Exploding Kittens

Last updated

Exploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens.png
Designers Elan Lee and Shane Small
IllustratorsThe Oatmeal
PublishersThe Oatmeal
PublicationJuly 2015
Genres Card game
LanguagesEnglish
Players2–5
Setup time< 1 minutes
Playing time15 minutes
ChanceMedium
Ages7+
Website explodingkittens.com

Exploding Kittens is a casual dedicated deck card game designed by Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal webcomic, Elan Lee and Shane Small, and first published by The Oatmeal in 2015. Beginning as a Kickstarter project seeking US$10,000 in crowdfunding, it exceeded its goal in eight minutes. [1]

Contents

On January 27, 2015, after seven days, it passed 103,000 backers setting the record for the most backers in Kickstarter history. At completion on February 19, 2015, it had US$8,782,571 in pledges by 219,382 backers. The campaign ended as the fourth most-funded campaign on the crowdfunding site. [2]

The first play test of Exploding Kittens was recorded on YouTube by Smosh Games, who had the first deck. [3] Delivery to backers started in late July 2015; all backers received the game by September 2015. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Gameplay

Exploding Kittens game play test 01.JPG

All cards are put into a deck, except for the Defuse and Exploding Kitten cards. The deck is shuffled and each player draws 4 cards and takes a Defuse card (but in the newer version with extension packs you each draw 7 cards and a defuse card). The Exploding Kitten cards are then shuffled back into the deck so that the number of Exploding Kitten cards in the deck is one less than the number of players. The remaining Defuse cards are then also put back in the deck. A turn order is decided upon any trivial condition.

Each player may then play as many cards from their hand as they like on their turn, or choose not to do so, before drawing a card. Players are not to tell any other player what cards are in their hand. Played cards are put into a discard pile.[ citation needed ]

If a player draws an Exploding Kitten card, they must show it immediately and they are out of the game, unless they have a Defuse card. The last player still in the game wins. [4]

Development

As of 2015, Exploding Kittens stood as the third-biggest campaign ever mounted on Kickstarter. [8] It launched with an initial goal of US$10,000, but by the end of the first day, the campaign had raised $1,333,586 from nearly 35,000 backers. By Day 4, it had raised more than $3,500,000 from more than 91,000 backers. [9] Ultimately, it raised $8.7 million from 219,382 backers. [10] [11]

On February 3, 2015, achievements were announced in lieu of stretch goals because the game designers did not want to delay production or distribution of the game to backers. As of February 16, 2015, 30 achievements had been unlocked and the second stretch goal (Unlock 20 Achievements) and third stretch goal (Unlock 30 Achievements) were completed. With the first stretch goal accomplished, the company expanded the NSFW deck to a full stand-alone game. [12] The second stretch goal gave all backers an upgraded storage box that holds two full decks of cards, [13] and the third and final stretch goal includes a Kickstarter-exclusive surprise in the box. [14]

Exploding Kittens began shipping to backers in late July 2015.

At the 2018 South by SouthWest festival, Exploding Kittens maintained a booth that displayed merchandise and had interactive components such as a large kitten vending machine. [15]

Expansions

The creators released four expansion packs, most of which require a copy of Exploding Kittens to play.

In October 2016, the Imploding Kittens pack was released. It increased the top number of players from 5 to 6, and added 20 new cards. [16] It introduced the cards/mechanics of Alter the Future, Draw from the Bottom, and Reverse from the mobile game, and the new Imploding Kitten card/mechanic.

On July 30, 2017, the Exploding Kittens Party Pack went on sale exclusively at Target. [17] The party pack is an update to the original game that allows for up to 10 players. It removes the Attack card/mechanic and replaces it with the Slap mechanic from the mobile game. The mechanics introduced in the Imploding Kittens expansion are also included. The Exploding Kittens display at Target stores also contained a hidden shelf containing an update for the Cards Against Humanity game dubbed the Hidden Compartment Pack. This pack contains 5 cards of the new mechanic, Blind as a Bat, and 15 new white CAH cards. [18]

On October 9, 2018, the Streaking Kittens expansion pack was released. Its 15 new cards/mechanics included Mark, Swap Top and Bottom, Catomic Bomb, Curse of the Cat Butt, Garbage Collector, Super Skip, and the Streaking Kitten. [19] [20]

The Barking Kittens expansion was released on June 5, 2020. Its 20 cards introduced Bury, Alter the Future Now, I'll Take That, Share the Future, Tower of Power, Personal Attack (3x), Potluck and Barking Kittens. [21]

Mobile versions

Microsoft's Zo chatbot offered a single-player version of Exploding Kittens. [22]

In January 2016, a multiplayer version of the game was released on the iOS platform with new content not found in the original game. [23] In April 2016, the mobile version was also released onto the Android platform, and allowed for cross-platform play between all mobile versions. [24] [25] It was also available on Nintendo Switch.

