Horrible Therapist

Game nights are not just for children and families, adults can enjoy them too. If you’re looking for a more grown up (or childish adult) game that brings laughter, strategy, and a touch of risqué chaos to your game nights, Horrible Therapist, from Exploding Kittens, is a fantastic choice for an adults only game night. Horrible Therapist adds a new layer of hilarity and unpredictability to your gaming experience with a card game where players become therapists whose treatment options are unpleasant but hilarious – everyone’s a comedian!

Exploding Kittens Horrible Therapist is a hilarious card game for 3-8 players. Due to the explicit content featured on the cards it is only suitable for players age 17+, perfect for an adults only game night. It is a game that is quick to learn and easy to play with a playing time of around 15 minutes, making it perfect for parties and gatherings. The objective is simple: try to give the funniest treatment to the question and answer comic panel cards – at least the treatment you think that the therapist will find the funniest anyway.

In the box:

  • 70 Question Cards
  • 135 Answer Cards 
  • 175 Treatment Cards
  • Plus, one instruction manual that you will probably skim. 

Horrible Therapist is a card game where you make very unpleasant (and hilarious) 3 part comics. Players take it in turns to be a “therapist”. The lay down a question card – for example, “Why’d you get banned from TikTok?”, followed by an answer card – “I stuck my penis in something weird” and the other players have to give the “therapist” their funniest treatment card – “Are you going to put in on your OnlyFans?” or “Direct it toward my mouth next time”. The “therapist” then decides which card is the funniest and that player wins the point. The first player to win 3 points is the winner.

Horrible Therapist

The game is very easy to set up (there are simple instructions included in the box or you can watch the tutorial video on the Exploding Kittens website here), it is quick and easy to learn while being simple to play. The rules are straightforward, making it easy for new players to jump in and start playing.

To setup, take the question, answer and treatment cards out of the box (they are in their own compartments in the box). Shuffle each deck of cards and place them facedown in the middle of the table. Each player takes 5 Treatment cards from the deck (they must always have 5 cards in their hand).

To play, one player becomes the “therapist”, changing with each round. The therapist in play cannot get involved in playing a treatment card so they put their cards aside for the time being. The therapist flips over the top card from the question deck and places it face up on the table for all players to see. Then they draw 3 cards from the answer deck without letting the other players see them and pick the answer they like best and works well with the question, placing it face up on the table next to the question card – the 2 remaining answer cards are put into the box as they are now out of play. With the first 2 parts of the comic made the other players examine their treatment cards, picking the best and funniest treatment to the question and answer cards – they pass the card, face down to the therapist who then shuffles them so they don’t know who has given what card. The therapist then reads out loud the treatment cards as they place then face up on the table and chooses the one that they think is the funniest. The player whose treatment card was deemed the funniest to complete the trio of comic cards wins that round and places that treatment card face down in front of them. The first player to win 3 treatment cards is the winner of the game.  

Overall, Horrible Therapist is a hilarious and simple game to play. It is a game that is definitely not for the kids and certainly not safe for work (NSFW) due to the themes, humour and some of the quirky artwork from The Oatmeal.

The gameplay is fast-paced, taking around 15 minutes. This makes it ideal for multiple rounds in one game night, keeping the energy high and the laughter constant.

The artwork on the cards featuring the signature quirky and humorous style by The Oatmeal is excellent. While it is all drawn in comic form and a lot is the same (the question cards are all the same image), occasionally the answer and treatment cards throw up a new fun image, some in full colour and they are just as humorous as the game itself. The artwork definitely adds a bit more fun and will bring out smiles on the faces of the players.

The combination of questions, answers and treatment cards add a layer of humour and unpredictability, making each game unique, entertaining and different each time you play.

The game is based on the luck of the draw as players can only play the treatment cards in their hand and may not always be the funniest or even an answer that works well with the question, and as the funniest treatment is decided by the therapist in play at the time there is no real strategy that you can use.

Exploding Kittens Horrible Therapist will make a fantastic fun addition to any adults only game night. Its combination of humour, fast-paced gameplay, and quirky artwork makes it a hit with players looking for a light-hearted, fun and entertaining game. While it may not be suitable for younger audiences or those seeking a deeply strategic game, its overall fun factor and replayability make it a worthwhile investment for your game collection.

I have the older version of the game, there is a newer version available – the Extra Horrible edition which has slightly more questions, answers and treatment cards.

I think that Horrible Therapist is a fun game for adults with a sense of humour. Some of the combinations can indeed be unpleasant, rude and crude so won’t be for everyone, but it that’s your thing then you will love this game.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £25

For more information or to buy, visit www.explodingkittens.com. Also available to buy from Amazon here.

5 stars

DISCLOSURE: We received this product for free for the purpose of writing an honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which we may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the Amazon link.

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