Exploding Kittens® 2 vs Payback Arcade
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Customizable avatars
- Emoji reactions
- Multiple game modes
- Animated cards
- Online multiplayer
- AI opponent
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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!
Payback Arcade
Experience a competitive card game of insults and comebacks digitally. Practice solo to master the game, then challenge others online and climb the leaderboards to prove your punchline prowess. Enjoy fast-paced card battles optimized for mobile devices.
- Digital card game adaptation
- Solo practice mode
- Online multiplayer matches
- Leaderboards
- Optimized for phone and iPad
- Save profile and progress with Apple ID
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Payback is the fast, chaotic card game where anyone can make a comeback. Be the first to get rid of all your cards. Payback Arcade is the official app of the Payback party card game, with over 15,000 decks delivered in 50+ countries. Learn it in two minutes with the built-in guided tutorial, then play solo against CPU opponents or online against real players. LEARN AS YOU PLAY • A guided tutorial deals you a real game and walks you through it step by step: who goes first, special cards, Fast Draw and the face-down flips. • Tips stay on in your first games, and you can switch table and card help off in Settings. HOW TO PLAY • Play a card equal to or higher than the pile. Play pairs and triples to empty your hand faster. • Can't play? Pick up the pile, or take a chance and flip the top card of the deck. • Four of the same card in a row burns the pile, and you go again. • Clear your hand, then your face-up cards, then your face-down cards. The last three are pure blind luck. SPECIAL CARDS • Burn: destroy the pile and play again. • Ghost: pass your turn without changing the pile. • Skip: skip the next player. • Reset: drop the pile back to zero. • Mirror: send the pile back to whoever acted last. PLAY SOLO • Classic: you against three CPU players. • Duel: go one-on-one with Uncle Ronnie. • Nightmare: face tougher CPU players for bigger points. • Helpful tips in your first games teach you the rules as you play. PLAY ONLINE • Classic: the full Payback experience against real players. • Duel: prove your skill head to head. • Explosive: three matching cards in a row burn the pile. • Bullet: lightning-fast turns for quick games. • Rooms: create a room for any mode, invite friends with its code. If a player drops out, a Substitute keeps their seat until they, or a friend with the code, take it back. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Earn a grade from D to S+ after every game. • Rank up from Bronze to Silver, Gold, Platinum, Master, and Champion. • Compare games played and win rates with the top players. Browse every card in the deck, including previews of the Dark Wizard and Mystery expansions. Want to play in person? Get the physical Payback card game from the official shop. Free to play. Solo games need no account. Online play needs an account: sign in with Apple or create one.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Payback Arcade at Free against Exploding Kittens® 2's $4.99. Payback Arcade also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 59%) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). Exploding Kittens® 2's advantage is ratings volume (4K vs 4) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Payback Arcade is free to download; Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99 up front. Exploding Kittens® 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Payback Arcade asks for nothing beyond the download.
Payback Arcade holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exploding Kittens® 2 has 4K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Exploding Kittens® 2's written reviews are positive against 100% of Payback Arcade's.
Exploding Kittens® 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, Payback Arcade weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Exploding Kittens® 2 | Payback Arcade |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (4K ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #9 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 446 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marmalade Game Studio Limited | Great Guy Games, LLC |
Customer experience
Exploding Kittens® 2
Payback Arcade
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
Payback Arcade
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Exploding Kittens® 2
- Mystic Mayhem Card Back$0.99
- MysticMayhem Cauldron Creature$1.99
- Sea Rat Outfit$1.99
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- Slice of Heaven Outfit$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
Payback Arcade
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Exploding Kittens® 2 free?
Is Payback Arcade free?
Which has better reviews, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Payback Arcade?
Do Exploding Kittens® 2 or Payback Arcade have ads?
Which is updated more often, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Payback Arcade?
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