CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN BAD LANGUAGE, ADORABLE THINGS, AND BAD LANGUAGE COMING FROM ADORABLE THINGS
I seem to be putting cautions in front of a lot of my articles these days…Spoilers, Bad Language, Use of the word “Gnarley”…will it ever end?
Across the Black Friday sales, I got tempted to buy a lot of games. It turns out that most of my games wishlist entered a sale of some form or other, and so naturally I had to take a look. Some games that weren’t on my wishlist also entered the sale, games I wouldn’t usually buy, that I thought “yeah, okay, I may as well” and purchased them anyway. Exploding Kittens was one of those games. I mean, who doesn’t want to try the game that raised over $8.7 million on Kickstarter, am I right?
Only, I managed to miss the standard Exploding Kittens flash sale by around 30 seconds, but as I missed it an alternative version of the game came onto the sale. Yes, Exploding Kittens: The NSFW Deck. Things are going to get naughty.
I, by default, am a curious person, and as someone who takes board game blogging (and board games in general actually) fairly seriously, I actually own a few “not safe for work” games. Cards Against Humanity is the classic one; however, Big Potato Games have been churning out a few NSFW games like Scrawl and Bucket of Doom over the past few years. Bucket of Doom was actually another Black Friday purchase, so expect to see another article appearing on it soon.
So, with a marketplace rife with naughty adult games, what can Exploding Kittens: The NSFW Deck do to stand out? Well, dear readers, today, on this blog, I will sacrifice my innocent mind to find out.
How Dirty is Exploding Kittens: NSFW Deck?
On a scale from one to a hundred, the Exploding Kittens: NSFW Deck is actually pretty tame. In a world where the norm has become cards stating obscure sex acts and things that are illegal most places on the planet, Exploding Kittens is actually not too bad on the naughty scale. This is the first game I’ve played that has filth intermingled with artwork (err…generated by the designers, so I’m not including Scrawl…) and the artwork for Exploding Kittens does a lot to mitigate the dirt.
One primary example of this is, when opening the box, I flipped one of the two halves of the deck over to reveal an adorable card of a baby owl in the well known Exploding Kittens style. Rather than being overbearingly cute, the owl is smoking a crack pipe with the speech bubble of: “Let’s smoke this rock <insert swear word here>”. These two images counteract each other and surprisingly it’s way more entertaining than a card just saying “a baby owl smoking a crack pipe”.
The Exploding Kittens NSFW Box
I don’t want to give too many cards away, but this one really helps prove a point.
The deck for Exploding Kittens: NSFW (said he, shortening the name for convenience) has 56 cards in it. Out of these, there are three or four pictures of penises/penis shaped apparatus style jokes, two pictures with breast jokes, and quite a few butt jokes. There is one vomit joke, and two or three cards or characters holding up middle fingers. There are no other cases of bad language bar the baby owl.
So far as adult games go, so far as a NSFW version of a game goes, that’s actually fairly safe. It doesn’t reference sex acts, which tend to be the go to, and there are a couple of really intelligent cards in there as well. These include references to some fairly high brow ideas, the likes of which tend to belong being brought up by college students in the pub before fading into the realms of the unimportant as adults. One of my personal favourites is Cat’s Schroedinger, which is clever on a few different levels.
It’s really weird, Exploding Kittens offers forward a juxtaposition in the world of gaming. It offers a simple game, with intelligent cards that are both cute and crude. It is this weird mix which means that Exploding Kittens can more or less get away with whatever they want. They are given a kind of “Get Out Of Jail” free card to be just weird as they want to be. This is especially obvious with some of the cards, like Bikini Cat which is just…well…
Yep…can’t unsee that…
Protected by Weirdness
Games like Cards Against Humanity often get a bad rep for how crude they are, and with some games, it can be seen that they are really pushing the boundary. With Exploding Kittens there are some really explicit images, and yet it never quite feels like it is at that point of absolute disgust. Somehow, even with a card showing a picture of a man with a sex toy strapped to his head, it doesn’t feel like it is really breaking boundaries.
