Comparison

Root Board Game vs Exploding Kittens® 2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Root Board Game

Experience a digital adaptation of a popular tabletop board game. Engage in strategic woodland warfare as 2 to 4 players vie for control of a vast wilderness, leading diverse factions to victory.

Highlights
  • Digital board game adaptation
  • Adventure and war gameplay
  • 2-4 player battles
  • Faction control mechanics
  • Wilderness exploration
Features
Read full description

Play the digital adaptation of the beloved tabletop board game. Root is a game of adventure and war where 2 to 4 players battle for control of a vast wilderness. The nefarious Marquise de Cat has seized the great woodland, intent on harvesting its riches. Under her rule, the many creatures of the forest have banded together. This Alliance will seek to strengthen its resources and subvert the rule of Cats. In this effort, the Alliance may enlist the help of the wandering Vagabonds who are able to move through the more dangerous woodland paths. Though some may sympathize with the Alliance’s hopes and dreams, these wanderers are old enough to remember the great birds of prey who once controlled the woods. Meanwhile, at the edge of the region, the proud, squabbling Eyrie have found a new commander who they hope will lead their faction to resume their ancient birthright. The stage is set for a contest that will decide the fate of the great woodland. It is up to the players to decide which group will ultimately take root.

About

Exploding Kittens® 2

Experience the chaotic fun of a popular card game with friends. This digital version features customizable avatars, animated cards, and new ways to play, including the highly requested "Nope" card. Engage in quick rounds of strategy and luck to be the last player standing.

Highlights
  • Customizable avatars
  • Emoji reactions
  • Multiple game modes
  • Animated cards
  • Online multiplayer
  • AI opponent
Features
Read full description

The ultimate card game with friends is back with a bang, people! EXPLODING KITTENS® 2 has it all – customisable avatars, emojis, oodles of game modes and cards full of quirky humour and animations sleeker than an oiled kitty with catnip-fuelled zoomies! Plus, the official EXPLODING KITTENS® 2 game brings the most-requested mechanic of all…the Nope card! Stuff a glorious Nope Sandwich right into the horrified faces of your friends – with extra Nopesauce, of course. HOW TO PLAY EXPLODING KITTENS® 2 1. Download the EXPLODING KITTENS® 2 online game. 2. Optional: Get your friends to download it too. 3. Each player plays as many cards as they like on their turn OR passes! 4. The player then draws a card to end their turn. If it’s an EXPLODING KITTEN, they’re out (unless they have a handy Defuse card). 5. Keep going until only one player is left standing! FEATURES - CUSTOMISE YOUR AVATARS – Dress your avatar up in the season’s hottest outfits (cat hair not included) - REACT TO GAMEPLAY – Personalise your emoji sets to ensure your trash talk has a razor-sharp edge. - MULTIPLE GAME MODES – Play alone against our expert AI or impress your mum with your sparkling social life by playing with friends online! - ANIMATED CARDS – The mayhem comes to life with awesome animations! Those Nope cards just hit different now… Steady yourself, think of calming waves and draw a card!

Screenshots

Root Board Game4 screens
Exploding Kittens® 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Exploding Kittens® 2 at $4.99 against Root Board Game's $9.99. Root Board Game's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and review sentiment (77% vs 60%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Root Board Game costs $9.99 and Exploding Kittens® 2 $4.99 up front. Root Board Game sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Exploding Kittens® 2 sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Root Board Game against 4.8 for Exploding Kittens® 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.4K and 3.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Root Board Game's written reviews are positive against 60% of Exploding Kittens® 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Root Board Game ships an update every 4 days, Exploding Kittens® 2 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Root Board Game versus Exploding Kittens® 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRoot Board GameExploding Kittens® 2
Price$9.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.9 (5.4K ratings) — better4.8 (3.7K ratings)
Positive reviews77.1% of reviews — better59.6% of reviews
Number of ratings5.4K — better3.7K
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#10#9 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size505 MB443 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperDire Wolf DigitalMarmalade Game Studio Limited

