Cyber Week Sale! 50% Off All Access

This 'Exploding Kittens' Card Game Is Blowing Up on Kickstarter The makers of a new card game were aiming to raise $10,000 in 30 days. They hit that goal in less than 30 minutes, and have gone on to raise more than $2.5 million.

By Carly Okyle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Exploding Kittens.com

Two days ago, two gaming gurus and an online comic genius launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new card game in the irreverent style of the popular Cards Against Humanity. The game, however, focuses on kittens. Exploding kittens.

Yes, really.*

This 'Exploding Kittens' Card Game Is Blowing Up on Kickstarter

Created by The Oatmeal's Matthew Inman, former Xbox design chief Elan Lee and former Xbox art director Shane Small, Exploding Kittens is basically Russian Roulette-meets-Uno. Surprisingly, the combination sounds insanely fun (sorry, PETA). Here's how it works: players draw a card from the deck each turn. If they draw an "exploding kitten" card, they lose. However, the deck also holds cards that allow players to peek before drawing a card or to force an opponent to draw multiple cards. There are also "diffuse" cards that offer a reprieve from a fiery kitten death via a laser pointer or a catnip sandwich, and other "cat" cards like Rainbow-ralphing Cat and Tacocat that offer advantages. Of course, for every helpful card that gets used (and is therefore no longer in the deck), there's a higher chance of drawing one of the game-ending exploding kittens.

Related: Beyond Gaming: Oculus Rift Founder's Predictions for Virtual Reality's Future

This 'Exploding Kittens' Card Game Is Blowing Up on Kickstarter

The makers of the game were aiming to raise $10,000 within 30 days. Within 30 minutes, the product was fully funded, and then some. Now, 48 hours later, donors have pledged over $2.7 million. Boom.

If that sounds too good to be true (like someone was lion or bein' a cheetah), we understand. We here at Entrepreneur had our doubts, too, so we've reached out to the folks at Kickstarter to get their thoughts on this campaign. They haven't yet responded. To be honest, we'd be very disappointed if anything shady turned up, but we'll keep you posted.

The biggest concern now seems to be if they'll be able to scale quickly enough to fill the orders. There's only one question left: when can we play?

*Not really. No animals were harmed in the making or playing of this game.

Related: Welcome to the Weird World of Mixed-Reality Gaming

Carly Okyle

Assistant Editor, Contributed Content

Carly Okyle is an assistant editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

'I Just Hustled': She Earned More Than $300,000 Wrapping Gifts Last Year — and It All Started With a Side Hustle

When Michelle Hensley lost her husband to cancer, she needed to figure out how to earn an income for her family.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Science & Technology

You Have 1 Month Left to Prepare for These 5 AI-Powered Marketing Changes — Act Now Before It's Too Late.

Big changes in 2025 will redefine marketing as AI evolves rapidly, offering growth opportunities but also risks. Learn how to stay ahead in this week's video, covering new search platforms and avoiding over-automation.

Growing a Business

This Breakthrough Technology is Poised to Accelerate Your Company's Growth

Discover a breakthrough technology stacked on top of generative AI, now poised to revolutionize businesses across nearly every sector. Unlock unprecedented growth and profitability potential, achieving levels once thought unattainable.

Leadership

How to Master the Art of Delegation — Lessons From Andrew Carnegie's Legacy

Here's what Andrew Carnegie can teach today's entrepreneurs about leadership, teamwork and effective delegation.