This is a fine and delicate line, the likes of which very few games can get away with, yet in its own way, I can’t help but feel that Exploding Kittens does. It breaks boundaries by, I think, pointing out the absurdity of what it is saying. Yes, it may be talking about something taboo, but the image that accompanies it almost mocks us as the player. It tells us that we are over thinking it, that it is really strange, and it almost laughs at us for having taken it even remotely seriously to begin with.
Optional Rudeness
Interestingly, Exploding Kittens: NSFW is a dirty game where the whole NSFW nature is actually optional. Unlike with Scrawl, Cards Against Humanity, or Bucket of Doom, where the player needs to interact with the objects and items on the cards – with Exploding Kittens: NSFW they don’t have to. Instead, the game still exists without the theme stuck on top.
What this means is it is actually possible to completely ignore the theme, and still play the game. This, I suppose, is both a strength and a weakness. The theme is, for want of a better term, passive rather than being overtly imposing. It is not thrusting a card in your face saying “ha, and now you need to talk about filth” but is instead saying, “here’s a card you may want to play, by the way, it has a filthy reference”.
So, How Dirty Is Not-Safe-For-Work?
Since this is ultimately subjective, I thought I would do the only honourable thing and get a second opinion on how rude the cards are – so, with that in mind, I thought I would run them by my parents. I mean, these guys have played Cards Against Humanity with me, so they’re pretty good judges.
Their reaction was: “It’s not that dirty, I mean there are a couple of things that could cause a reaction, but it’s not that dirty. There are a couple in there that are a bit close to the knuckle, but they’re not rude rude.”
So there you go folks. The Exploding Kittens: NSFW deck is “not rude rude”.
No matter what though, there is no denying the brains behind the humour. It seems completely random, but I am not 100% sure that it is. Instead there seems to be a fine line that Exploding Kittens: The NSFW Deck is walking in order to remain acceptable.
So there we go. I haven’t explored too many of the cards in too much detail; however, I am curious to know what you think on the matter of humour within adult games. Where do you stand? Is there a place for it or is there no need? If there is a place, then what defines that place? Let me know in the comments below.
Other Exploding Kittens Articles:
How To Win Exploding Kittens – A Strategy Guide
Published by Luke
Board game nerd, comic book geek, Rubik's Cube solver, Splendor player, and Blogger.View all posts by Luke
Card Game, General Articles, Party Game
Adult Party Games, Adult Themes, Big Potato Games, Bucket of Doom, Card Game, Card Game Analysis, Cards Against, Cards Against Humanity, Dirty, Exploding Kittens, Exploding Kittens NSFW, Exploding Kittens: The NSFW Deck, Game, Games, Humour, Kickstarter, Not Safe For Work, NSFW, Scrawl, Toilet Humour
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How Dirty is the Exploding Kittens: NSFW Deck? ›
Interestingly, Exploding Kittens: NSFW is a dirty game where the whole NSFW nature is actually optional. Unlike with Scrawl, Cards Against Humanity, or Bucket of Doom, where the player needs to interact with the objects and items on the cards – with Exploding Kittens: NSFW they don't have to.
What is the difference between Exploding Kittens original and NSFW? ›This NSFW version of the game contains the full version of Exploding Kittens, but the artwork on each card has been replaced with content too horrible/amazing to be used in the original Exploding Kittens game. The NSFW edition can be played with 2 to 5 players or combined with another deck to play with up to 9 players.
What is the NSFW deck in Exploding Kittens? ›Exploding Kittens: NSFW Edition is a highly-strategic, kitty powered version of Russian Roulette with art much too horrible/incredible to include in a kid-friendly version. Players draw cards until somebody draws an Exploding Kitten, at which point they explode and are out of the game.
Is Exploding Kittens kid-friendly? ›Exploding Kittens Card Game - Original Edition, Fun Family Games for Adults Teens & Kids - Fun Russian Roulette Card Games - 15 Min, Ages 7+, 2-5 Players.
