Last year, cartoonist Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal teamed up with Elan Lee and Shane Small to create a card game called Exploding Kittens, which launched on Kickstarter. It received huge amounts of media attention and became the most-backed Kickstarter project of all time, with more than 200,000 backers.

Exploding Kittens started shipping out in July, and as of today, it's expanding to iOS devices with a digital version of the game that's now available for the iPhone. The goal in Exploding Kittens, which can be likened to Russian Roulette, is to avoid the Exploding Kitten cards while attempting to foist them on your opponents.

explodingkittensios

Players draw cards until someone draws an Exploding Kitten, at which point they explode, they are dead, and they are out of the game -- unless that player has a Defuse card, which can defuse the kitten using things like laser pointers, belly rubs, and catnip sandwiches. All of the other cards in the deck are used to move, mitigate, or avoid the Exploding Kittens.

On iOS, Exploding Kittens includes local multiplayer gameplay with two to five players across multiple phones, with no option to play across the Internet. Multiple iPhones are able to connect using an ad-hoc network over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to enable gameplay.

The digital version of the game includes exclusive new cards that are not available in the existing print edition, including a new add-on Party deck. At the current time, there are no "Nope" cards, but these will be added in a later update.

explodingkittensios2
To celebrate its launch, all of the in-app card pack purchases within the digital version of Exploding Kittens are available for free for a limited time. Card packs include the aforementioned Party Expansion Pack, an Animals Avatar Pack, and a Food Avatar Pack.

Exploding Kittens can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

JonneyGee Avatar
125 months ago
Exploding Kittens is a hilarious game. I backed it on Kickstarter and have owned a copy from the beginning. Playing on iOS should be fun, too!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
125 months ago
I love the game, but I'll get the cross-platform, no-DRM physical game. :)

Glassed Silver:mac
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rootyb Avatar
125 months ago
Wait, there aren't any "Nope" cards yet? That's... kind of a big aspect of the game. It's like releasing a monopoly game without the "Jail" feature implemented.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rageguy Avatar
125 months ago
If only there is a single player mode against AI.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Daws001 Avatar
125 months ago
No single player/internet/matchmaker option is...strange. I wonder how many people are buying the game only to find that out too late?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blodyholy Avatar
125 months ago
Awesome! Received the physical version for Christmas -- such a fun game!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Saturday August 16, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report this week, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform will blend...
apple beta 26 lineup

Mark Gurman Responds to Last Week's Apple Device Leaks

Sunday August 17, 2025 7:03 am PDT by
Last week, Apple released and then pulled a software tool that accidentally contained identifiers for many unreleased devices and chips, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. His findings included new models of the Studio Display, Apple TV, Apple Watches, Apple Vision Pro, iPad mini, HomePod mini, and more. Here is what was uncovered in the file, according to MacRumors contributor ...
iOS 26 Feature

Here's Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 7

Monday August 18, 2025 11:59 am PDT by
The seventh developer beta of iOS 26 is now available. While we are now in the later stages of the iOS 26 beta cycle, there are still some changes. Below, we outline everything new that we have found in iOS 26 beta 7 so far. Redesigned Blood Oxygen Feature The seventh developer betas of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 include a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max's Internal Design With Metal Battery Allegedly Leaks

Friday August 15, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Alleged images of the iPhone 17 Pro Max's internal design have surfaced, offering a potential look inside the device before it is announced by Apple next month. The images were shared by the account "yeux1122" this week, in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver. The account aggregates Apple rumors and leaks, so it is likely not the original source of the images, and it is unclear if they...
iPhone 16

No iPhone 18 in 2026, Another Report Claims

Monday August 18, 2025 7:34 am PDT by
Apple is expected to delay the launch of its base iPhone 18 model until spring 2027, marking a major shift in the company's long-established release cycle, according to South Korea's ETNews. The report claims that Apple has informed some of its suppliers that the iPhone 18 will not be part of the September 2026 iPhone lineup. Instead, the company will unveil only higher-end models in the...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Reportedly Set to Receive 'Significant Redesign' Next Year

Friday August 15, 2025 1:31 pm PDT by
At least one new Apple Watch model launching next year will feature a "significant redesign," according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. In a paywalled report this week, citing supply chain insiders, DigiTimes claimed that a high-end 2026 Apple Watch model will feature "exterior design" changes, including but not limited to "eight sensors arranged in a ring pattern visible...
apple design award 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Design Award Winners Ahead of WWDC 2025

Tuesday June 3, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
As we wait for WWDC to kick off next Monday, Apple today announced the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards, recognizing apps and games for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement. The 2025 Apple Design Award winners are listed below, with one app and one game selected per category: Delight and Fun - CapWords (App) and Balatro (Game) Innovation - Play (App) and PBJ -...