Comparison

Exploding Kittens® 2 vs Gambonanza

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

Head to head
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!

About

Gambonanza

Experience a unique turn-based chess roguelike with a twist. Master tactical combos, invest winnings, and discover rule-bending abilities on a dynamic board. Face challenging bosses and explore endless strategic possibilities.

Highlights
  • Snackable, high-impact runs
  • 150+ rule-bending Gambits
  • Dynamic reserve system
  • Strategic board upgrades
  • Epic boss battles
  • Retro aesthetic and quirky ambiance
  • Mini-games for power boosts
Features
Read full description

Gambonanza is a turn-based chess roguelike set on a tiny board with huge stakes. Master tactical twists, invest your winnings, and discover rule-bending Gambits plus wild tile and piece combinations. Face off against challenging bosses and get lost in all the ways you can break traditional chess! But be careful, if you waste too many moves the board will crumble around you… FEATURES • Snackable, high-impact runs Play fast, punchy chess battles on smaller starting boards where every decision counts. • 150+ rule-bending Gambits Combine your chess pieces with Gambits to unlock devastating combos and strategic surprises. • Dynamic reserve system Store extra pieces off-board and deploy them at the perfect moment to swing the game. • Strategic board upgrades Enhance your chessboard with golden squares, blessing tiles, protective surfaces, and more! • Fight epic boss battles Take on big encounters that reward smart builds and punish strategic mistakes. • Retro aesthetic and quirky ambiance Immerse yourself in vibrant pixel art and the playful excitement of a fairground. • Mini-games for power boosts Test your luck and skill in challenges inspired by pachinko, slot machines, and Gachapon. WHY PLAY GAMBONANZA? Gambonanza takes the tactical clarity of chess and turns it into a roguelike playground: stack Gambits, sculpt the board, manage your reserves, and discover ridiculous combos that “shouldn’t work”… until they do. If you love smart strategy, replayable runs, and the thrill of breaking the rules (legally), this one’s for you. JOIN THE CHESS REVOLUTION! Download Gambonanza and start rewriting chess. ABOUT THE TEAM Gambonanza is developed by Blukulélé and published by Sidekick Publishing and Stray Fawn Publishing. Mobile Port by Ateo

Screenshots

Exploding Kittens® 24 screens
Gambonanza4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gambonanza at none against Exploding Kittens® 2's 20. Gambonanza also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 60%) and chart position (#3 vs #10). Exploding Kittens® 2's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $5.99). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99 and Gambonanza $5.99 up front. Exploding Kittens® 2 sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Gambonanza asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Exploding Kittens® 2 against 4.9 for Gambonanza. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.7K and 2.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Exploding Kittens® 2's written reviews are positive against 77% of Gambonanza's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Exploding Kittens® 2 ships an update every 2 weeks, Gambonanza every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Exploding Kittens® 2 versus Gambonanza: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExploding Kittens® 2Gambonanza
Price$4.99 — better$5.99
Rating4.8 (3.7K ratings)4.9 (2.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.6% of reviews76.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.7K — better2.8K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#10#3 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size443 MB169 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperMarmalade Game Studio LimitedStray Fawn Studio

Customer experience

Exploding Kittens® 2

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

Gambonanza

All ratings2,761 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews200 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral11.0%
Negative12.5%

Bugs and requests

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

Gambonanza

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

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
None

Gambonanza

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Exploding Kittens® 2 free?
Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Gambonanza free?
Gambonanza costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Gambonanza?
Gambonanza is rated higher. Exploding Kittens® 2 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Gambonanza averages 4.9 from 2.8K ratings.
Do Exploding Kittens® 2 or Gambonanza have ads?
Neither Exploding Kittens® 2 nor Gambonanza shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Gambonanza?
Exploding Kittens® 2 ships an update every 2 weeks, and Gambonanza every 3 weeks. Most recently, Exploding Kittens® 2 was updated on October 1, 2026 and Gambonanza on September 30, 2026.
Which is more popular, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Gambonanza?
Exploding Kittens® 2 currently peaks at #10 in the App Store charts, and Gambonanza at #3. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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