The Attack and Nope cards from the original card game were not released in the mobile versions on iOS and Android.[ citation needed ]

A free-to-play mobile game "Exploding Kittens - The Game" was announced in April 2022. It was launched on May 31 by Netflix. [26] [27] The game is available to its users at no additional cost and has no in-app purchases. [26]

TV series adaptation

In April 2022, an adult animated streaming television series was also announced by Netflix and will be co-produced by Bandera Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment, with King of the Hill creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels serving as executive producers, alongside Peter Chernin. [26] Additional game mechanics and cards tied to the show will be added to the mobile game at a later date. [26]

The series had a first look preview at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 14, 2023. [28] A teaser trailer was released on November 11, 2023, [29] followed by a full trailer in May 2024. [30] [31] Originally planned for a late 2023 release, [26] the premiere was postponed to July 2024. [30] [32]

Related Research Articles

<i>Uno</i> (video game) Video game adaptation of the card game

Uno is a video game based on the card game of the same name. It has been released for a number of platforms. The Xbox 360 version by Carbonated Games and Microsoft Game Studios was released on May 9, 2006, as a digital download via Xbox Live Arcade. A version for iPhone OS and iPod devices was released in 2008 by Gameloft. Gameloft released the PlayStation 3 version on October 1, 2009, and also released a version for WiiWare, Nintendo DSi via DSiWare, and PlayStation Portable. An updated version developed by Ubisoft Chengdu and published by Ubisoft was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in August 2016, Microsoft Windows in December 2016 and for the Nintendo Switch in November 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elan Lee</span> American game designer

Elan Lee is an American game designer, developer, and creator. He has designed games for the Xbox; helped create the world’s first Alternate Reality Games; and with Matthew Inman created the card game Exploding Kittens, whose Kickstarter campaign was the most-backed of its day. He and Inman founded the Exploding Kittens company in 2015.

The Oatmeal is a webcomic and humor website created in 2009 by cartoonist Matthew Inman. It offers original comics, quizzes, and occasional articles. Inman has produced a series of Oatmeal books with content from the webcomic and previously unpublished material, related board games, and other merchandise. The website won the Eisner Award for Best Digital/Webcomic in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flash Point: Fire Rescue</span>

Flash Point: Fire Rescue is a thematic cooperative board game designed by Kevin Lanzing with the help of firefighters. released in November 2011. The objective is for players to work together to rescue people and animals from a burning building before it collapses. Since the initial release of the game several expansions have been published, which add additional scenarios for players experience. These include fires in a high rise building, a two-story house, and a submarine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinels of the Multiverse</span> Board game

Sentinels of the Multiverse is a cooperative card game published by Greater Than Games and released at Gen Con 2011. Players control a team of comic book-style heroes battling a villain. Each player controls one or more heroes, while a villain and environment deck each run themselves. A given game includes 3 to 5 heroes, 1 villain and 1 environment, which can be mixed and matched to create a number of different scenarios. The core game comes with 10 heroes, 4 villains, and 4 environments. The board game has also been made into a video game.

<i>Android: Netrunner</i> Expandable Card Game

Android: Netrunner is an Expandable Card Game (ECG) produced by Null Signal Games, previously by Fantasy Flight Games. It is a two-player game set in the dystopian future of the Android universe. Each game is played as a battle between a megacorporation and a hacker ("runner") in a duel to take control of data. It is based on Richard Garfield's Netrunner collectible card game, produced by Wizards of the Coast in 1996.

<i>Hearthstone</i> Digital collectible card game by Blizzard Entertainment

Hearthstone is a free-to-play online digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Originally subtitled Heroes of Warcraft, Hearthstone builds upon the existing lore of the Warcraft series by using the same elements, characters, and relics. It was first released for Windows and macOS in March 2014, with ports for iOS and Android released later that year. The game features cross-platform play, allowing players on any supported device to compete with one another, restricted only by geographical region account limits.

