easy to fit between other games
  • ✓ Ages 7+ with rules simple enough to teach in a couple of minutes
  • ✓ The Oatmeal artwork on every card keeps the humor going between turns
  • ✓ Box is small enough for a backpack, road trips, or camping

Cons

  • ✗ Caps at 5 players without adding an expansion deck
  • ✗ Heavy luck element - a bad draw can end your game early
  • ✗ Player elimination means someone may sit out the last few rounds
  • ✗ Card stock is standard, so frequent shuffling will show wear

Manufacturer description

You and up to four other players draw from a 56-card deck, hoping not to pull an Exploding Kitten. Pull one without a Defuse card in hand and you are out; hold a Defuse and you neutralize the kitten with a laser pointer, belly rub, or catnip sandwich, then slide it back into the deck wherever you like. The rest of the deck is built around messing with everyone else: Skip your turn, Shuffle the draw pile, Attack to force the next player to take two turns, or See the Future to peek at what is coming. Every card is illustrated by The Oatmeal, so Tacocat, Rainbow-Ralphing Cat, and the All-Seeing…

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SpecPicks Verdict

SpecPicks scored Exploding Kittens Original Edition using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the tabletop & card games category. Exploding Kittens's tabletop & card games lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.

Common buyer scenarios for tabletop & card games of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people can play Exploding Kittens?

The Original Edition supports 2 to 5 players. Combining it with another Exploding Kittens deck raises the player count.

What age is Exploding Kittens appropriate for?

The publisher lists it for ages 7 and up. The rules are simple enough to teach quickly, and the Oatmeal artwork is cartoonish rather than graphic.

How long does a game of Exploding Kittens take?

About 15 minutes per game, which is why most groups play several rounds in a sitting.

What comes in the box?

56 cards illustrated by The Oatmeal plus an instruction manual. The compact box travels well for game nights, camping, and road trips.

Is Exploding Kittens worth buying with so many card games available?

It came out of one of the most-funded Kickstarter campaigns ever, so the track record is unusually well documented for a party card game.

Key Features

  • In this family card game, draw cards and try to avoid the dreaded Exploding Kitten! Use strategic action cards to skip your turn, shuffle the deck, or defuse the Kitten with laser pointers or catnip sandwiches. The last player standing wins!
  • Designed for 2-5 players, ages 7 and up, Exploding Kittens is great for kids, teens, and adults alike. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or want a casual game to break the ice, this easy-to-learn game is perfect for bringing everyone together.
  • Compact for travel, portable for on-the-go, camping, game nights, road trips or a family home evening.
  • Includes 56 cards illustrated by The Oatmeal (each featuring a hilarious cartoon with characters such as Tacocat, Rainbow-Ralphing Cat and All-Seeing Goat Wizard) and an instruction manual (that you’ll probably skim).
  • Our Story: One of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns ever, the hilarious characters, thoughtful design and gameplay simple enough for a good time but complex enough for ultimate replayability, Exploding Kittens has taken the world by storm, with millions of copies sold and a global fanbase.

Full Specifications

SizeLarge
BrandExploding Kittens
ColorRed
ThemeBoard Games, Card Games, Fun Games
GrenreGame Night, Family Games, Fun Games
LanguageEnglish, English
Set NameOriginal Edition
Model NameExploding Kittens
Model Year2015
Unit Count1.0 Count
Model NumberEKG-ORG1-1
Power Sourcemanual
Material TypeCardboard, Cardstock
Product StyleOriginal Edition
Container TypeBox
Item Type NameCard Games
Operation Modemanual
Item Dimensions4.41 x 6.38 x 1.5 inches
Number of Items1
Number of Players2 to 5 Players
Full listing titleExploding Kittens Original Edition - 2-5 Players - Ages 7+ - 15 Minutes to Play - High Stakes Card Game - Party Game, Family Game Night, Kid and Adult Card Game

Ready to buy?

Exploding Kittens Original Edition - 2-5 Players - Ages 7+ - 15 Minutes to Play - High Stakes Card Game - Party Game, Family Game Night, Kid and Adult Card Game is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.

Buy on Amazon — $19.82

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.

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Exploding Kittens Original Edition - 2-5 Players - Ages 7+ - 15 Minutes to Play - High Stakes Card Game - Party Game, Family Game Night, Kid and Adult Card Game
$19.82
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