Which Expansion

Exploding Kittens expansions

Base game: 2–5 players15 minExploding Kittens4 expansions checked
  1. #1 overall

    Exploding Kittens: Streaking Kittens

    Buy this first

    BGG rates it 7.15 from 2,672 ratings. In a BGG thread, two players pick it as the one expansion to buy and one calls the base game close to unplayable without it.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: 15 new cards including the Streaking Kitten, which lets a player hold an Exploding Kitten in hand without exploding, plus cards to mess with the deck and other players.

    Fixes: A BGG poster says the base game feels like going through the motions without it; the new cards add choices that make play less random.

    Mini expansion2–5 playersAbout the same rules loadBest for casual groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Exploding Kittens Shop
  2. #2 overall

    Exploding Kittens: Barking Kittens

    Worth it

    BGG rates it 6.8 from 1,276 ratings. A BGG player who owns all three ranked it second behind Streaking Kittens and ahead of Imploding Kittens.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: 20 new cards including a pair of Barking Kitten cards that work like a game of chicken, plus a Cat Crown that lets you hold a secret stash of cards.

    Expansion2–5 playersAbout the same rules loadBest for casual groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Exploding Kittens Shop
  3. #3 overall

    Exploding Kittens: Imploding Kittens

    Depends on your group

    BGG rates it 6.98 from 5,641 ratings. Posters split: one finds the draw-from-bottom and Alter the Future cards game-changing, another plays without the Imploding card because it is easy to spot.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: 20 new cards, a face-up Imploding Kitten that cannot be defused, a Cone of Shame turn marker, and support for up to 6 players.

    Fixes: Raises the player cap from 5 to 6.

    Expansion2–6 playersAbout the same rules loadBest for casual groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Exploding Kittens Shop
  4. #4 overall

    Exploding Kittens: Zombie Kittens

    Depends on your group

    BGG rates the 22-card expansion version only 6.33 from 28 ratings, so little data. BGG players say it mixes into the base game or runs alone and pairs well with Recipes for Disaster.

    Needs: Works alone or can be mixed into Exploding Kittens.

    Adds: A zombie deck where dead players keep their hand, play cards to torment the living and can come back from the dead. BGG lists a 22-card expansion version.

    Fixes: Eliminated players stay in the game instead of watching.

    Standalone (mixes in)2–5 playersAbout the same rules loadBest for casual groupsPrice: Under $20
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Exploding Kittens Shop

Need the base game?

Reference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Exploding Kittens Shop

Stuck between two?

Exploding Kittens expansions: quick answers

Which Exploding Kittens expansion should I buy first?

Exploding Kittens: Streaking Kittens. BGG rates it 7.15 from 2,672 ratings. In a BGG thread, two players pick it as the one expansion to buy and one calls the base game close to unplayable without it.

Is Exploding Kittens: Streaking Kittens worth it?

Our verdict: buy this first. It adds: 15 new cards including the Streaking Kitten, which lets a player hold an Exploding Kitten in hand without exploding, plus cards to mess with the deck and other players.

Exploding Kittens: Streaking Kittens or Exploding Kittens: Barking Kittens: which first?

We’d buy Exploding Kittens: Streaking Kittens first. See the side-by-side comparison for what each adds and needs.

Other games’ expansion guides

Rankings are our editorial picks, built from the reviews linked on each expansion page. Last checked 2026-10-15.