<i>Spaceteam</i> 2012 video game

Spaceteam is a free-to-play local cooperative multiplayer video game developed and published by Henry Smith of Canadian studio Sleeping Beast Games for iOS and Android operating systems. It was released on December 1, 2012 and is described as a "cooperative shouting game for phones and tablets". The game uses multiple smartphone or tablet devices, connected via wifi or bluetooth, to enter a shared game of two to eight players.

<i>Star Realms</i> Tabletop game

Star Realms is a card-based deck-building science-fiction tabletop game, designed by Rob Dougherty and Darwin Kastle and published in 2014 by Wise Wizard Games. The game started out as a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. The goal of Star Realms is to destroy opponents by purchasing cards using "trade" points and using these cards to attack an opponent's "authority" using "combat" points. The game takes place in a distant future where different races compete to gain resources, trade and outmaneuver each other in a race to become ruler of the galaxy.

<i>Hand of Fate</i> (video game) 2015 video game

Hand of Fate is an action role-playing roguelike deck-building game developed and published by Australian studio Defiant Development for Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, released via early access on 7 July 2014, and then in the full release on 17 February 2015. A PlayStation Vita version was announced but ultimately cancelled due to development issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Contender: The Game of Presidential Debate</span> Card game

The Contender: The Game of Presidential Debate is a United States presidential election debate-themed party game using cards. The objective of the game is to use Argument Cards to win a mock presidential debate between other potential candidates. Players take turns debating an issue drawn from a deck of Topic Cards using phrases from the Argument Cards, creating the most convincing or entertaining argument. The game's development originated from a successful Kickstarter campaign, receiving acclaim for its simple concept backed up by its satirical, mature content.

<i>Epic Card Game</i> Strategy card game

Epic Card Game is a strategy card game created by Wise Wizard Games. It was released in 2015 after a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.

Bears vs Babies is a card game created by Elan Lee and Matthew Inman, who also created Exploding Kittens. Inman is also the founder of the website The Oatmeal.

<i>Faeria</i> 2017 digital collectible card and turn-based strategy game

Faeria is a digital collectible card and turn-based strategy game that takes place on a dynamic playing board set in a fantasy universe. The game was developed by Abrakam, and released for desktop platforms in 2017, for Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in August 2020 and for PlayStation 4 in November 2020. The game was well received by critics, holding a score of 80/100 on reviews aggregation website Metacritic.

Gameplay of <i>Hearthstone</i>

Hearthstone is a digital collectible card game released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2014, available for Microsoft Windows and macOS PCs and iOS and Android smartphones. The game is free-to-play, with players gaining in-game currency and card packs via winning matches and completing quests, while real-world money can be spent to acquire additional card packs and cosmetic items. The game has been critically well-received and financially successful, estimated in August 2017 to earn nearly US$40 million per month. As of November 2018, Blizzard has reported more than 100 million Hearthstone players. Blizzard has continued to expand the game with the addition of multiple expansions, adventures and game modes.

<i>Magic: The Gathering Arena</i> Video game

Magic: The Gathering Arena or MTG Arena is a free-to-play digital collectible card game developed and published by Wizards of the Coast (WotC). The game is a digital adaption based on the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) card game, allowing players to gain cards through booster packs, in-game achievements or microtransaction purchases, and build their own decks to challenge other players. The game was released in a beta state in November 2017, and was fully released for Microsoft Windows users in September 2019, and a macOS version on June 25, 2020. Mobile device versions were released in March 2021.

<i>The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls</i> Card game in the universe of The Binding of Isaac

The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls is a card game designed by Edmund McMillen, with additional designs by Danielle McMillen and Tyler Glaiel. Based on the indie video game The Binding of Isaac, players control one of several characters - Isaac, Judas, Maggy, or Cain - as they defeat bosses to collect Lost Souls. Each character has abilities that impact either them or other players, and players may work cooperatively to defeat bosses and enemies. The first player to acquire four souls wins. A Kickstarter campaign launched on June 27, 2018, and broke its funding goal of $50,000 within the first 1.5 hours.

<i>Town of Salem</i> 2014 video game

Town of Salem is an online multiplayer game with social deduction and strategy elements. It was developed and published by indie game developer BlankMediaGames, and released on December 15, 2014. Early alpha and beta versions were browser-based and free-to-play. On October 14, 2018, the game was released for iOS and Android mobile devices after a successful and long-supported Kickstarter fundraiser.

