How to Play Zombie Kittens
The fast, strategic card game where exploding is not the end. Learn the rules in minutes, master the strategy over many games.
Game Overview
2–5
Players (up to 9 combined)
~15
Minutes play time
7+
Recommended age
1
Living player wins
Key Twist: Dead players keep their cards and can still affect the game. Only one living player wins — but everyone stays involved until the end.
Setup (Standard Game)
- 1Give each player 1 Zombie Kitten card.
- 2Shuffle the remaining cards and deal 7 cards to each player. Each player starts with 8 cards total.
- 3Insert Exploding Kittens into the deck — one fewer than the number of players.
- 4Shuffle the deck and place it face down in the centre. This is the Draw Pile.
- 5Choose a starting player and begin play.
Taking a Turn
On a turn, a player may:
- Play as many Action Cards as desired, then
- Draw one card from the Draw Pile to end the turn.
Warning: If an Exploding Kitten is drawn and no Zombie Kitten is played, the player explodes.
Exploding and Being Dead
- 💀A player who explodes becomes Dead.
- 💣The Exploding Kitten that caused the explosion is placed face up in front of that player.
- 🃏Dead players keep all remaining cards in their hand.
- ♾️There is no limit to how many times a player can die.
- ⏭️Dead players do not take turns, but they are not out of the game.
Playing While Dead
Dead players:
- Can play NOPE cards at any time.
- Can play any card marked NOW, even when it is not their turn.
- Cannot be targeted by cards that steal, unless a card explicitly says so.
Dead players remain part of the strategy and can strongly influence the outcome.
Coming Back to Life (Zombie Kitten)
When a player plays a Zombie Kitten:
- The Zombie Kitten is discarded.
- A Dead player is chosen to return to life.
- The Exploding Kitten cards in front of both players are secretly placed back into the Draw Pile.
- The resurrected player becomes Living again and resumes normal turns.
Strategy Tip: Choosing who to resurrect is a key strategic decision.
Winning the Game
- 🏆Only Living players can win.
- ⏳The game continues until all but one player remain Dead.
- 👑The final living player wins.
2-Player Mode (With Carl the Undead Kitty)
Zombie Kittens includes a special 2-player mode using Carl, a ghostly third player represented by the game box.
How Carl Works
- •Carl sits between the two human players.
- •Carl does not have a hand — only a face-up Zombie Kitten.
- •On Carl's turn, the top card of the deck is revealed:
- If it is not an Exploding Kitten, it goes to the bottom of the deck.
- If it is an Exploding Kitten, Carl uses his Zombie Kitten and resurrects a Dead player.
Warning: If both human players die and Carl remains, Carl wins!
Zombie Apocalypse Mode (Up to 9 Players)
Zombie Kittens can be combined with any Exploding Kittens base game to create Zombie Apocalypse Mode.
- Mix both decks into a single game.
- Use Zombie Kittens and Defuses together based on player count.
- Remove excess cards to keep the game fast.
- Supports 2–9 players.
This mode increases chaos, strategy, and replayability.
Playing With Other Expansions
Zombie Kittens is compatible with other Exploding Kittens expansions, including:
- •Barking Kittens
- •Imploding Kittens
- •Additional expansion cards
Special rules apply when certain cards are used while Dead, ensuring balance and fairness.
Download Official Rules (PDF)
Zombie Kittens is designed to be learned in minutes and mastered over many games. The rules are simple, but the interactions between Living and Dead players create constant tension and unpredictable outcomes.
Buy Zombie Kittens on Amazon UK