Is Exploding Kittens card game appropriate? ›Players draw cards until someone draws an exploding kitten. The game is suitable for ages 7 and up.
Can you combine exploding kittens NSFW and original? ›I often combine the Original and NSFW versions, to play with more than 4 players. You just have to make sure that there is always exactly 1 Exploding Kitten card less than the number of players.
What is the most powerful card in Exploding Kittens? ›Each player is dealt 1 Defuse Card, the most powerful card in the game. These are the only cards that can save you from Exploding Kittens. If you draw an Exploding Kitten, instead of getting exploded, you can play the Defuse Card and reinsert the Kitten back into the Draw Pile anywhere you'd like in secret.
Which Exploding Kittens game is better? ›Imploding Kittens takes the top spot on the list of the best Exploding Kittens expansions because not only does it provide the most entertaining content, it kicks the player count up a notch.
What's the difference between Exploding Kittens and party pack? ›How is this different from Exploding Kittens: Original Edition? Exploding Kittens: Party Pack Edition can support up to 10 players while Exploding Kittens: Original Edition can support up to 5. Additionally, Exploding Kittens: Party Pack includes additional cards from the Imploding Kittens Expansion Pack.
What is zombie kittens? ›Zombie Kittens is still the highly-strategic, kitty powered version of Russian Roulette that you love, but it introduces a brand new deck of cards so that your game doesn't end just because you blow up. Only living players can win the game, but Dead players now get to keep the cards in their hands when they explode.
Can a 7 year old play Exploding Kittens? ›
The game's creators recommend ages 7 and up, but we think that depends a lot on the 7-year-old. Age, really, is less relevant than temperament.
Can you skip a exploding kitten if played? ›If you DON'T explode, you win! You could use a See the Future card to peek at the top few cards in the Draw Pile. If that reveals an Exploding Kitten you could then use a Skip card to end your turn and avoid drawing it.
What does NSFW mean on board games? ›Things are going to get naughty. I, by default, am a curious person, and as someone who takes board game blogging (and board games in general actually) fairly seriously, I actually own a few “not safe for work” games.
Can a nope card stop a defuse card in Exploding Kittens? ›A Nope card stops any action except for an Exploding Kitten or a Defuse card.
Is Exploding Kittens good for 2 players? ›Lightweight and portable but still explosive.
This is a small deck of exploding kittens, that just suits two players. It's a perfect size, and convenient, although the pack could be more suitable for carrying.
Exploding Kittens is a party board game for two to five players. Players are competing to be the last player left in by avoiding or defusing Exploding Kittens cards. Exploding Kittens takes approximately 15 minutes to play.
Can you put a nope on a nope in Exploding Kittens? ›You can also play a Nope on another Nope to negate it and create a Yup, and so on. Stop any action except for an Exploding Kitten or a Defuse card. Imagine that any card (or Pair or Special Combo) beneath a Nope card no longer exists.
Can you use 2 feral cat cards in Exploding Kittens? ›The 'Feral Cat' Card
If you have two cat cards, you may play these as an action towards any player of your choice, but sadly with only two cat cards, that action is picking any card from their hand - but be cautious as with two-of-a-kind; you cannot see what you are picking.
If you get both Barking Kittens (even if you've already played one), play them together and pick any player as your target. Like all Kittens, Barking Kittens cannot be Noped. These two cards are like a game of chicken. If you have one and think someone else has the other one, play it quickly to steal their cards.
Which is better Exploding Kittens or unstable unicorns? ›But the winner here comes down to this: Unstable Unicorns can run a bit long, and when it does, it drags out to a slow and painful death. The longer Exploding Kittens goes, the greater the tension as the deck becomes more and more dense with cat-bombs. Advantage: Exploding Kittens.
What is the 5 different card rule in Exploding Kittens? ›
If you play 5 different cards (any 5 cards with different titles), go through the Discard Pile to take any single card you'd like. (Grab the Pile quickly to choose your card so that you don't get “Noped!”) Streaking Kittens and Exploding Kittens can not be used with the 5 Card Special Combo.
