Exploding Kittens (Original Edition)
Published · Researched 2026-09-21
The original Exploding Kittens card game — 56 cards of Russian-roulette-style party gameplay. A confirmed current product as of 2026-09-20 (official price $19.99). The tent-evening and rainy-day camping game in this expansion's game set.
Identifiers & current-generation confirmation
- Brand / model: Exploding Kittens — Original Edition
- Current-generation confirmation (2026-09-20): Actively sold at $19.99 official; the original edition remains in print alongside expansions.
- Contents: 56 cards + instructions.
Lineage & current lineup (2023–2026)
- Exploding Kittens (2015 Kickstarter record-breaker) has remained continuously in print through 2023–2026; the Original Edition is the entry point, with expansions (Imploding Kittens, Streaking Kittens) and spinoffs (Barking Kittens) extending the line.
- Publisher: Exploding Kittens (the company).
Overview
A card game of hot-potato meets Russian roulette: players draw cards until someone draws an Exploding Kitten and is out — unless they defuse it. Fast, mean-funny, and readable in one round. The box is small enough for a backpack side pocket.
- Players: 2–5
- Ages: 7+
- Play time: ~15 minutes
- Contents: 56 cards, instructions
- Price: $19.99 official (2026-09-20)
- Best for: tent evenings; rainy-day camp entertainment; mixed-age groups where reading-level humor lands
Price (2026-09-20)
- $19.99 official (explodingkittens.com, 2026-09-20).
Box contents
- 56 cards, instructions, box.
Warranty & support
- Standard publisher replacement for missing/damaged components (contact publisher). No formal warranty — normal for card games.
Community verdict
Massively, durably popular. Exploding Kittens is one of the best-selling card games of the last decade, and its camping credentials are real: tiny box, no board, no pieces to lose in the dirt, plays in 15 minutes, and the humor lands from age 7 to adult. Family campers and scout leaders cite it as the rare game that mixed-age groups request by name. The knock: it's luck-heavy — strategy gamers will find it thin, and the "take that" elimination can sting sensitive younger kids (house-rule the elimination for under-8s). For a camp game kit, it's the evening-tent default.
Images
- images/exploding-kittens-1.jpg
- images/exploding-kittens-2.jpg
- images/exploding-kittens-3.jpg
- images/exploding-kittens-4.jpg
- images/exploding-kittens-5.jpg
- images/exploding-kittens-6.jpg
Research footer
- Research date: 2026-09-20. All prices and claims dated 2026-09-20; re-verify live before purchase.
- Key sources: explodingkittens.com official product page ($19.99, 56 cards, 7+, 2–5 players, ~15 min).
Durability & warranty reality
Cards wear with camp use; sleeving is cheap insurance. The box is compact but not waterproof — pack it in a dry bag. Missing-card replacement via publisher.
Yearly history
- 2015–2026: continuously in print; Original Edition unchanged as the entry SKU.
Comparisons (existing catalog rivals)
- Spot It! Camping: The camping-themed speed-matching game — no elimination, better for very young kids. Exploding Kittens for 7+ evening play; Spot It! for all-ages fireside speed.
- Uno: The other ubiquitous card game — cheaper, simpler, more luck. Exploding Kittens wins on theme and engagement; Uno wins on price and universal rules knowledge.
- Bananagrams: The word-game alternative — better for readers, worse for pre-readers. Different crowd.
Care
Keep dry; sleeve cards for camp use; store out of heat (warped cards shuffle badly).
Buying traps & CPSC recalls
- No CPSC recall found (2026-09-20 search).
- Trap: expansions and spinoffs (Imploding, Streaking, Barking Kittens) — the Original Edition is the complete starter; expansions require it.
- Trap: counterfeit decks on marketplaces — buy from the publisher or reputable retailers.
Additional voices
- Family campers/scout leaders: the most-requested tent game in mixed-age groups; luck-heavy by design.
Spec gap-fill
- Box dimensions/weight: UNVERIFIED.