[[File:Exploding Kittens game play test 01.JPG|thumb|right]]
All cards are put into a deck, except for the Defuse and Exploding Kitten cards. The deck is shuffled and each player draws four cards and takes a Defuse card (but in the newer version with extension packs you each draw seven cards and a Defuse card). The Exploding Kitten cards are then shuffled back into the deck so that the number of Exploding Kitten cards in the deck is one less than the number of players. The remaining Defuse cards are then also put back in the deck. A turn order is decided upon any trivial condition.
Each player may then play as many cards from their hand as they like on their turn, or choose not to do so, before drawing a card. Players are not to tell any other player what cards are in their hand. Played cards are put into a discard pile.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
