Since you’re here, you’re probably a big fan of the chaos and fast-paced battle of survival that Exploding Kittens brings. Although the latter is quite replayable, at some point, you have the power to predict everything that happens, which isn’t that fun anymore.
Thus, we’ve rounded up the best games like Exploding Kittens for all our mates who love its game mechanics, artwork, and humor or just want a new fun card game to add to their collection.
1. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Ages 7+ | 2 to 8 players | 10 minutes play;
If the fast-paced gameplay is your favorite feature of Exploding Kittens, you’ll love Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, too. The idea of the game is to say the words of the title in order while laying your cards down, and slap the deck when the word and the card match. Safe to say it’s simpler than EK, and you won’t really need much strategy when playing!
2. Gubs
Ages 10+ | 2 to 6 players | 20 minutes play;
The high level of unpredictability is one of the distinguishing characteristics of both EK and Gubs; however, they have different winning objectives. When playing Gubs, all players compete to create the largest colony of Gubs while navigating in a world full of danger, including rival players, traps, giant Omen Beetles, and unexpected event cards. Yes, you’ll need both wit and luck!
3. Unstable Unicorns
Ages 10+ | 2 to 6 players | 20 minutes play;
In both Unstable Unicorns and Exploding Kittens, you have the chance to manipulate decks and put your opponents in risky situations. However, the way this plays out is different in the two. While in EK, the goal is to avoid elimination, in Unstable Unicorns, you aim to create your stable of unicorns while using combinations of superpowers and special cards.
We made a full comparison of the two: Unstable Unicorns VS. Exploding Kittens, so enjoy reading.
4. Here To Slay
Ages 10+ | 2 to 6 players | 30 to 60 minutes play;
Luckily, in Here To Slay, there’s no elimination – you remain in the game until someone wins. The gameplay consists of three phases, where you play different actions, defeat monsters, challenge other players, and disrupt their game strategies. To win the game, you either slay three monsters or assemble a party of heroes. If comparing the complexity, Exploding Kittens is slightly simpler.
5. Fluxx
Ages 8+ | 2 to 6 players | 5 to 30 minutes play;
Fluxx is like Exploding Kittens but with a wider range of actions, affecting here the rule-changing cards as well. The gameplay of Fluxx revolves around following the directions on each played card until you meet the current goal, which changes continuously. The main features of the game are cards that either change the goal, provide actions, or introduce new rules, which contribute to the unpredictability of the game sessions.
6. Sushi Go Party
Ages 8+ | 2 to 8 players | 20 minutes play;
Remember when we mentioned Sushi Go at the card games around $10? It’s the Party edition now! The idea of the game is to make the best sushi dishes (combinations), and depending on which, you earn points. Although Sushi Go Party, just like Exploding Kittens, involves some form of card selection, in the latter, there’s more direct interaction rather than drafting cards.
7. Coloretto
Ages 8+ | 2 to 5 players | 30 minutes play;
Just like the name expresses, Coloretto is a game in which you aim to create color sets of cards, but you should only pay attention to the worthy ones since only a few of them give you points. It has different gameplay mechanics compared to Exploding Kittens and a more abstract theme; however, both include a similar interaction between players. And, how do you win Coloretto? By having the most points!
8. Point Salad
Ages 14+ | 2 to 6 players | 15 to 30 minutes play;
Point Salad is another fun, fast-paced game in which you collect different types of vegetable cards while drafting combinations and scoring points in over 100 ways. Although the rules are simple, it takes time to master and create your strategy, just like what happens in Exploding Kittens. The main difference, however, is that the player interaction in Point Salad is way lower, considering everyone builds their own sets.
9. Bears VS. Babies
Ages 10+ | 2 to 5 players | 20 minutes play;
Considering it was made by the creators of Exploding Kittens themselves, both share the same art style and luck-based elements. Bears Vs. Babies is a game in which you create powerful creatures while giving them limbs, weapons, and other powers to defeat the baby armies. Even though made by the same manufacturers, Bears Vs. Babies has no player elimination, so you keep playing until the deck runs out.
10. So Clover
Ages 10+ | 3 to 6 players | 30 minutes play;
Whilst they differ in gameplay style, if you like Exploding Kittens’ replayability, you should love So Clover just as much! The latter is a cooperative word-association party game in which you find the best clues in order to guess keywords. You work together as a group, and in each round, you aim to beat your own records. Many say it’s a game similar to Scattergories!
Final Thoughts
Although it seems unbelievable, there are plenty of games that offer the same thrill of Exploding Kittens, and we made sure to make a list of only the best ones. No matter if you like more strategy, unpredictable fun, or luck-based gameplays, you’ll absolutely find something that fits your preferences best. And if you ever need more ideas, consider card games to get to know someone!