In Exploding Kittens, an ordinary turn ends when you draw, or when a card specifically ends it without a draw. Attack, Skip and Nope change different parts of that sequence. Keep a count of turns still owed whenever Attacks stack.
Attack: pass two turns to the next player
Playing an ordinary Attack ends your current turn without drawing. The next player must then take two turns in succession, completing the first before the second begins. Cards played during an owed turn can change what happens next.
How stacked Attacks are counted
| What the attacked player does | Turns the next victim owes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Plays another Attack immediately | 4 | Transfers both untaken turns and adds 2. |
| Completes one turn, then plays Attack on the second | 3 | Transfers the remaining current turn and adds 2. |
This is the publisher’s current field-guide calculation for a standard Attack. If your box includes a different Attack type, follow that card’s wording and the edition’s rules.
Skip: one owed turn, not the whole Attack
A normal Skip ends the current turn without a draw. Under a two-turn Attack, one Skip leaves one turn still to take. Two separate Skips can end both. Super Skip, when included in an expansion or another edition, has different text: it ends all turns you are supposed to take. Check which card is actually in your box.
Example: A attacks B. B plays Skip on the first of two owed turns. B still takes the second turn; they may play cards and then draw to finish it, or use another legal card that ends or transfers it. Passing after the first Skip would be premature.
Nope: cancel before the action begins
A Nope stops most actions as though the targeted card did not happen. You may play it before the action begins even outside your own turn. It cannot stop an Exploding Kitten or Defuse. A Nope played on a Nope negates that cancellation, restoring the targeted action; a further Nope can reverse it again.
Example: A declares Attack and B Nopes it before it takes effect. The Attack card is discarded, A has not ended their turn with that Attack, and B does not owe the two turns. A must still finish their own turn normally. If another player Nopes B’s Nope in time, the Attack proceeds. A Nope cannot be used after the action has already resolved to rewind the turn count.
Favor and a quick card comparison
Favor makes another player give you one card from their hand, but they choose the card. Favor does not by itself end your turn. The table separates actions that are often confused:
| Card | Does it end your current turn without drawing? | Effect on owed turns |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | Yes | Transfers current and remaining untaken turns, then adds two for its victim. |
| Skip | Yes | Ends only the current turn. |
| Nope | No, unless another rule changes the turn | Cancels the targeted action if played in time. |
| Favor | No | Another player chooses one card to give you. |
Use the publisher’s Comprehensive Field Guide for exact card text in your edition, especially when expansions add Super Skip or other Attack variants.
Related guides
Base-card examples checked October 2026 against the publisher’s current field guide.