Photo credit to Brett Jordan. Game credit to The Oatmeal.

Top 15 Games Like Exploding Kittens

If you're into silly card games like Exploding Kittens, these are 15 good options to bring to your next game night.

Erin O’Gorman

Published: May 31, 2023 02:29 pm

By some miracle, the digital age has yet to destroy the culture of paper card games. In fact, the business is as big as it ever was, as during the pandemic, families seemed to regain an appreciation for spending time at home gathered around a table playing silly—or surprisingly complex—tabletop games.

Cards Against Humanity

An option that is not quite so family-friendly is Cards Against Humanity. In this game, one person in each turn puts down a scenario, and the other players have to give one of their adjective cards to match the scenario. The person whose turn it is at that time will choose which alternative they like the best, and the others have to draw a card. Whoever has the least number of cards at the end wins the round. The game is perfectly paired with some adult beverages and good friends.

Apples to Apples

If there are young kids around, fear not, as a g-rated version of the game exists. Called Apples to Apples, it essentially follows the same games rules, but with more wholesome and simple scenarios. This is a great way for kids to learn strategy and quick thinking while having fun.

Mantis

Another game made by the creators of Exploding Kittens is Mantis. In this game of chance, you win by accumulating matching colors in your group of cards. On your turn, you can either pull something from the deck or steal from another player. If you get a card that matches any of your cards, you score points. If you want to steal a card, you draw from the pile, then flip it over in a random player’s set. If the cards match any of theirs, all of those cards are yours.

Farting Frenchies

If you’re not easily offended by flatulence jokes, consider checking out Farting Frenchies, a game about, yes, farting dogs. Owners of dogs like pugs and frenchies will get a kick out of this. In this game, you start with one of the character cards. You feed the dog cards of gas-causing foods, like old pizza and fish. At the end, the smelliest dog wins. It’s a game only people with a very cultured sense of humor will appreciate.

Steal the Bacon

Who doesn’t love a game themed after breakfast food? In Steal the Bacon, you need to fill your plate up with lots of food. When you end up matching with another player, the two of you race for the bacon, also known as the goldmine of breakfast food. Evil characters like Awful Waffle and Clap Clap Flapjack can also show up in the deck and ruin the race. The first person with 10 pieces of bacon wins the game.

Pass the Panda

Those who enjoy dice games may be interested in Pass the Panda. In this game, you either roll a panda, bamboo, water, or a blank roll. A panda means that you can get rid of the dice, blank rolls do nothing, and a bamboo is dependent on the next person’s roll. There are certain ways to get rid of your dice, like rolling water. The first person who gets rid of all of their dice wins the game.

Guess in 10 Animal Planet

This game is perfect for a family of animal lovers who are interested in something cut and dry. It’s similar to Pictionary, but players have to ask up to 10 questions about the animals. This is a great game for developing utilization of limited resources skills and learning about animals. The questions you ask count, so you need to choose the right ones. It’s a game people of all ages will enjoy.

Clue Robbery at the Museum

You grew up playing the original Clue, and it’s time to pass it on to your family. In Clue Robbery at The Museum, you have all the components of the original game, but with a completely new plotline and an escape room-like system. Make deductions and find the clues to figure out who the true culprit is.

Sushi Go!

If you and your group have a knack for visual aesthetics and detail, you will definitely want to play Sushi Go. In this game, the goal is to create the best rolls of sushi possible. You score points with your combos and bonus points by adding aromatics like wasabi. The more matches you get, the more points you score. This is a great gift for the sushi lover in your life.

What Do You Meme?

Are you a self-proclaimed memelord? If so, What Do You Meme is the next game to bring to game night. In this game, there is one picture card for each turn, and players have to choose what they think is the funniest caption to match the picture. The judge of each turn chooses the one that made them laugh the most, and that person wins the round. Only those with the best sense of humor get to play this.

Sparkle Kitty

Sparkle Kitty is the perfect game for the young or old princess in your life. In this game, players pick one character card to use in the game. Each one has different abilities, and you have to combine spell cards in order to be the first princess who escapes. It has some elements of a tabletop RPG, which is great for those who want to pass on the tradition of Dungeons and Dragons by playing with their family.

Herbaceous

Gardeners will love the aesthetics of Herbaceous, a game where the cards are beautiful plants. Here, players have the goal of filling up their virtual private or public garden with plants. There are pots which require specific plant cards in order to fill them. The more you fill, the more you score. Players who fill all of their points first get the win. Extra points are rewarded to those who put the three special herbs into the glass jars. This is a game that’s simple, fun, and pretty to look at.

Jenga

Like an Exploding Kitten, the Jenga tower has a chance to fall. This game is comparably out of the wheelhouse from the others, but it’s a classic. The idea is that players have to pull pieces out of the Jenga tower without making it fall down. Whether that happens or not is a matter of patience, choosing the right pieces, and lots of luck. Will you be the Jenga winner?

Reincardnated

Reincardnated is the card game with the most philosophical depth. In this game, players use karma cards to incarnate into different forms, with the end goal being to reach human form. There are a ton of species you can become, so each game always takes a unique path. The game ends when someone reaches a human form, at which points everyone adds up their score and determines a winner.

CoolCats

Everybody dreads icebreakers, but a game like CoolCats can actually make it fun. In this game, the active player pulls a Subject card and everyone most vote on if that person likes the subjects. If you get the greatest number of correct guesses, you get to pull a CoolCat card. If it’s the opposite, you have to pull a Loser card. This is a great way to get to know your friends in ways you’d never expect.

Any of these are great choices for your next family game night! You can purchase all of them on Amazon or in the card game section in big box stores.