9 Lives

Bid on tricks with feline precision, balance your nine lives, and outwit your opponents in a sharp, cat-themed trick-taking card game with a clever bidding twist.

9 Lives (brought to wide release by Exploding Kittens, based on the acclaimed Japanese design by Taiki Shinzawa) elevates the classic trick-taking genre into a vibrant, highly tactical game of bidding and hand management. Moving away from standard point-salad games or luck-based party draws, this title focuses on precise hand evaluation, suit management, and dynamic trick control. The primary gameplay objective centers on exact prediction: players assess their hands, bid on exactly how many tricks they will win each round, and earn points by nailing their target before exhausting their precious pool of nine lives.

The primary mechanical hurdle stems from the innovative bidding track and card-back suit mechanics. The backs of the cards reveal their suit color to all players, giving opponents partial information about what you hold in your hand. Furthermore, when players make their trick bids, they place their marker on a shared feline scoring board where certain numbers can become blocked or contested. Winning tricks lets you reclaim played cards to manipulate your hand for future tricks, but overshooting or undershooting your bid costs you life tokens. Designed for 3 to 4 players aged 10 and up, a complete match plays out over a brisk and brain-burning 20 to 30 minutes. To reign supreme, you must read the table's card backs, manage trick tempo, and protect your nine lives across multiple tense rounds.

Game Specs at a Glance:
Age Range: 10+ Years
Publisher: Exploding Kittens
Play Time: 20-30 Minutes
Player Count: 3-4 Players
Complexity: Medium (Trick-Taking, Exact Bidding, Hand Management, Open Information Elements)

What's in the Box?

• Deck of Illustrated Numbered Cards
• 1 Central Bidding and Scoring Board
• Wooden Cat Pawns / Bidding Markers
• Life / Point Tokens
• 1 Illustrated Rulebook