Exploding Kittens - Double Feature Review: Curse You! and Rage Mode
Introduction:
Exploding kittens has always been one of my favourite push your luck games. This tried and true game has stayed around from my early days of getting into the hobby. I now have the big box Recipes For Disaster storing all my cards in a build your own deck for each game fashion, without a doubt these new stand-alone games will be stored with the rest to be used as expansions. So this double review will quickly rundown how to play the exploding kittens system. Then it will focus on what makes Curse You! and Rage Mode stand apart to assist both returning and new players alike.
How to Play:
Exploding Kittens is a game of survival. In the deck there will be exploding kittens equal to the player count minus one. On a player's turn they can play any amount of cards and then end their turn by drawing one card. If that card is an exploding kitten they are eliminated from the game and remove that exploding kitten. Every player starts with one counter measure for this, the defuse card. If the player draws an exploding kitten they can play a defuse card to place the exploding kitten anywhere into the deck (top and bottom spot included). Hence, the mind games begin. Exploding kittens is a ticking time bomb as the deck gets smaller and the chance of exploding increases. This is why the cards players use will either be used to prevent the exploding kitten being drawn by them or accelerate other players into exploding. When players have a larger hand of cards this helps hide the defuse, but can also be used for other benefits. Two of any kind of card can be used to steal any card from a player's hand, and three of a kind allows a player to name a card in another player's hand if they have it (like the defuse) they have to give you the card. Last player alive is the winner.
Iconography:
In both of these games the iconography has been improved upon. The original Exploding Kittens would be getting close to a second edition. Over the course of other editions iconography has continued to improve for example some cards have had a "Now" with a lightning bolt added to the top of the card to state this card can be played at any point out of players turn, drastically changing how some cards play. Now these editions have added an important clarity of a shield with a no symbol stating that these cards are not allowed to be noped. These tend to be the obvious cards like exploding kitten and defuse. In saying this there is always room for this ruling to grow such as the booby trap kitten in rage mode which cannot have a nope played against it.
Rage Mode:
Rage Mode is the aggressive edition of exploding kittens featuring many classics like the standard attack, nope allowing cards to be prevented, shuffle when in desperate times and alter the future.
Alter the future has been modified in this set to be a now card, meaning it can be played on other players turns.
In this edition there are five new card types, more streamlined iconography (displaying which cards cannot be nope'd) and a new physical addition in the form of the rage cat.
Cat Cards:
The art is always unique in each edition of Exploding Kittens. In particular the art of the unique cats that come in each set are my favourite. In Rage Mode the cats appear as catsicle, meteor cat, glitch cat and origami cat.
Rage Cat:
The rage cat will start with the last player. At any point on a player's turn they are able to pass the rage cat to another player and steal any card from their hand. Players cards are never safe with this rage-inducing hot potato.
New Cards:
There is a plethora of new aggressive cards added to Rage Mode. Perfect for players that enjoy high interaction.
Shared Shuffering:
Shared shuffering is great when the draw pile is running low. Starting with the left player, having the active player being last. Each player either draws one card from the top of the draw pile or can discard one card.
Reveal and Steal:
Reveal and steal lets the attacked player pick two cards to reveal the attacker will keep one and the other will go back into the player's hand.
Bad Decision:
Sometimes no decision is great. Bad decision let's the attacked player decide between having one card stolen or discarding two cards of their choice.
Reverse Attack:
Tired of the previous player, always attacking. Reverse attack allows the active player to combine the reverse and attack card. Simply they will reverse player order than attack that new player in turn order.
Booby Trap Kitten:
This is a stronger version of a streaking kitten. If another player draws this card from the opponent's hand the card is treated like an exploding kitten and only a diffuse will save the thief from their demise. Stealing will occur a lot in this game thanks to the rage cat.
Final Thoughts:
- Booby trap is one of my favourite new aggressive cards.
- Excited to combine this set with other cards like streaking kittens and targeted attack.
- Much faster play time, with aggression.
Full aggression may be my new favourite way to play exploding kittens. Rage Mode for me would be perfect for veteran players of exploding kittens. Players have already been eased into the confrontation with other sets this set turns the aggression up. The set includes five new card types which is perfect to add to any players exisiting collection, as well as a rage cat to be used at any time players want a faster paced game, there is no card addition needed to use the rage cat. I have modified the deck with other existing cards, but playing with high player interaction and higher risk and reward is my new favourite way to play Exploding Kittens and Rage Mode is a perfectly mixed deck for this carnage.
Curse You! (Light Spoilers):
Curse you is a great introductory set. The base cards contain standard Exploding Kittens cards including favour, attack/targeted attack and see the future in a fun fantasy theme.
The only new card is peek, this allows the player to gander at the very top card of the deck deciding if it should go to the bottom or the top of the deck. This is combined with a draw from the bottom in this set creating a fun double bluff.
Surprises:
To ease new players into this set, there are seven envelopes. One to open after your first, one to open last and five designed to be opened in between.
The Fairy Pug Mother will allow an envelope to be open when played adding the cards immediately into the deck (one discard pile and knew it be played) and new sticker clarifications into the rulebook.
Curse and Charm Cards:
Trying to keep the reveal of the envelopes as magical as possible, I'll keep the spoiler details light. Charms and curses are ongoing benefits or negatives respectively. They are represented by the green or purple background. As the envelopes are opened some cards will be added to affect these ongoing cards.
New Cats:
This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the fun new cats included. The cats don't change gameplay but are always fun to see. In particular this set has my new favourite cat, critical cat. Besides the new best cat there are also snail, mushroom and invisible cat.
Final Thoughts:
- Slight unlockable feeling for new players to the game, but all packs can be opened at once for veterans.
- A first for ongoing abilities.
- Not enough cards that can affect curses and charms.
Curse You! Is a great introductory set of Exploding Kittens. While still being worth adding to the collection as the ongoing cards create a new dynamic and slight variability between players. For new players this set is better than the basic game. Since it creates a fun and quick campaign immersion. At the end of the envelopes players will still be left with a dynamic new to exploding kittens in the form of ongoing positives and negatives. Curse You ! Is another great addition to the Exploding Kittens range, while being an even better starting point.
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