Estimate the chance of hitting an Exploding Kitten, whether your Defuse cards cover it, and how known safe cards change the draw window.
| Draw Pile | Live Kittens | Forced Draws | Chance of Any Kitten |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 cards | 2 kittens | 1 draw | 5.7% |
| 25 cards | 2 kittens | 2 draws | 15.7% |
| 15 cards | 3 kittens | 2 draws | 37.1% |
| 8 cards | 2 kittens | 3 draws | 64.3% |
| Known Information | How to Enter It | Risk Impact | Example Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| One safe card first | Known safe cards = 1 | First draw safe | See the Future top card is safe |
| Three safe cards first | Known safe cards = 3 | Up to 3 draws safe | Full peek confirms no kitten |
| Known kitten second | Known kittens in path = 1 | Consumes one Defuse | Altered Future puts kitten inside draw count |
| Unknown after safe stack | Safe cards reduce unknown draws | Probability uses smaller window | Attack turn after two safe cards |
| Defuse in Hand | Kittens Drawn | Outcome | Calculator Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Defuse | 1 or more | Not covered | Survival equals no-kitten chance |
| 1 Defuse | 1 kitten | Covered | Survive if no second kitten appears |
| 2 Defuse | 1-2 kittens | Covered | Only 3+ kittens beat coverage |
| Any Defuse | Known kitten first | Spent early | Cushion drops before unknown odds |
| Scenario | Watch Closely | Best Input | Result to Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal turn | Deck size and kittens | Draws = 1 | Hit at least one kitten |
| Attack turn | Total forced draws | Draws = 2 or more | Survival odds |
| Peeked cards | Known safe stack | Known safe = visible safe | Unknown draw count |
| Endgame | Defuse cushion | Current hand Defuse | Covered kitten count |
Exploding Kittens is a game that creates tension when players draw card from the deck, and the tension that exists during these draws is a result of the fact that the game hides the location of the kittens from the players who draw cards from the deck. Each time that a player draw from the deck, they must consider the chance that their drawn card is an Exploding Kitten. While the draw from the deck may appear to be a random event, players who understands the information that relates to the chance of drawing a kitten can calculate the draw from the deck.
One of the variables in the calculation of the chance of drawing an Exploding Kitten is the size of the deck. The size of the deck can change the density of the kittens that are within that deck. With a large deck, the kittens are diluted throughout the deck.
With a small deck, however, the kittens that is within that deck are concentrated. This concentration of kittens can be understood as each card that is removed from the deck increases the importance of the remaining cards within that deck. This calculation can be performed with the calculator provided on this page, which allows players to enter the size of the current deck and the number of kittens within the deck.
Another variable that can impact the chance of surviving a draw is the number of Defuse cards that a player has within their hand. While Defuse cards do not prevent a player from drawing an Exploding Kitten, the Defuse cards can absorb the impact of anExploding Kitten that is drawn. One Defuse card can absorb one Exploding Kitten, and two Defuse cards can absorb two Exploding Kittens.
With zero Defuse cards in a player hand, any drawn Exploding Kitten will end that player’s turn. The calculator separates the chance of drawing an Exploding Kitten from the chance of surviving drawing one; the chance of drawing an Exploding Kitten indicates the likelihood of a bad event occurring for the player, while the chance of surviving theExploding Kitten indicates if the player has the means to absorb that bad event. Certain cards, such as Attack cards, alter the number of draws that the player must perform.
Attack cards do not simply allow the player to pass the turn to the next player, but require that the next player draw an additional card from the deck. With an increased number of draws for a player, the chance of drawing an Exploding Kitten increases for that player. The calculator accounts for the number of draws that a player is to perform, calculating the chance of drawing an Exploding Kitten across all draws required of that player.
The information that a player has obtained during the game also changes the chance of drawing an Exploding Kitten. If a player has used a See the Future card, for instance, the player knows that the top three cards of the deck are safe; the player will not draw these three cards. If a player has used an Alter the Future card to place an Exploding Kitten into the draw deck, a Defuse card will absorb the Exploding Kitten if drawn.
These two types of known cards can be entered into the calculator for the player to determine the impact that they will have upon the unknown portion of the deck. When the size of the deck is small, eachExploding Kitten within that deck has a more higher chance of being drawn than if the size of the deck were larger. Small decks also make it more important for players to manage their Defuse cards; players cant gain additional Defuse cards during the same turn on which they use a Defuse card.
Many players of Exploding Kittens make mistakes in calculating the chance of drawing an Exploding Kitten due to their unawareness of the changeable state of the deck. Each card that is discarded from the deck is no longer a part of the calculation of the chance of drawing an Exploding Kitten. EachExploding Kitten that is drawn from the deck is no longer a part of the calculation of the chance of drawing anExploding Kitten.
The only number that matters to a player is the number ofExploding Kittens that remains within the remaining portion of the deck. The reference table that is included within this page indicates the change in chance of drawing anExploding Kitten based off changes in the size of the deck, the number ofExploding Kittens within the deck, and the number of cards that is drawn from the deck. While this reference table should not be used to make a decision about what draw to perform, the table does provide players with an understanding of how small changes to one variable can create large changes in the outcome of drawing from the deck.
Furthermore, this calculator can help players to understand, prior to performing a draw from the deck, whether their situation with theExploding Kittens game is stable or whether it is in a dangerous state. Some of the common mistakes that occur amongExploding Kittens players are based upon the unawareness of the changeable state of the deck. For instance, some players may account for the number ofExploding Kittens within the deck, but fail to account for the number of known safe cards; other players may account for the number of Defuse cards within their hand, but fail to recognize that playing an Attack card increases the chance of encountering anExploding Kitten due to the increased number of draws.
The calculator accounts for these elements. TheExploding Kitten calculator can be of use to players who are making a decision between two different actions. For instance, the player can use the calculator to determine the chance of drawing anExploding Kitten if the player chooses to draw a card now, versus if they choose to draw a card later in the game.
Additionally, the player can use the calculator to determine whether it is worth spending a card to reveal the future. While the calculator will not make the decision for the player, the calculator will remove the uncertainty that players often feel when making such a decision. Exploding Kittens can be a game that is played with a variety of measurable inputs into the game.
By tracking the size of the deck, the number of liveExploding Kittens, the number ofDefuse cards that remain in a players hand, and the number of known cards, a player can reduce the uncertainty that surrounds the players’ actions within theExploding Kittens game. While theExploding Kittens game may still have surprises for the players, those surprises will occur against a background of measurement of the game variables.
