Loved Exploding Kittens but now what?
By Alex J. Coyne © 2020 Great Bridge Links
Exploding Kittens has to be one of the most original card games of all time using a non-traditional card deck. It’s the perfect crossing point for cat lovers and card players – and if you loved the original Exploding Kittens card game, don’t think that the fun ends there.
Just like having actual cats, there’s always space for one more.
But wait! What is Exploding Kittens? Let’s start with a little blurb from Board Game Geek –
Here’s what’s happened to the Exploding Kittens series while you weren’t looking – and what expansions and more games are available from the creators.
Crowdfunding the Original Kittens
We can thank an inventive crowdfunding initiative for the birth of the original Exploding Kittens card game – and a team consisting of Elan Lee and Matthew Inman. (Yes, there’s a reason why The Oatmeal comics look just like the art from Exploding Kittens cards…)
The original crowdfund needed $10, 000 and the goal was achieved in just a few days.
From there, you could say it multiplied like an empire of cats.
To start though, in case you’ve never played this game, here’s an Amazon Link – only $20. And here’s a link to the official Exploding Kittens empire, er, website.
Expanding on the Kitten Empire
The Kitten Empire doesn’t begin and end with Exploding Kittens: There’s expansions, an NSFW version and even a few games from the same creators to keep you busy.
The Mobile App
https://explodingkittens.com/mobile-app
For card games without a card deck, get the mobile app for Exploding Kittens and hook your friends on the fun.
Exploding Kittens NSFW
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172242/exploding-kittens-nsfw-deck
Back when they made the first version of Exploding Kittens, apparently a few cards weren’t too family friendly. Here’s a card game expansion with all those cards – and it’s perfect for adding an extra element to the game when the kids are done for the round.
Expansion One: Imploding Kittens
The first official expansion to the original Exploding Kittens deck is this one: Imploding Kittens.
It comes with 20 new cards to enhance your gameplay, and you get a human Cone of Shame together with it. We’d guess it’s not just for active games of Exploding Kittens, but you can wear it out on the town (or to your next bridge or poker game).
Expansion Two: Streaking Kittens
If you want to boost your game even further, the second expansion came to be named Streaking Kittens – use it with the base deck, or after Imploding Kittens. Only $5 at Amazon, link here ->
Unofficial Expansions
It turns out that there are a few unofficial, non-kitten-canon expansions for Exploding Kittens, too. Keep an eye out for Unruly Kittens, Coffee Kittens and Discarding Kittens Not from the original creators, but it can still change your game.
From the Creators Of…
From Kittens to Crabs, there are a few more game creations from the makers of Exploding Kittens. Here’s what they have so far.
You’ve Got Crabs
https://youvegotcrabs.com
Here’s a game to play only with people you know well – or, well, send a deck to everyone in your local bridge club. It’s called “You’ve Got Crabs” and it happens to be a partnership game just like bridge. Set signals for you and your partner – and anyone who might spot the signal gets to yell, “You’ve got crabs!” Somehow, the game also uses Crab Tokens and Crab Pots.
Both weird and inventive, and you can find the rules explained in an accompanying animated video.
https://youvegotcrabs.com/how-to-play/
Purchase on Amazon Link Here ->
Bears vs Babies
Also from Elan Lee and Matthew Inman, here’s another card game called Bears vs Babies. The artwork is just as classic as The Oatmeal and Exploding Kittens – and the concept just as bizarre.
Again, you might have to read the accompanying rules to get the hang of the game.