<i>Legends of Runeterra</i> Digital collectible card game

Legends of Runeterra is a 2020 digital collectible card game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by the physical collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, the developers sought to create a game within the same genre that significantly lowered the barrier to entry. Since its release in April 2020, the game has been free-to-play, and is monetised through purchasable cosmetics. The game is available for Microsoft Windows and mobile operating systems iOS and Android.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Throw Throw Burrito</span> Tabletop game

Throw Throw Burrito is a tabletop game created by Matthew Inman, Brian Spence, and Elan Lee, the creators of the previous game Exploding Kittens. Players must throw plush burritos at others and try to hit them to earn points, and win. The game hit its Kickstarter goal of US$10,000 within 16 minutes, and by the time it was finished, 53,643 backers had pledged US$2,559,458.

References

  1. ↑ Kooser, Amanda. "But why blow up cats? Inman gives inside scoop on Exploding Kittens". CNET. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Most Funded Kickstarter projects". Kickstarter. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  3. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : EXPLODING KITTENS IS HERE! (Game Bang). YouTube .
  4. 1 2 "Exploding Kittens by Elan Lee". Kickstarter. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ Imam, Jareen (January 28, 2015). "'Exploding Kittens' most backed Kickstarter ever". CNN. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  6. ↑ Vincent, James (January 28, 2015). "Exploding Kittens becomes the most backed Kickstarter project of all time". The Verge. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  7. ↑ Bischof, Jackie (February 2, 2015). "A Card Game About Exploding Kittens Broke a Kickstarter Record". Newsweek. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ Dredge, Stuart (February 23, 2015). "Exploding Kittens card game raises $8.8m on Kickstarter". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Kicktraq:Exploding Kittens". Kicktraq. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Exploding Kittens". Kickstarter. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Kickstarter folk pay $8 MEELLION for joys of EXPLODING KITTENS". The Register. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Unstoppable". kickstarter.com. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  13. ↑ "We said "STRETCH" and you said "HOW FAR?"". kickstarter.com. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  14. ↑ "YOU DID IT! LET'S PARTY!". kickstarter.com. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  15. ↑ Harrison, Will (March 17, 2018). "Five things we loved at SXSW Gaming 2018". Austin American Statesman. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Imploding Kittens Game Rules". Ultra Board Games. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  17. ↑ Formichelli, Linda (July 28, 2017). "Target Unleashes Over 50 New Exclusive Games For The 2017 Holiday Season". Forbes. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Secret shelf". Imgur. July 28, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  19. ↑ @gameofkittens (July 16, 2018). "Happy #PrimeDay2018The latest expansion of Exploding Kittens is now available for preorder. 15 game-changing card…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ↑ "STREAKING KITTENS: Expansion".
  21. ↑ "BARKING KITTENS: Expansion".
  22. ↑ "Microsoft's Zo bot wants to play Exploding Kittens with you". September 13, 2017.
  23. ↑ "The Oatmeal's wacky Exploding Kittens debuts on mobile with iOS game". VentureBeat. January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  24. ↑ "'Exploding Kittens' is now on Android". Engadget. April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  25. ↑ "'Exploding Kittens' Now Available On Android: New Cats, Hilarity And More". Tech Times. April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Exploding Kittens' Animated Series, Mobile Game Coming to Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. April 18, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  27. ↑ "All the New Mobile Games Coming to Netflix in May". Netflix Media Center (Press release). May 24, 2022.
  28. ↑ Taylor, Drew (April 24, 2023). "Netflix to Debut Official First Looks at 'Nimona,' 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget' at This Year's Annecy". TheWrap . Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  29. ↑ Inman, Matthew (November 11, 2023). "Exploding Kittens: Official Teaser Trailer". YouTube . Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  30. 1 2 Carr, Mary Kate (May 9, 2024). "Netflix's Exploding Kittens trailer is about as random as you'd expect". AV Club . Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  31. ↑ Netflix (May 9, 2024). "Exploding Kittens - Official Trailer". YouTube . Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  32. ↑ Reul, Kate (November 11, 2023). "Exploding Kittens Teaser Unveils Tom Ellis as God in Cat Form". IGN . Retrieved November 11, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.