Exploding Kittens, a leading gaming and entertainment company, has announced the launch of Kitten Games, an entirely new line of four tabletop games created for children ages 4 and up. The new titles include: I Want My Teeth Back, Hurry Up Chicken Butt, The Best Worst Ice Cream, and My Parents Might Be Martians.
The launch marks a major milestone for the globally beloved brand as its first entry into tabletop games for preschoolers, a category long overdue for a refresh. The idea for Kitten Games was born when Exploding Kittens’ CEO & Co-Creator Elan Lee became frustrated with the available games to play with his own 4-year-old daughter, Avalon.
“When we played the standard games for my daughter’s age group, she would get distracted, she wasn’t learning anything, and I was getting bored,” said Lee. “So we used paper, markers, and stickers to make games we both loved to play. Kids won’t be kids forever, so we didn’t have any time for bad games!”
The father-daughter duo designed each of the collection’s four games to be equally enjoyable for kids and parents alike. The gameplay was designed to teach kids how to be good winners and losers, and the rules often highlight separate roles for kids vs. adults to ensure both groups are challenged and entertained according to their age and ability. Each game includes instructions written for adult players, as well as simplified versions for parents to read aloud to their kids, making the learning process as seamless as possible.
“It was so fun making these games,” said Avalon, Lee’s now 5-year-old daughter. “Drawing the funny characters like earthworm and pizza ice cream was my favorite part. Now my whole family plays our games every night and I get to teach them to my friends too!”
Each of the Kitten Games’ four games feature Exploding Kittens’ signature cartoon-style characters and illustrations, playfully reimagined for a younger audience. The collection’s titles include:
I Want My Teeth Back: An introductory strategy game that’s easy to learn and play for kids but also challenging for adults. In this game, players strategically decide when to spin a wheel for an opportunity to collect the missing teeth. The first one to collect a full “mouthful” of the teeth wins.
Hurry Up Chicken Butt: Inspired by the classic game of “hot potato,” this version turns up the fun by requiring players to complete silly challenges before passing the chicken. Kids will love playing with the hilarious, chicken-shaped shaker that clucks and holds the dice.
The Best Worst Ice Cream: This simple yet strategic game features whacky ice cream flavors like pizza, eyeballs, and earthworms that get kids laughing. Based on equal parts lucky guesses and skill, both kids and adults compete evenly for the win!
My Parents Might Be Martians: A junior version of Exploding Kittens’ fan-favorite title, Poetry for Neanderthals, adults must describe a hidden word using only one-syllable clues to the kids’ team. Adults end up sounding like they’re from another planet, while kids try to interpret the adults’ clues and guess the correct words.
Each game is designed to make kids laugh and learn while keeping grown ups entertained, and the instruction manuals highlight specific developmental benefits like decision making, creativity, pattern recognition, and even family bonding. The instructions are quick and easy to learn and the play times average 10 minutes.
Kitten Games will be available to purchase at Target on July 30 and ExplodingKittens.com on August 1. Prices range from $14.99 to $19.99.