Aggregated review · Secret Santa, Christmas, Birthday
Exploding Kittens
A fast, silly card game where you try not to draw the exploding kitten. Easy to teach after Christmas dinner.
$25 $25 to $50
The verdict
Hit: 4.5 out of 5, from 2 sources and 50 reviews. The ratings are high wherever we looked.
Thin evidence
Where the score comes from
- Family Game Shelf No star rating. Cited for what it says.
Based on 50 John Lewis reviews. One source has no star rating and is cited for what it says.
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Cheapest we found: John Lewis at $25. Prices checked October 2026. We earn a commission if you buy.
- Reviews aggregated
- 50Reviews counted
- Sources
- 2Sources
- Gift mentions
- 5 Oct Last checked
Retail buyers like it, and reviewers are split. John Lewis customers average 4.5 across 50 reviews, while Family Game Shelf gave it a middling score.
Both are fair. It’s a light game and mostly luck. Nothing much happens until the first kitten turns up, and after that it gets loud. Family Game Shelf thought it worked best with teenagers, which matches who it’s usually bought for.
That makes it a safe Secret Santa present at around £20, or a stocking filler for a teenager. Don’t give it to someone with a shelf full of strategy games, though. They’ll be polite about it and then never play it.
What reviewers praise
- Quick to teach
- Rounds are short, so people drift in and out
- The Oatmeal's drawings get a laugh
What they complain about
- Mostly luck, with little room for skill
- The first half of each game is slow
- The rules take more than the promised two minutes
- Not for
- People who like proper board games. Family Game Shelf found it too dependent on luck.
- Price checked
- October 5, 2026
Where to buy it
Cheapest we found: John Lewis at $25. Prices checked October 2026. We earn a commission if you buy.
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