Customer experience

Root Board Game

All ratings5,424 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews393 reviews
Positive77.1%
Neutral8.4%
Negative14.5%

Exploding Kittens® 2

All ratings3,725 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews399 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral11.5%
Negative28.8%

User reviews

Root Board Game

From 5.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Faithful adaptation of the board game
  • 🎨 Charming visuals and animations
  • 🕹️ Smooth gameplay
  • 🧠 Helpful tutorials for learning the game
  • 🕹️ Great way to practice and learn the game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🕹️ AI could be improved, makes questionable decisions
  • 🕹️ Lack of undo button frustrating
  • 🕹️ Replaying opponent moves can be tedious
  • 🕹️ Animations can be slow, need option to speed up

Exploding Kittens® 2

From 3.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast-paced gameplay
  • 👍 Charming animations and visuals
  • 🤩 Engaging and fun experience
  • 🎨 Customizable skins and backgrounds

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • ⏱️ Slow animations and gameplay
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🤖 Unresponsive AI opponents

Bugs and requests

Root Board Game

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes and freezes during gameplay
  • Issues with async game notifications and state
  • Bugs with specific faction mechanics (e.g. Vagabond)

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add undo button
  • Implement option to skip/speed up opponent moves
  • Include expansion factions and maps
  • Add match history and player stats tracking
  • Improve async game notifications and stability
Show 1 more
  • Add more customization options for game setup

Exploding Kittens® 2

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Nope card not functioning properly
  • Leaderboard not updating correctly
  • Inability to leave a game after losing
  • Forced account creation for online play

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add a turn timer to prevent stalling
  • Allow custom deck creation and configuration
  • Improve online multiplayer stability and matchmaking
  • Bring back the original game's sound effects and personality

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Root Board Game

One-time6
  • The Clockwork Expansion$5.99
  • Exiles & Partisans & Vagabonds$7.99
  • The Riverfolk Expansion$9.99
Show 3 more
  • Root: The Underworld Expansion$9.99
  • Root: The Marauder Expansion$9.99
  • Hirelings & Landmarks$9.99
20 purchases

Exploding Kittens® 2

One-time20
  • Santa Claws Card Back$0.99
  • Mystic Mayhem Card Back$0.99
  • Beach Day Emoji Pack$0.99
Show 17 more
  • Beach Day Card back$0.99
  • Kitchen Chaos Emoji Pack$0.99
  • Kitchen Chaos Card Back$0.99
  • Mystic Mayhem Emoji Pack$1.99
  • MysticMayhem Cauldron Creature$1.99
  • Glenn Coco$1.99
  • Sea Rat Outfit$1.99
  • Beach Day Location$1.99
  • Slice of Heaven Outfit$1.99
  • Yucky Buddy Outfit$1.99
  • Kitchen Chaos Location$1.99
  • Santa Claws Pack$4.99
  • Mystic Mayhem Pack$5.99
  • Beach Day Pack$5.99
  • Kitchen Chaos Pack$5.99
  • Sun and Spice Bundle$7.99
  • Explosive Expansions Pass$9.99

Questions

Is Root Board Game free?
Root Board Game costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Exploding Kittens® 2 free?
Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Root Board Game or Exploding Kittens® 2?
Root Board Game is rated higher. Root Board Game averages 4.9 out of 5 from 5.4K ratings, while Exploding Kittens® 2 averages 4.8 from 3.7K ratings.
Do Root Board Game or Exploding Kittens® 2 have ads?
Neither Root Board Game nor Exploding Kittens® 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Root Board Game or Exploding Kittens® 2?
Root Board Game ships an update every 4 days, and Exploding Kittens® 2 every 2 weeks. Most recently, Root Board Game was updated on September 25, 2026 and Exploding Kittens® 2 on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Root Board Game or Exploding Kittens® 2?
Root Board Game currently peaks at #10 in the App Store charts, and Exploding Kittens® 2 at #9. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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