For those unfamiliar with the game, Exploding Kittens is a lightning-quick strategy card game that blends irreverent humor and clever gameplay.
Featuring a dynamic duo to quintet of players, this engaging game objective is simple yet thrilling: avoid drawing the infamous “Exploding Kitten” card while becoming the last survivor standing? Gaming enthusiasts alternate in drawing cards from a deck, each card’s unique abilities allowing players to strategically manipulate the game by employing cunning defensive tactics or inflicting chaos on their rivals.
This trend is incredibly straightforward, fully immersive, and strikingly stylish. Saber Interactive brings this immersive experience to life in stunning VR form.
Recently, I had the opportunity to try out a preliminary version of the VR experience, accompanied by Henry Stockdale and a team of developers. I was once genuinely impressed by the ingenious design choices that successfully transported a classic card game into the digital realm. Saber Interactive has revamped the cardboard warrior for a seamless transition into virtual reality, remaining true to its original essence while capitalizing on VR’s unique strengths.
In Exploding Kittens VR, the traditional deck of playing cards has been reimagined as a thrilling environment featuring an assortment of colorful, gel-filled orbs, reminiscent of gumball machines dispensing nostalgic treats. Rather than relying on chance to draw a card with each flip, simply press a button on the playing field, and one of these spherical treasures will randomly dispense. Each virtual ball features a clever substitution mechanism that accurately replicates the outcomes of traditional playing cards in the original game. Not making sense? Let me clarify.
Instead of pulling a card that lets you examine the top three cards of the deck, you’ll draw a ball and receive a pair of X-ray specs. Slightly tilt your head, gently place these orbs on your skin, and the secrets within the subsequent three spheres will unfold before your very eyes in a mesmerizing display of wonder. By exercising your option to foreclose debate, you can dramatically turn the tables by slamming your gavel down, effectively vetoing any opposing move and maintaining control of the discourse. Transforming each card’s influence into a tangible action that capitalises on the unique physicality of Virtual Reality.
Players can engage in the main activity against human opponents, AI-powered bots, or a combination of both, offering a wide range of options. Diverse table options can be discovered, offering tailored gameplay experiences, such as a one-on-one duel mode or a high-intensity, rapid-fire blitz mode that caters to different player preferences.
To foster camaraderie and community engagement, Saber Interactive has developed a lively online social hub where gamers can gather and interact with one another in real-time. As the franchise’s signature zaniness fills the atmosphere, gamers can unwind and mingle while cleverly avoiding those mischievous felines through a few quirky mini-games on offer.
While the social hub offers a welcoming atmosphere for interaction, players can also earn rewards by participating in mini-games at one of the main game tables, allowing them to engage in exciting challenges and potentially accumulate valuable forex. While the prospect of indulging in mini-games without pressure may seem appealing, the reality is that the constant urge to return to the main game could inadvertently undermine the social hub’s purpose. While the mini-games are endearing, their lack of depth renders them unworthy of significant investment, ultimately leaving the central hub feeling somewhat deflated in their absence.
If you’re a fan of the distinctive card game, you’ll discover plenty to excite you. With its debut, Exploding Kittens VR offers the possibility of reinvigorating the same exuberance that propelled the original card game’s popularity, effectively introducing this beloved franchise to an entirely fresh audience.
The highly anticipated virtual reality experience, Exploding Kittens VR, is set to launch exclusively on Oculus Quest this fall, bringing the beloved card game to life in immersive 3D.
