You learned about exploding kittens, but what about zombie kittens?

Zombie Kittens is not a typical expansion of Exploding Kittens that we have previously reviewed, but a core game, meaning that you don’t need to own the original to play. But if you do, you can combine them for a mega game! Similarly, it is a game for 2-5 players, but enhanced, as the game doesn’t end for you even if you explode. So, without further ado, let’s take a deeper look.

Art

Funny and colourful, the art matches the zombie theme perfectly. All the illustrations are different from the original game, clearly showing that it was made with extra care and effort. The box’s cover, featuring a graveyard, reminded me of Plants vs Zombies, one of my favourite games- ahh, nostalgia. One Attack card shows crows that wield weapons, which gives off a deadly vibe, while a Skip card where a bird is smirking as it tosses a witch off her broom really caught my eye. I believe that all the illustrations complement the cards and help set the tone of the game: chaotic, playful and humorous.

The box

61 cards are inside the zombie box, along with a rulebook that explains all you need to play the game. Like in the exploding version, it contains detailed explanations for each card, a step-by-step guide and an example. The cards themselves look durable, too.

Card Types & Rules

Now let’s get down to business. How does the zombie kittens game differ from the exploding kittens one? There are new card types, which I have highlighted in green.
_{If you aren’t familiar with the original feline game, here’s a link for your convenience to our Exploding Kittens article.}
Exploding Kitten: aka the bomb.
^NEW Zombie Kitten: Remember the original Defuse card? As an extra, a zombie kitten card not only saves you from exploding (if you wanna be saved) but also lets you resurrect a dead player. The card can be played even if there are no dead players.
Attack: As in the original, not only do you end your turn without drawing a card, but you also force the next player to take 2 turns.
^NEW Attack of the Dead: A deadly attack (see what I did here!?) where you skip the drawing part of your turn, and the next player has to take 3 turns for each dead player. Note that in order to play this card, there must be at least one dead player.
Shuffle: a self-explanatory card included in the original game that can be played at any time and by dead players, too.
See the future: You take a peek at the top three cards of the deck.
Nope: Can be played anytime, and stops the action of another player. Playable by dead players, too.
Skip: Simply end your turn without drawing a card.
^NEW Super Skip: Ends all your turns immediately, without the draw step.
Favor: You force a living player to give you a card of his choice.
^NEW Clone: This card becomes whatever card is beneath it at the discard pile. Keep in mind that you cannot clone a clone card.
^NEW Clairvoyance: See where in the deck a player puts the Exploding Kitten cards. Playable anytime and by dead players, too.
^NEW Dig Deeper: Lets you draw the top card from the deck, decide whether you want to keep it or pull the next one and put the previous one back. End your turn right after.
^NEW Feed the Dead: All other living players that have cards must give a card of their choice to a dead player you have chosen. The card cannot be played if there are no dead players, but it is playable anytime and by dead players, too.
^NEW Grave Robber: You can’t play this one if there are no dead players. All dead players who have cards must shuffle a card of their preference into the deck.
Cat cards: These cards work in matching pairs and let you steal a random card from any living player.

The special combos in Exploding Kittens apply here, too, meaning that for every pair of cards with the same title, you can steal a random card, while for 3 matching pairs, you name a player and a card, and if the player has it, they must give it to you. As in the simple combos, you cannot target dead players.

Gameplay

Firstly, remove all the Exploding Kitten and Zombie Kitten cards from the deck and then deal a Zombie Kitten card to each player. You then put the rest zombies in the deck and deal 7 more cards for a total of 8 cards. You now put back in the deck that many exploding kittens as the number of players minus 1. That way, all players but one go boom! Depending on the number of players, the number of deck cards varies from 24 to 61, all explained in the rule sheet of the game.

You can choose to die and pretend that you don’t have a zombie feline to save you, so that your opponents are confused, then rise from the dead with the help of another player and win the game – true story. This is also kinda hinted as a strategy, because it lets you save up cards until the final rounds of the game. But be careful, though, because you don’t know if and when you’ll be back into the game and how much fun you are going to miss.

Dead players don’t discard their hand. They keep it and also put the Exploding Kitten that killed them face up in front of them. While dead, there are a few cards you can use to interact with other players. The same goes for the in-game players, who can use cards that affect you. Another major difference is that this version’s protection card is the Zombie Kitten, which protects you while also bringing a dead player back to life. When doing so, you don’t only put back in the deck your Exploding Kitten, but also the one that killed the revived player.

Final Thoughts

I believe that Zombie Kittens is a strong pick for any game night, travelling, or even family tables. I definitely recommend it for everyone who wants a humorous and chaotic game. It successfully earned a spot in my top 10 games.  #NicoleRecommends ? Of course, I do! Is it on your list? Have you tried it yet?

Stay crafty and become an undead play more games,
Your new favourite author.

^{P.S. No kittens were harmed during the making of this review.}

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