Exploding Kittens: Elan Lee. How cat-themed Russian Roulette changed game night forever

<p><em>Exploding Kittens</em> began as a jerry-rigged version of Russian Roulette — a deck of cards hastily modified with a Sharpie. But what happened next is one of the most improbable success stories in the creator economy: a $10,000 Kickstarter goal that ballooned into nearly <strong>$9 million</strong>, a community that rewrote the rules of crowdfunding, and a company that has now sold <strong>over 60 million card and board games</strong>.</p><p>Co-founder Elan Lee shares the story behind Exploding Kittens — from dismantling his brother’s toys as a kid, to helping design <em>Halo</em>, to walking away from Microsoft…twice. He reveals how burnout, curiosity, and an obsession with interactive storytelling set the stage for one of the most successful game launches of all time.</p><p>This is a story about the genius behind good marketing, and how creative storytelling can build a cult-like audience — without spending millions.</p><p>If you’ve ever wondered how a strange idea becomes a ...