Exploding Kittens (Card Game)

I recently got to try out this super-random card game with a group of friends, and I’ve got to say, it’s surprisingly catchy. It’s marketed as a game for people who like cats and explosions, and . . . well, that may be accurate, but it’s more for people who like fast-paced games that combine elements of both chance and strategy–along with lots of weird goofiness. The game is basically an adapted version of Russian Roulette–everybody takes turns going around the table drawing cards until something explodes (you draw an “exploding kitten” card). But then, there are cards you can use to defuse this (basically putting it off until later in the game), as well as a number of other cards that have different effects on the game. (You can find out a lot more about the rules and such on the official website, https://explodingkittens.com/.) Like I said, the game’s catchy and involves a nice balance of chance and strategy–more or less depending on the group of players, obviously. It’s also pretty easy to learn, and each game goes quite fast. I do also have to note that the art on the cards is just plain strange; like, there’s all kinds of randomness on them that’s totally not necessary for playing the game, but it’s kind of interesting to read . . . also, slightly disturbing and very strange. But overall, I enjoyed Exploding Kittens and would generally recommend it.