Can you play a nope card on a skip card? ›Rule 7 — Don't forget the Nopes
You can throw a Nope card at any time. Even if it's not your turn. So if you've stacked the Exploding Kittens card for a specific player, you can always force these players to do their turn by noping their Skip, Attack or Shuffle card.
Unstable Unicorns is a game from the creators of teeturtle, the folks who make those adorable and geeky t-shirts. The game is just as adorable as you'd expect, knowing that, but it's also in the same vein as other darker party games like Exploding Kittens.
Do you always have to have 8 cards in Exploding Kittens? ›You can always count the cards left in the Draw Pile to figure out the odds of exploding. There is no maximum or minimum hand size. If you run out of cards in your hand, there's no special action to take. Keep playing.
Why is it called Exploding Kittens? ›He told Lee and Small that everyone is afraid of bombs, there's no fun in that. “What if instead of a bomb, everybody was stressing and worrying about a kitten? A kitten would kill you, a kitten would blow you up.” They named it “Exploding Kittens.”
What is the difference between red and black Exploding Kittens? ›Exploding Kittens on Twitter: "The red boxes are kid-friendly while the black box is not-safe-for-work https://t.co/A37QO6hOf2" / Twitter.
What is fatal kitten syndrome? ›What is “Fading Kitten Syndrome”? Fading kitten syndrome, sometimes referred as “failure to thrive”, describes a kitten that “crashes”, suddenly becoming ill or unresponsive, even if it was previously healthy.
Is fading kitten syndrome real? ›Fading kitten syndrome is a set of symptoms that are associated with a failure to thrive in neonatal kittens. Fading kitten syndrome is not a single disease. It can have many underlying causes, many of which lead to rapidly declining health, or even death, without immediate intervention.
Are pink kittens real? ›A pink cat is not a color found in nature. But several pink cats have been reported about in the news media. Sometimes the cat colour has changed to pink with chemicals or dyes. There are also several fictional pink cats in popular culture.
Are cats child appropriate? ›Cats is a computer-animated movie directed by Gary Wang. Mild animated violence and emotionally distressing themes make it unsuitable for children under seven years. And because of the movie's emotionally distressing themes, we recommend parental guidance for children under nine years.
What age is unstable unicorns for? ›
Unstable Unicorns for Kids is a card game that introduces younger players to the magical world of unicorns and strategy games. This is a 2-6 player game for ages 6+ and features brand new characters and adorable artwork that kids will love!
What age limit is Battle cats? ›What is the minimum age limit to play at BattleCat Sports? Here at BattleCat Sports insurance dictates that all players must be 10 years old or older.
Can you play a Nope on a Nope? ›A: The rules state that "The Nope card can be played at any time, and it cancels an action card played by an opponent.
Can a feral cat be used as a defuse card? ›Yes, feral cats are the same so they can be used as a "wild" card. What does the 'cards played in pairs' mean?
Can you discard a Exploding Kitten if you have a Streaking Kitten? ›This is useful when you've been attacked. If you have an Exploding Kitten in your hand (see “Streaking Kitten”), you can use it as your chosen card when Garbage Collection is played.
Why is NSFW not safe? ›NSFW is an internet acronym that means "not safe for work." NSFW often serves as a content warning, urging the viewer to use discretion or avoid the post or image when they are in a professional or public setting.
Is NSFW safe or suitable? ›What does NSFW mean? NSFW stands for “not safe for work” or “not suitable for work”. You may have already seen this term on social media before. The abbreviation NSFW is intended to help you tell quickly and easily that a particular post should not be viewed during working hours or on your work computer.
What does NSFW mean for girls? ›not safe for work; not suitable for work.
Can you clone a defuse? ›If you draw an Exploding Minion and there is a Defuse Card on top of the Discard Pile, you can play a Clone Card as a Defuse Card to avoid exploding. You can play a Clone with a Minion Character Card to form a pair and steal a card, but you cannot play a Clone on top of a Minion Character Card played by another player.
