Just a few days shy of Survivor’s 47th season finale, Exploding Kittens, a well-known gaming company, unveiled an exciting collaboration: Survivor The Tribe Has Spoken. This new card-based party game, developed in partnership with Jeff Probst, the Emmy Award-winning host and producer of the show, is tailored to both die-hard fans and newcomers. It captures the essence of the reality show’s famed social strategy.
For Exploding Kittens, diving into licensed games isn’t exactly uncharted territory—they released Exploding Minions just a couple of years ago. However, the enthusiasm from co-founder and CEO Elan Lee is palpable, suggesting this is more than just a strategic business move. “Survivor has been a part of my life since its very first episode over two decades ago. It’s profoundly shaped my approach to designing games that deliver amazing experiences,” Lee explained in the press release. “While I’ve always wanted to translate the Survivor experience for a home audience, condensing a multi-week adventure into under 30 minutes was no small feat. Thanks to two years of collaboration with Jeff Probst, we’ve finally done it, packaging all the excitement, strategy, alliances, and betrayals into one sleek box.”
Drawing from the show’s rich 25-year legacy, the game introduces players to a card-based battle featuring some of Survivor’s memorable—and not-so-memorable—contestants. Players are tasked with forming alliances and blindsiding opponents in a race to become one of the last two standing. At the end, it’s a battle of wits as players present their case for why they should be crowned Sole Survivor—with bragging rights, albeit not a million dollars, on the line.
Jeff Probst, the mastermind behind Survivor, shared his thoughts: “Creating a card game version of Survivor was always about crafting an enjoyable experience for long-time fans and game enthusiasts alike,” said Probst. “Teaming up with the Exploding Kittens crew felt like the perfect match. We hope players have as much fun with it as we did making it.”
Fans of the show will recognize Survivor’s iconic elements within the game, like strategic advantages, hidden immunity idols, and the famed tribal council votes—with the box cleverly doubling as the official vote tallying urn. Some of the engaging mechanics include Reward Challenges for strategic alliances, “The Spy Shack” for sneaking peeks at rivals’ hands, and the defensive “Sorry for You” to block thefts. Bonus cards add a layer of intrigue, allowing for vote manipulation and even self-declaration as the Tribal Council Leader.
Perfect for ages eight and up, the game supports three to six players, with gameplay lasting between 30 to 60 minutes. Survivor The Tribe Has Spoken is now available for preorder, priced at $19.99, on platforms including Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
