Can you play any pair as a combo in Exploding Kittens, or only Cat Cards?
Any pair. The Special Combos rules say any two cards with the same title work like a pair of Cat Cards: you steal a random card from another player. You ignore what the cards normally do when you play them as a combo.
The rule:
In Exploding Kittens, any two cards with the same title can be played as a pair, not just Cat Cards: the pair lets you steal a random card from another player, and you ignore what the cards normally do.
How a pair works:
- Play 2 cards with the same title.
- Choose another player.
- Take a random card from their hand.
Same title means same title: two different Cat Cards don’t make a pair. You need two of the same kind.
Ignore the card text: two Attacks played as a pair don’t give anyone extra turns, and two Skips don’t end your turn. The pair only steals.
It can be Noped: a Nope works on Special Combos like any other action.
New players: the sheet suggests reading the Special Combos after your first game, so this rule is easy to miss.
Example:
Lena holds two See the Future cards. Instead of peeking at the deck, she plays them together as a pair and takes a random card from Omar's hand.
Why players argue about it:
The Cat Cards entry only mentions Cat Cards, so many players assume pairs are Cat-only. The Special Combos panel right beside it extends pairs to any matching titles.