What does the annoy card do in Exploding Kittens? ›Annoy card - Disable an amount of cards in the target's hand. Attack card - End your turn(s) without drawing and force the next player to take two turns in a row. Blind card - Rendering the target blind until they draw a card. Defuse card - If you drew an Exploding Kitten, you can play this card instead of exploding.
Can you stack attacks in Exploding Kittens? ›
You do not stack attack cards. If you've been Attacked and you play an Attack card, you end your turn right away without taking the additional turn (this is very clear in rule pamphlet under "Attack" cards).
Can you play Exploding Kittens with 6? ›The Imploding Kitten Card allows you to play with up to 6 players, or use it as a replacement for one of the Exploding Kittens in the main game. If you're playing with the Streaking Kittens expansion deck, the Imploding Kitten does not affect the Streaking Kitten.
Is Exploding Kittens kid appropriate? ›Players draw cards until someone draws an exploding kitten. The game is suitable for ages 7 and up.
Can adults play Exploding Kittens? ›FOR AGES 17+. Exploding Kittens: NSFW Edition is a highly-strategic, kitty powered version of Russian Roulette with art much too horrible/incredible to include in a kid-friendly version. Players draw cards until somebody draws an Exploding Kitten, at which point they explode and are out of the game.
Is Exploding Kittens appropriate for 10 year olds? ›Exploding Kittens Card Game - Original Edition, Fun Family Games for Adults Teens & Kids - Fun Russian Roulette Card Games - 15 Min, Ages 7+, 2-5 Players.
What is the difference between Exploding Kittens? ›How is this different from Exploding Kittens: Original Edition? Exploding Kittens: Party Pack Edition can support up to 10 players while Exploding Kittens: Original Edition can support up to 5. Additionally, Exploding Kittens: Party Pack includes additional cards from the Imploding Kittens Expansion Pack.
What is the difference between Exploding Kittens 2 player edition and regular? ›How is this game different from Exploding Kittens: Original Edition? Exploding Kittens 2-Player Edition is optimized for a quicker game between two people and contains less cards than Exploding Kittens: Original Edition.
What is the difference between Exploding Kittens red and black? ›Exploding Kittens on Twitter: "The red boxes are kid-friendly while the black box is not-safe-for-work https://t.co/A37QO6hOf2" / Twitter.
Is Exploding Kittens still popular? ›Today, it holds the record for the #1 most-backed project as well as the #10 most-funded project in Kickstarter history. Outside of Kickstarter, the game has sold nine million units worldwide to date and is consistently among the top-selling toys and games across major retailers like Amazon and Target.
Is Exploding Kittens good for 2 people? ›Lightweight and portable but still explosive.
This is a small deck of exploding kittens, that just suits two players. It's a perfect size, and convenient, although the pack could be more suitable for carrying.
Can you combine Exploding Kittens decks? ›
5+ player variant Simply combine two or more decks to play with more people, just adjust the number of Exploding Kittens in the deck so there's always one fewer than the number of players. So, if you want to play with 9 people, insert 8 Exploding Kittens.
How many Exploding Kittens in a 4 player game? ›For a 4 player game, insert 3 Kittens. For a 3 player game, insert 2 Kittens. This ensures that everyone eventually explodes except for 1 person.
Can you Nope A Nope? ›Imagine that any card (or Pair or Special Combo) beneath a Nope card no longer exists. You can also play a Nope on another Nope to create a double negative Yup, and so on. You can play a Nope card at any time before an action has begun, even if it's not your turn.
Can you use a nope card on a defuse? ›Nope: You can play a Nope card at any time to cancel another player's action, except a Defuse or Exploding Kitten card.
Is zombie kittens different than Exploding Kittens? ›However, Zombie Kittens differs from Exploding Kittens in that “dead” players – that is, those who have drawn an Exploding Kitten card – can be revived and brought back into the game before the game is over. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Are black kittens more active? ›Aware: Black cats seem to walk a line – they are sometimes more calm and reserved than some other cats, yet they balance that personality trait by staying playful and active throughout their lives. They relish new toys and found objects, and are talented at entertaining themselves for hours.