Exploding Kittens is the board game equivalent of a viral meme—wildly popular, undeniably fun for about 20 minutes, and then you're left wondering if there's anything actually there.

The concept is brilliant: Russian Roulette with cartoon kittens, wrapped in The Oatmeal's signature absurdist humor. Kids love the silly card names and gross-out jokes. Games are genuinely fast (15 min), so even when someone gets eliminated early, they're not sitting out long. The low complexity means a first-grader can play with a middle schooler and both have fun.

But here's the thing: this is almost entirely a luck-based game. You're drawing cards and hoping you don't explode. The strategy is minimal—peek at the deck, maybe force someone else to draw, shuffle if you're nervous. After a few plays, the novelty wears off and you're left with a game that's more about tolerating chaos than making interesting decisions.

The BGG rating of 6.1/10 tells the story: it's fine, not great. Reddit reviews are split between 'my family loves this!' and 'I can't believe I paid for this.' The Guardian straight-up called it 'unfunny, infuriating and life-sapping,' which is harsh but not entirely wrong for anyone expecting actual strategy.

If your family enjoys quick, silly, luck-driven party games and doesn't mind some light antagonism, this will probably land well. If you want something with depth or replayability, look elsewhere. It's a solid gateway game for young kids, but don't expect it to stay in rotation once they discover better options.