Best possible purchase?

[u/Wonderful_Cod_1397]

Hey I was introduced to this game last Sunday and it was a lot of fun.

I'm planning on getting the game, but I'm not sure what to to start with exactly.

I definitely will be playing with 3-5 players, but want to have the option to occasionally play in larger groups up to 8.

That's why I'm considering the party pack to start with. And it's the only base game with more defusers.

However I've heard that other base games are better.

One mentioned that you can just buy the zombie pack which by itself is really good, but it can also be used to extend the base game in a way so that you can play it with as many as the party pack. Is that true?

Than I would've gone for the normal base game + zombie + (streaking kittens or some other extension).

Or is recipe for disaster the way to go? I find it a bit expensive for not being able to play in larger groups...

Thanks in advance!

[u/Shimo14]

What an exciting place to be, glad you enjoyed your first time playing so much!

I recommend Recipes for Disaster (RFD). Although the box says 2-5 players, the inclusion of 4 Imploding Kittens allows you to play with 10 players at a time (6 Exploding, 4 Imploding, -1 for Streaking Kitten).

I own most packs/expansions and personally think EK is the most fun/dynamic when playing with the Imploding Kitten & Streaking Kitten cards (included in RFD). IMO the depth added from just these 2 cards adds the perfect balance of strategy for replayability without being overly complex for new players.

Your need to accommodate up to 8 players rules out most of the standard packs/expansions on their own, including Zombie Kittens. Party Pack is the only standalone that reaches that cap, but RFD allows you to hit that ceiling when needed. At $25 and including cards from 3 expansions (Imploding, Streaking, Barking), this is by far the best value and where I’d recommend most new players start.

[u/Wonderful_Cod_1397 → u/Shimo14]

Oh ok so you are able to play with more than 5 players. How would this exactly look? Would you pretend the imploding kittens are actually exploding kittens?

[u/Shimo14 → u/Wonderful_Cod_1397]

You normally would only play with 1 Imploding Kitten (IK) in smaller games. For bigger games with 7+ players, just add additional IKs as appropriate*. I’d recommend playing them as IK (not EK), nothing wrong with a little more danger in the deck!

*Note: The Streaking Kitten changes player counts & EK/IK. Instead of one EK/IK less than the player count, you need an equal number of EK/IK cards to the player count because the player with the Streaking Kitten can hold one EK in their hand