Netflix is joining hands with the makers of Exploding Kittens — the silly card game — for a game and TV series based on the title. Exploding Kittens – The Game, already available on Android and iOS, is set to launch in May on the Netflix app, while the TV series is expected to drop in 2023. The streaming giant forayed into gaming in mid-2021 and has been trying to expand its foothold in the gaming industry ever since. Matthew Inman, who made the popular comic The Oatmeal, will serve as showrunner while Inman and Elan Lee, the game’s creators, will also serve as the executive producers for the series.
While a version of the Exploding Kittens game is already available on App Store and Google Play, Netflix is bringing two new exclusive cards to Exploding Kittens – The Game: Radar, which reveals to players the position of the Exploding Kitten closest to the top of the card deck, and Flip Flop, which reverses the order of the cards in the deck. On the Netflix app, Exploding Kittens – The Game will retain the same classic gameplay where players draw cards aiming to avoid the Exploding Kitten.
The version of the game that is currently available on App Store and Google Play will reportedly remain even after the Netflix version launches.
The Exploding Kittens TV series will be an adult animated comedy show where the eternal conflict between heaven and hell reaches its heights when both God and the Devil are sent to Earth — in the bodies of chunky house cats. The series, which is expected to launch in 2023, will be voiced by Tom Ellis (Lucifer), Abraham Lim (The Boys), Lucy Liu (Elementary), Ally Maki (Toy Story 4), Mark Proksch (What We Do In The Shadows), and Sasheer Zamata (Woke).
“Netflix is the only service that could bring Exploding Kittens to life in both a series and a game,” said Inman. “We actually launched Exploding Kittens on Kickstarter as a weekend project, but our community has been the heart and soul of the company over the past six years. The new series and game will give our fans new ways to connect and interact with the franchise.”
Shane Kosakowski and Inman will serve as the showrunners of Exploding Kittens. The executive producers of the series are Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, Dustin Davis, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping along with the creators of the Exploding Kittens franchise Lee and Inman.
Netflix began its foray into gaming in July 2021. Ever since, the platform has offered numerous titles including Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Shooting Hoops, Card Blast, Teeter Up, Asphalt Xtreme, and Bowling Ballers.