Zombie Kittens: The Rules

IMPORTANT!!!

Welcome to Zombie Kittens! If you've played Exploding Kittens before, you might think you know the rules, but this game is different. Prepare to become an undumb, adorable kitten.

How It Works

The goal is to avoid drawing an Exploding Kitten card. The deck contains Exploding Kittens and other cards that provide powerful tools to help you survive. Players take turns drawing cards until someone draws an Exploding Kitten. That player explodes and is out of the game (temporarily). The last player remaining wins.

Basically: If you explode, you lose. If you don't explode, you win.

Setup

1. Remove all 4 Exploding Kittens from the deck and set them aside.
2. Insert enough Exploding Kittens back into the deck so that there is 1 fewer than the number of players. Remove any extra Exploding Kittens from the game. (e.g., for a 4-player game, insert 3 Exploding Kittens).
3. Shuffle the deck and place it face down in the middle of the table to form the Draw Pile. Leave space for a Discard Pile.
4. Choose a player to go first (e.g., the most excited player, the one with the tastiest brains).

Zombie Kittens

The Zombie Kitten is a powerful card. If you draw an Exploding Kitten, you can play a Zombie Kitten to avoid dying. Place the Zombie Kitten on the Discard Pile, then secretly place the Exploding Kitten back into the Draw Pile anywhere you choose. If there are any Dead players, you must choose one to bring back to life.

Taking Your Turn

Gather your 7 cards (plus 1 Zombie Kitten if you started with one). You have two options:

• Play: Play a card by placing it face up on the Discard Pile and follow its instructions. You can play multiple cards in a turn.
• Pass: Play no cards.

After playing cards or passing, you must end your turn by drawing a card from the Draw Pile. Play proceeds clockwise.

Dying

If you draw an Exploding Kitten and do not play a Zombie Kitten (or choose not to), you are Dead. Place the Exploding Kitten face up in front of you. You can still play cards with "NOW" in the title or Nope cards on other players' turns.

Being Dead

Dead players do not take turns but can play specific cards (NOW cards, Nope cards) to affect the game.

Coming Back to Life

When a player plays a Zombie Kitten to save themselves, they must bring a Dead player back to life. They place the Exploding Kitten back into the Draw Pile and the revived player resumes taking turns.

Ending the Game

The last Living player wins. The Draw Pile will not run out because enough Exploding Kittens were inserted to eliminate all but one player.

Player Count Card Adjustments

• 2 Players: Use only cards with a Paw Print symbol (24 cards).
• 3 Players: Use only cards without a Paw Print symbol (33 cards).
• 4 or 5 Players: Use all cards.

Zombie Kitten Distribution

Remove all Zombie Kittens from the deck and give one to each player. Insert any extra Zombie Kittens back into the deck.

Field Guide: Card Explanations

Exploding Kitten (4 Cards)

Must be shown immediately. You are out unless you have a Zombie Kitten.

Zombie Kitten (2 Cards)

Play instead of dying when you draw an Exploding Kitten. Bring a Dead player back to life and secretly place the Exploding Kitten back in the Draw Pile.

Attack (2x) (2 Cards)

End your turn without drawing. Force the next player to take 2 turns. If the victim plays an Attack card, the number of turns stacks.

Nope (3 Cards)

Cancel any action except for an Exploding Kitten or Zombie Kitten. Noped cards are discarded. Can be Noped by another Nope.

Skip (1 Card)

End your turn without drawing. If used against an Attack, only ends one turn.

Super Skip (1 Card)

End your turn without drawing. Ends all turns if multiple are pending.

See the Future (3x) (2 Cards)

Privately view the top 3 cards of the Draw Pile and return them in order.

Shuffle Now (1 Card)

Shuffle the Draw Pile thoroughly. Can be played at any time.

Feed the Dead Now (0 Cards)

Choose a Dead player. All other Living players must give them one card of their choice. Can be played at any time.

Clone (1 Card)

Acts as the card beneath it. Cannot be played on another Clone or when Dead.

Dig Deeper (2 Cards)

Draw the top card. Keep it or discard it and draw the next card. Your turn ends.

Attack of the Dead (0 Cards)

End your turn without drawing. Force the next player to take turns equal to three times the number of Dead players. Cannot be played if no players are Dead.

Cat Cards (8 Cards)

Powerless alone. Pairs of matching Cat Cards allow you to steal a random card from a Living player.

Clairvoyance Now (1 Card)

Watch a player insert an Exploding Kitten into the Draw Pile. Can be played at any time.

Grave Robber (0 Cards)

All Dead players with cards must shuffle one card into the Draw Pile. Cannot be played if no players are Dead.

Favor (1 Card)

Force another player to give you one card of their choice. Cannot be played on a Dead player.

Special Combos

Two of a Kind

Playing any 2 matching cards (e.g., two Nopes) allows you to steal a random card from another player.

Three of a Kind

Playing any 3 cards with the same title allows you to name a card. If another player has it, they must give it to you.

STOP READING! GO PLAY!

For specific card questions, refer to the other side of this sheet.